Nikon EM - Guide + Why You Should Get One

My guide to the underated Nikon EM a Great small SLR 35mm film camera.
Full manual guide here:
www.butkus.org/...
/ stevenamyah

[@demonfingers271]

My grandfather just gave me his old nikon em and im so excited to start using it, im a beginner and I think it will be a good camera to really start off with

[@dangerpowers123]

Logan Romero absolutely! A great camera, just set the aperture on the lens, and the needle moves in the viewfinder to the shutter speed it will use, plus batteries last for years. Congrats on getting given one.

[@randallstewart175]

The EM will not be a good camera for a beginner! It is a fully automatic body with no provision for user control. Since the camera does all of the work, a beginner learns absolutely nothing, having nothing to do except focus. Add the fact that it is far and away the Nikon product most likely to fail, and it has no attraction. For almost the same price used, the FG is the great beginner camera.

[@filmismorefun]

Love the Em. I'm actually on my fourth copy. I can vouch for the weak rewind knob as I've ripped several off by hand opening the back (without using excessive force). Still its a fun little camera.

[@breckenpeter5343]

i guess im randomly asking but does someone know a method to get back into an instagram account..? I somehow lost my login password. I would appreciate any tips you can give me!

[@coltencoleman5513]

@Brecken Peter instablaster ;)

[@breckenpeter5343]

@Colten Coleman thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now. Takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@breckenpeter5343]

@Colten Coleman HOLY **** IT ACTUALLY WORKED! Just hacked my ig account after ~ 45 minutes by using the site. I had to pay 15$ but definitely worth the money :O Thanks so much you really help me out!

[@coltencoleman5513]

@Brecken Peter Happy to help xD

[@sunzaolive]

this is golden. :) I bought one EM with a 50mm E from a my elder friend, i insist on paying him for that we are friends. :) I especially like the information about the 1/1000 and M90. It will definitely help newbies. It was planned to use the 50mm with my Nikon Df. Almost all the Nikon F lens works on that beast. However, after watching a few videos about the EM, for example this one. I start to pick up 35mm again like when i was a boy. Have been through like 10 rolls of different cheap 35mm negative. This EM has not failed me. :) It takes nice photos and kind of getting out of the way with limited features! less is more sometimes i think. Thanks for the video!

[@dangerpowers123]

That's great, have you tried the FG too ?

[@sunzaolive]

@@dangerpowers123 not yet. Checking out review now! :D

[@ghw7192]

I have been using film Nikons since 1967 and have over 20 of them from my original F to an F-5, but the EM is one of my favorites. If you are into street photography, you might appreciate the EM's compact size, how relatively quiet is and the surprising quality of the Series E lenses. I think that it is an excellent stealth camera. Thanks for this video!

[@dangerpowers123]

Totally agree. I take it on all my holidays abroad. Its sort of unique in Nikon's SLR line up for its low weight and small size, simple core features.. nothing gets in the way of taking photos.

[@lukpac]

The EM was the first SLR I ever used, and I took plenty of photos with mine. But for anyone interested today, I'd highly recommend an FG instead. It's quite similar to the EM, but it adds both manual and programmed exposure modes.

[@dangerpowers123]

lukpac , fairly recently I picked up a lovely silver FG and it's a great camera and still small. But I have a real soft spot for the EM, and although logically it's not as good as the FG I prefer the EM because it's so basic and no frills.

[@randallstewart175]

I wasn't aware that user control over exposure was a "frill". Reply further illustrates the one-sided nature of this review.

[@sergeantcrow]

I love my little EM.

[@WonderfullyApril]

Thank you for making this video! Helped me a lot!

[@simoninsists8264]

Great video! Make more! I’m gonna go buy one now.

[@KelliDienhoff]

I've just bought this one, my first Nikon and have it on the M90 setting, the shutter speed doesn't seem to work, so perhaps there's no battery! I've just shot my first role so Im hoping its not over exposed, fingers crossed! The motor drive looks cool too.

[@dangerpowers123]

Kelli Dienhoff , yerr get some batteries and re-test it if possible. On m90 it's shooting at 1, 90th of a second only so the exposure with correct if your set the aperture to match the available light.

[@KelliDienhoff]

Thank you so much! I'm going to try new batteries and have one more practice before I travel.

