Was rummaging through my personal belongings and found my dad's old Nikon EM. This is an entry level SLR 35mm camera introduced in 1979. I am not sure what year my dad got this but it is still in pretty good condition. This is a great camera for someone like me who is interested in photography but lacks the ability to handle a fully fledge SLR. With the EM you only need to control the aperture priority while the exposure is automatic. What a no frills SLR!
The EM's body is very lightweight. Made of durable plastic the camera feels very solid despite being much smaller than other SLRs (perfect for war photographers). The EM comes with cheap and light Nikon E Series lens (50mm - f/1.8). I love the way the shutter cocks itself and the satisfying sound the SLR makes when taking a picture. To wind the film, you would need to flip out the winding lever.
Although it was an entry level SLR when first introduced I think the design has aged pretty well. Who knows if it might be a collector in 20 years time when everyone's gone 100% digital. But I do know that I have had some good memories with the EM.
Back in '95 I would use the EM (my dad wouldn't lend me his ultra futuristic Olympus iS-3000 SLR) to capture images (I had no basic knowledge in photography - all I did was focus) of my home town for a school history project based on my home town. Because of the lightness it was easy to drag around hung on my neck why cycling through town capturing images of Chinese cemeteries and god knows what.
Here is a review on the EM.
2 comments:
Awesome :)
I have 2 EM's. They are VERY good cameras. I have a motordrive, dedicated Sunpak flash, and several lenses. Like all old cameras they need looking after, but there are no real problems with them as long as no batteries were left in them. Any problems are caused by age, the light-seals rot (as all other cameras) but it must be possible to use soft string or something. I haven't had problems yet but intend to electrical-tape the back cover etc., if it arises. Crude, but it ought to work! Oxidization of electrical contacts is common in old gear, so time spent cleaning them is worth the effort. The EM lightmeter flickering is caused by oxidization.
Some people bemoan the lack of 'frills' on the EM, but the camera was designed to be simple and cheap. You want 'frills', buy a 'real' Nikon. For the money the EM is great, only matched by the Olympus OM10. If you can't take good photos with the EM it's YOU, not the camera.
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