# Nikon EM



## MushiiPeas (Jun 14, 2010)

Okay i'm about to start my second year at college, for my first year i used the Nikon EM because we already had it and i didn't have enough money to buy a new SLR  and i didn't know much about photography however... the second year at college we're capturing movement. I know the Nikon EM has a bulb setting which could be quite helpful but do you think i need to get a new camera maybe on that has manual shutter speed, if so can you suggest any good ones? 

Or could you suggest any good techniques i could use to capture movement with the EM? 

Any comments will be much appreciated xxxxxx


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## j-dogg (Jun 14, 2010)

em = 

I have an FG and a Nikkormat FT


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## Dwig (Jun 14, 2010)

MushiiPeas said:


> ...do you think i need to get a new camera maybe on that has manual shutter speed ...? ...



The EM is a rather decent little camera and quite reliable. Its drawback is that its only exposure mode is aperture priority. The is no manual, other than bulb.

I would suggest you look into getting a replacement body that has manual exposure. You might consider the FG and the FG-20. Both are built on exactly the same chassis as the EM. The FG-20 adds a manual mode and the FG adds both a manual and a full program mode. Other Nikon models, like the FM/FE series, would be more rugged and durable options with more features, but not higher quality options. 

When it comes down to it, manual isn't really necessary. By altering the f/stop you can get the EM to set any shutter speed that you could set with a manual camera, at least any that would result in a proper exposure. 

The EM's lack of an EV compensation dial can be compensated for by merely altering the ISO temporarily. The EV comp. disal on the FG does just that; its only advantage is that you can see that you've altered the metering and what the real ISO of the film is. With the EM and, say, ISO 100 film you accomplish an EV comp of +1 by simply setting ISO 50. On the FG you leave the ISO 100 set and change the dial to +1. The only difference is that you can look at the FG's dial and tell you've made such a setting. Looking at the EM you can't see any difference in the dial when you are using ISO 100 and +1 EV or ISO 50 and O EV compensation. You have to remember what's in the camera.


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## Flash Harry (Jun 15, 2010)

Use some of your student loan and get a decent film camera, even a F5 nikon is only a few hundred quid now, F100-F90X-F3-F4 can all be picked up for peanuts and will outlast you and every digital camera presently on the market.

Which college you at. H


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## MushiiPeas (Jun 15, 2010)

I'm at Eastbourne Park College. I don't think you can get a student loan, i know i can get one when i got to uni. Thanks for your suggestions i really like the Nikon fg-20


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## Early (Jun 15, 2010)

MushiiPeas said:


> I'm at Eastbourne Park College. I don't think you can get a student loan, i know i can get one when i got to uni. Thanks for your suggestions i really like the Nikon fg-20


The FG has a harsh shutter, and I can only imagine the FG-20 does, too.  Go for the N2020 if you can't afford the FE on up.


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## Petraio Prime (Jun 15, 2010)

Dwig said:


> MushiiPeas said:
> 
> 
> > ...do you think i need to get a new camera maybe on that has manual shutter speed ...? ...
> ...



The EM was quite cheap and meant only for light use.


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## j-dogg (Jun 15, 2010)

If you get the FG go easy on the film advance lever it's made of plastic.


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## Mike_E (Jun 15, 2010)

Relax and pay attention to ebay.  

I picked up an F80 for $13 for my son the other day.  It needed a plastic cover over the top LCD~ the part is $6 from Nikon.

Being prepared (read this as don't spend your camera money on something else because you won't have it when you need it) is the key to success.

Good luck


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## j-dogg (Jun 15, 2010)

Mike_E said:


> Relax and pay attention to ebay.
> 
> I picked up an F80 for $13 for my son the other day.  It needed a plastic cover over the top LCD~ the part is $6 from Nikon.
> 
> ...



^^that also.

Craigslist isn't too bad sometimes, I picked up my entire film setup, two Nikons and like 8 or 9 lenses and filters for 200 total. including rolls of film. I've seen my Nikon FG and a lens go for that alone.


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## Dwig (Jun 15, 2010)

Petraio Prime said:


> ...
> The EM was quite cheap and meant only for light use.



Actually, the EM will take a a good bit of use. What it won't survive is abuse. The little guys aren't rugged.

I sold and serviced Nikons (along with Canon, Pentax, Olympus, Minolta, and for a while Konica) for a good 20 years (1974-95). EMs sold well during the market run and noticeably fewer came in for service that competing models from other brands, even more expensive models. Very few EMs, or FGs and FG-20s, were brought in for repair that hadn't been abused (dropped, got wet, ...).


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## Mike_E (Jun 16, 2010)

You might also check on forums that have a presence in your area to see if anyone might have an extra whatever you are looking for to sell to you at a good price.

I'm certainly not suggesting you go around begging nor do I think that you would but asking to buy with a mention of your situation is OK I think.  If after that someone wants to donate.. That's OK too.  

Here is a start..  Talk Photography&#8482;


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## MushiiPeas (Jun 17, 2010)

Hey thanks for the comments...

I have another thing to check.

Tonight i'm gonna take some pictures when it gets dark using the 'bulb' setting, i'm going to use my tripod and shutter release cable. Am i right in thinking if i let off a firework and having someone running around with a torch it will catch the movement of the light? I was thinking of using a aperture of 8 or 11 and a film with low ISO like 100.


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## Mike_E (Jun 17, 2010)

Google - painting with light - and you'll find what you need.

have fun!


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## MushiiPeas (Jun 17, 2010)

:thumbup:



Mike_E said:


> Google - painting with light - and you'll find what you need.
> 
> have fun!


 
Thanks Mike-E i didn't know what it was called or i would have googled it!

Some of that stuff is really amazing! I can't wait to go and shoot some my of own now.


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## Flash Harry (Jun 17, 2010)

You can get a student loan while at college for hnc/hnd, I did, these qualifications are equal to 1 and 2nd year uni so entrance with hnd onto a batchelors degree leaves the two final years. H

PS. regardless of the loan a decent semi pro or pro Nikon film camera is peanuts at present and will have all the bells n whistles for any type photography they chuck at you, I used a dynax 9xi and a nikon f90x, all through college and for three years till digital slr's became the norm, offering similar quality to film. H


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