[@dangerpowers123]

Kelli Dienhoff , the complete Manual for the EM is available here, gives some instructions on how to insert the batteries and use the battery button. Worth a quick read once you have two new LR44 batterys. www.butkus.org/chinon/nikon/nikon_em/nikon_em.htm

[@Magnetron692]

Thank you! Nice review! I like this camera! Greetings from Germany and have a nice day!

[@dangerpowers123]

Thank you. Hello and greetings. My great grandfather was German 👍🏻 his photo hangs on my wall at home.

[@moddude101]

Yeah great camera. I've shot with one for many years and it never let me down except when the battery died but that could have been my Nikon FE, but I didn't think about the M90 setting until the review. Also as a not I would use the ASA to adjust for exposure compensation when I wanted to change the stops in a manual sort of way.

[@3flyte_3flyte]

Unlike the F5, which is a monster behemoth, this one is small and discreet. I don't like to beat up any of my equipment, even though they are now cheap. Some day, they will be scarce and I don't want the future photographers to be handed a beat up EM. I am careful with my equipment.

[@hectoro5144]

Hello sir, thank you so much for the review! I know now why there is a difference between the color of the buttons! , have a great day!

[@dangerpowers123]

No worries. Thank you

[@arharradine]

Excellent video very informative

[@dangerpowers123]

Anthony Harradine thank you

[@Ryan_Christopher]

I wasted an entire roll shot during my military goodbye dinner party using the M90 mode and the E-Series Flash and MDE Drive. Everything came-out dark. In contrast I had better results on a different party leaving the shutter on Auto with a third-party flash with an auto sensor. To this day I’m not comfortable using the E-series flash with this kit.

[@JaredBrownAtLarge]

Very nice review thanks 👍

[@Otokichi786]

When this camera was on the market, I was still using Ye Olde Nikkormat FTN, and was about to switch over to the Nikon FM. Since the EM was a doorstop without power, I ignored it until it was resurrected as the Nikon FG. Motor drive? I didn't get one for the FM2N until a sports assignment came up at the community newspaper. (I got an MD-12 at eBay and found it interesting.;)

[@jonathandowman2770]

Great video - thanks for sharing

[@dangerpowers123]

jonathan dowman thank you

[@andrewreynolds1217]

I enjoy using the one I have, I should track down an MD-E for it.

[@randallstewart175]

It is so slow that once the novelty of it wears off, you'll ditch it to save the extra weight.

[@minisla]

Have you ever had a body fail. Just thinking about purchasing one. Lovely little camera

[@dangerpowers123]

Personally no I've owned three of them and had no problems. They are fairly reliable. Not the strongest camera nikon ever made. But certainly still well made and reliable. If you buy one second hand just make sure it looks well looked after, no scrapes and marks to the body, then it's most likely fine.

[@JoeLopez]

I just grabbed one this week on ebay ($20l). A few frames shot on HP5 wirh a 50mm f1.8 so far.

[@dangerpowers123]

Joe Lopez I was in a local charity shop in late December and spotted a Nikon EM with 50mm 1.8 lens. I don't need a third one. But it was £40 and the lense alone goes for £60 on eBay so I snapped it up. You got an even better deal than me. This third one I've got is quite unusual it's a very early one with plastic rewind crank and I can see now why they changed it in the later model of the EM.

[@JoeLopez]

Film Camera Reviews A great buy indeed.

[@xeroeddie]

Great video. Could you use the ISO/ASA dial for exposure compensation? For instance if you would like to exspose for the brightest part of the image (maybe the sky) you could point the camera at the sky, read the shutter speed, recompose your shot and then change the ISO/ASA dial untill you get the shutter speed you metered for before. Maybe it's a little cumbersome and there're limits to how much you can compensate, especially if you use very low og very high film ISO/ASA. Or is the ISO/ASA dial locked when the film is loaded?

[@dangerpowers123]

Yerr you can do that. The iso dial is a manual dial on the rewind crank

[@richardjacobson5236]

i'm collecting the full set and have half the lense to go. i have the winder and the flash too! by full set i mean all the Series e lenses that were built for this body as a budget option

[@dangerpowers123]

A plastic yellowish camera and lens case existed for the EM too. Worth looking for on eBay.

[@randallstewart175]

Are you doing this for display? The Em is the inferior body of the three. The Series E 50mm, 100mm, and 75-150mm zoom are excellent. The rest are mediocre, except the 28mm, which ties with the 43-86mm zoom for the worst lens Nikon ever made.

[@richardjacobson5236]

@@randallstewart175 no for my own satisfaction lol. and maybe one day i will be the only one to have a set

[@mrmarzo]

Great info and points. I own a FM2 and I've thought about buying a FG for it's auto function but ended up ordering an EM because for it's straightforward simplicity. If I want to shoot pure manual or if want more control, I'd obviously just shoot with my FM2. The EM seems like a great camera I can just keep in my backpack and conveniently pull out and snap without much time and process. When shooting in the city (Tokyo) at night, you'd recommend always shooting with a tripod right with this type of camera right? I'm assuming it's always going to automatically hover at a slow shutter speed. However if I shoot with my FM2, I can keep my shutter speed around 1/30 or 1/60 at f1.4 with 1600 film. Do you think the is EM capable to shoot with handheld within Tokyo city nights?

[@dangerpowers123]

I think if your shooting at night then the camera is less important as it can shoot fast enough....the main thing is the film speed and the speed of the lens. That being said...it's a very light weight camera and some people find it easier to hand hold with less shake a heavy camera....a light weight camera can make this harder if you don't tuck in your elbows to stabilise... Maybe take a mono pod .. smaller than a tripod and will help steady the shots

[@subrotomitra]

What is the little button under the Self timer lever ?

[@emilylorenger5720]

Just got one but no batteries which ones do i buy

[@reddevil211287]

Hi there, great review! Quick question...are you able to take longer exposures (meaning 1/60 and under) on a tripod? Or does it start to beep and not allow for the shot to be taken? It’s impossible to do say, a half a second exposure on the bulb mode...

[@dangerpowers123]

Yerr with the EM the bulb mode is the only real way to achieve it... I'd not recommend it with the EM really.

[@reddevil211287]

@@dangerpowers123 Ahhh I see, so the beep is not merely a warning to say, "hey this photo will be shaky handheld, best use a tripod", but you can't use those shutter speeds at all...if that is so, what a shame! No one's mentioned this crippling limitation I don't think on any KZbin reviews. Other than that, the EM is so wonderful, wish the FM had the same ergonomics. Thanks :)

[@dangerpowers123]

@@reddevil211287 see for me the EM and I love it... Has a limitation at the other end of the scale...in that it can't shoot really fast shutter speeds...so on a bright sunny day if I'm shooting say 1.8 on the lens... The needle will....shoot right up to the max in the finder.. and I know I need to shoot at 2.8 instead or risk over exposure

[@olivemccoyoy]

Hello just bought one of these. I want to buy a flash but not sure what ones would work ! Mine came with an 28-80mm zoom lens, how do you think this would work I’m comparison to a 35mm ?

[@dangerpowers123]

High, you want to get the dedicated flash designed for the Nikon EM. It's called the SB-E. They are for sale on eBay often for less than £10. A link to one with info on it...is here so you can see how it looks. www.heritagecameras.co.uk/nikon-speedlight-sb-e-dedicated-auto-flash-for-em-and-fe-fits-many-af-and-digital-with-instructions-and-batteries-4915-p.asp

[@smokingsamosa]

I've put a bid on this to take to concerts. Got an order on a zoom lense as well as the 50mm 1.8f that is coming with the camera. I've also got a cheap Centon body coming. It's a knock-off Pentax that I might just sell tbh. What's your opinion on Pentax cameras? What camera would you recommend for a beginner to film photography?

[@dangerpowers123]

I think Pentax like Minolta are in 2019 quite underated cameras. Some models of Pentax are worth getting for the right price I'm sure. For me with the Nikon EM, I think the 50mm e series 1.8 lens really compliments the camera body as it keeps the size down to a minimum and the weight.

[@HaloMia]

I love mine! Shoot 6 rolls with it already :) A quick question, have you ever try to overexpose your film with EM? Does the light meter cope with over/under? I want to try portra 400, but a lot of people said it looks super well overexposed at 200 🤔

[@MountainsBreath]

Just set your ASA to 200 and you will be fine. I pull my film 95% of the time. It's the right way to get beautiful contrast, not the chalk and coal look even though that look is popular online. Silver prints made with pulled film almost always yikes better results.

[@Oscar-hx9tp]

I like my little Nikon Em :) Great vid

[@dangerpowers123]

Thank you. I was messing around only yesterday with my Em and the motor drive for it. Still works well in 2020

[@jericotabz4262]

Hey man, great video! Im just asking, where would you recommend to buy this camera? It looks really cool. Im also a beginner, and thought it would be an okay start considering the prices for these are somewhat cheap on some ebay listings. Thanks

[@dangerpowers123]

Hi, thank you. Ok so eBay is the best place. But make sure you get one with a lens. The 50mm e series 1.8 is the best lens to get for this camera as it's small and super sharp. Plus it's more cost effective to get it with a lens. Buying the lens on it's own is usually allot more expensive I've found. The nikon FG is also worth a look as it's 90% the same camera as the EM.

[@jericotabz4262]

Film Camera Reviews hey man, looking around i could only find some camera body's rather than the body with the lens. Do you recommend other lenses for the EM?

[@dangerpowers123]

Jerico Tablizo I can see a few but it takes a bit of luck and patience.. rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F332417862198

[@dangerpowers123]

Jerico Tablizo also on this camera it has make me an offer so around 60 with the lens he may accept. The lens on it's own can go for 50 often.. rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F253211738273

[@jericotabz4262]

Is there other film camera's that you would recommend? I am though, in a budget :(

[@rachel-o1c]

I’ve noticed my viewfinder meter does not move when playing around with the aperture. Will I still get some decent looking film ??

[@dangerpowers123]

Hmm...ok I've given this some thought... so the way the EM should work is you set an aperture on the lens and the camera works out automatically the right shutter speed for you and that shutter speed is displayed in the viewfinder with the needle that moves up and down from 1 sec to 1000th of a second. If the batteries are fine and the camera is working and it's just the needle is stuck....which can happen..then your photos will be fine. But if the camera is broken and that is why the needle is not working then your photos could be all taken at the wrong shutter speed. How I would test the camera, is still using the correct shutter speeds, is to take a photo in doors in a dark setting with little light. Set the camera to say f8 on the lens and if it's fairly dark the camera will take a very slow 2 or 3 seconds to take the photo...listen for the mirror slap. Then take a photo in bright light at say f1.8 and the shutter speed should be very fast At say 1/1000th of a second. If you can hear the camera using different speeds to take the photos based on available light then you know it's fine and just the needle in the viewfinder is stuck.

[@rachel-o1c]

Film Camera Reviews thank you so much for the information! I recently got this camera from my family.. it was my uncles and he passed away in 2005 when I was 11. Ever since my mom brought it home I have wanted to use it, but she hid it away for quite sometime and it has not been used since 2005... until now. Tonight, I was really taking my time trying to frame and focus this one picture and was lightly pushing on the shutter button and the meter started to move! I was so excited. The camera itself is in such great condition that I figured the meter was not working because it has been in storage for well over 10 years, untouched. I’m very hopeful for my future projects involving photographs from this camera now! Thanks again for all the information

[@dangerpowers123]

@@rachel-o1c that's great news, I hope the meter continues to work. They are tough cameras and usually don't have many faults. Provided it's got new LR44 batteries it should work fine usually. Sure your uncle would be really happy his camera is still capturing family memories. I have my late grandads cameras and still use it. One I'll never sell.

[@dennisybe5629]

Hi, if the film counter is at S then the meter needle will not move. Advance the counter to 1 by shooting and then the needle should start to meter at the set aperture setting. If it still does not move, then either the battery or the meter is dead.

[@chronicfish]

A cheap camera that's looked down upon, amongst the Nikon camera circle Nikon: Let's market it to women .. As a female photographer, I don't know how to feel about this statement .. it is a lovely camera though

[@promospray]

does it work well when there's winter outside and temperature is below 0 °С (celsius, or 32 °F)? and also one thing i think of: will the light-metering work properly when using the non-Nikon manual lenses (like helios 44-2) on this camera? this tiny camera looks pretty nice.

[@dangerpowers123]

Yaroslav Ra , good questions. I mean the metering will work as it's through the lens metering. But the AI tab on the body expects an AI or AI-s lens to tell it what aperture the lens is set to..F1.8 etc... It doesn't have a stop down metering body so a Helios lens would have to be AI converted to work. I suppose the answer is "no" not with the EM. As it needs AI lenses to read the F stop. Temperature ....well it's worked for me fine on very cold days and also on holiday in very hot beach holidays. I think the danger with extreme cold is it could well drain the batteries faster. As I've read this with other similar cameras.

[@promospray]

but on the other hand, lightmetering should "tell" the camera if the shot is under- or overexposed (by setting aperture manually) and even if the camera can't "read" aperture (say, f2.0, no matter what aperture is actually set manually) the camera should pair it with the shutter speed (acording to lightmetering). and also i think the better way to find it out is to take the non-Nikon lens and take a shot. well, even without the film, listening to the shutter speed on a different apertures.

[@dangerpowers123]

Yaroslav Ra , good idea. Worth trying certainly

[@tristanodubghaill3497]

Good evening, I just wanted to know the name of the case for the motor drive, I couldn’t seem to find it anywhere, thank you

[@dangerpowers123]

It's official Nikon name is the CF-16 The CF-11 being the normal case. The CF-16 is the motor drive one

[@anananear]

Where to buy eveready leather case like yours for both cameras & grip or do you want to sell yours? #Nikon_EM

[@uncatila]

Great travel camera where it's likely to be stolen. Keep the Rollie 35s as a backup tucked away.

[@dangerpowers123]

Patrick Fealy good idea.

[@mmmbbq]

Just got one today with a 50mm lens for $21

[@dangerpowers123]

What a bargain!! The lens alone is worth double what you paid

[@mmmbbq]

@@dangerpowers123 It's been a while, but I've gotten really lucky with Nikon lenses the past couple years. EM is a weird camera, though. When I first picked it up, I'm like "where the hell is the shutter speed?" lol OH, I think I actually have the winder somewhere. I thrifted it for like $2 a couple years ago.

[@dangerpowers123]

@@mmmbbq ah excellent..yerr the absence of the shutter is a bit odd at first. But for a small holiday chuck it about film SLR. the small size and ease of use are hard to beat

[@TysWifeyy]

What is the motor drive used for ???

[@TysWifeyy]

And can I take pictures without it??

[@dangerpowers123]

It advances the film for you, yes can take pictures with it or without it

[@sinthusantheiventhiram3881]

I have the full setup for sale - EM + 50mm f/1.8 + 100mm f/2.8 + Motor drive + Flash + Linear pola A160, diffuser 2 A084 & Pola Red-Green A170. Filters. Looking for offers for all if anyone's interested. Based in the UK. Many thanks.

[@randallstewart175]

This review is excessively positive about the EM, noting its features and positive point, but glossing over its shortcomings. Historically, note that the camera would have never existed but for sales pressure on Nikon. In 1977, Pentax and Oly started eating away at Nikon's consumer sales with small, lighter, and more automatic cameras (ex., Pentax ME). For some reason, it Nikon 3 years to respond with the EM: lack of user exposure control made it a non-starter with Nikon's existing base, but newbees bought it to have "a Nikon". A few years later, the EM was replaced by the FG, a truly full featured, cutting edge consumer camera (incorporated much the exposure automation electronics used later in the FA). Unhappily, after a couple of years, the FG was replaced by the FG-20, which was a step backward toward the EM, because the FG was eating into sales of the much more expensive FA. Since a good used FG costs about the same as an EM or FG-20, buy an FG. The power winder (fits all 3 models) is too slow at 1.5 fps to be useful and the added bulk and weight detracts from the physical advantages of these compact cameras - skip it. The EM: it's like shooting a point-n- shoot which mounts Nikon AI/AIs lenses, but not pre-AI lenses.

[@dangerpowers123]

All good points I'm aware of. This was my review of the camera based on my opinion. I don't like the FG camera and don't use it anywhere near as much as the EM. I think he EM is great for its simple no frills and small size. When I want something just a bit more optically better than a point and shoot as a lads holiday camera it's good fun to take the EM...and if it gets broken. No problem I buy another one. Be great if you did a video review as well, as your knowledge on the history of it would be worth watching it for 👍👍please don't be to critical, I do mention it was not a huge success and why.

[@aspookyfox]

I'd give a PS5 for an E series 35mm lens

[@murdoc828]

I'm selling an Canon EM. If someone is looking for one.

[@PLarsenl94]

Did you sell it yet? I'm interested

[@murdoc828]

@@PLarsenl94Still Have it mate.

[@PLarsenl94]

@@murdoc828 Good condition? How much would you want for it?

[@murdoc828]

Send me an email. [e-mail]

[@lofi5992]

found one for 16 bucks

[@dangerpowers123]

Bargain!!!