Nikon EM User manual

Nikon EM Owner’s manual
–1 –
Nikon EM
This text is identical to the Owner’s manual.
I. Nomenclature
01. Frame counter;
02. Shutter operation mode selector;
03. Shutter release button;
04. Shutter release fingerguard;
05. Film winding lever;
06. Battery power check button;
07. Battery power LED lamp;
08. Neckstrap eyelet;
09. Exposure compensation button;
10. Self-timer;
11. Lens mounting flange;
12. Lens mounting index;
13. Lens release button;
14. Reflex mirror;
15. Aperture direct readout (ADR) scale**;
16. Lens aperture scale;
17. Lens aperture ring;
18. Lens mounting ring;
19. Aperture/distance scale index;
20. Infrared photography focusing index;
21. Depth of-field indicators;
22. Focusing distance scale;
23. Lens focusing ring;

Nikon EM Owner’s manual
–2 –
24. Film rewind crank;
25. Film rewind knob;
26. ASA film speed selector ring;
27. ASA film speed setting index;
28. ASA film speed scale;
29. Flash unit hot shoe;
30. Hot-shoe contact;
31. Ready-light contact for SB-E/SB 10 Speedlight;
32. Viewfinder eyepiece;
33. Film cassette chamber;
34. Film rewind fork;
35. Film guide rails;
36. Shutter curtains;
37. Film sprockets;
38. Film takeup spool;
39. Film pressure plate;
40. Camera back;
41. Memo holder;
42. Motor drive positioning hole;
43. Motor drive coupling;
44. Film rewind button;
45. Tripod/motor drive coupling socket;
46. Battery chamber lid/battery clip;
47. Motor drive electrical contact.

Nikon EM Owner’s manual
–3 –
II. Basic Operation
1. Unlock battery chamber 46.
2. Insert two silver-oxide batteries or one
lithium battery into battery clip with the “+”
sign(s) up.
3. Mount lens after closing battery chamber.
4. Pull out film rewind knob 25 to open camera
back 40.
5. Load film. To ensure proper film winding, make
sure that both edges of the film engage the film
sprockets 37.
6. Rotate film rewind crank 24 take up film
slack. Be careful that you do not wind film back
into the cassette.
7. Snap camera back closed, then set ASA by lifting
up and turning ASA film speed selector ring 26.
8. Set shutter operation mode selector ❷to
AUTO.
9. Press shutter release button ❸all the way.
Note: Do not attempt to take pictures prior to frame
1, the start of AUTO operation.
10. Stroke film winding lever ❺to advance
film.

Nikon EM Owner’s manual
–4 –
11. Confirm film advance: film rewind knob 25
turns opposite engraved arrow as winding lever is
stroked.
12. Repeat Steps 9 and 10 until frame counter
❶indicates “1”. Camera is then ready to take
first picture.
13. Look through viewfinder eyepiece 32 and
focus on subject.
14. Switch meter on, lightly pressing shutter release
button ❸. Turn lens aperture ring ⓱until “beep-
beep”sound, if any, stops.
15. You are now ready to shoot: depress shuttle
release button until you hear the click of the
shuttle.
16. Advance film to the next frame.
17. After completing the roll rewind and unload
film.
III. How to Hold the Camera
To take good pictures, you should first learn how to handle your camera properly. Hold the camera
with both hands, as shown in the pictures, cushioning it in the palm of your left hand. For added
support, prop your left-hand elbow against your body. Before loading the camera with film, practice in
front of a mirror until you have mastered all the controls.
Exposure compensation button ❾: Depressed with the left hand index finger.

Nikon EM Owner’s manual
–5 –
IV. Setting Up the Camera Body andLens
A. Install the Batteries
Proper batteries: Two 1,55V silver oxide
types (S-76, SR-44 or equivalent) or one 3V
lithium battery.
1. Unlock the battery chamber lid 46 with a coin.
2. Remove the battery clip which is integral
with the lid.
3. Insert the battery (batteries), with the “+”sign(s)
facing up, into battery clip.
4. Replace the battery chamber clip/lid, and
close the chamber securely.
5. Push the battery power check button ❻. If the
adjacent lamp does not light up (or is too dim), check
battery orientation or put in a new set of batteries.
Q: Can I still use the camera even when the
batteries are dead?
A: Yes. In this case, reset the shutter operation
mode selector ❷from AUTO to M90 which
will provide a shutter speed of 1/90 sec.

Nikon EM Owner’s manual
–6 –
B. Mount the Lens
Proper lenses: Nikon Series E lenses, Al-type Nikkor lenses and others (seelist).
1. Remove the camera body.
2. Remove the rear lens cap.
3. Seat the lens on top of the camera body’s lens
mounting flange ⓫, making sure the lens
mounting index ⓬is aligned with the
aperture/distance scale index ⓳. Then twist the
lens by its mounting ring ⓲until it clicks and
locks into place.
4. To remove the lens: Press the camera’s lens
release button ⓭, and twist the lens clockwise by
its mounting ring until it becomes loose.
V. Preparing to Shoot and Actual Shooting
Proper film: Any commercially available, color or black-and-white, 35mm film negative (prints) or
transparency (Slides) in cassettes of 12, 20, 24 or 36 exposures.
A. Load the Film
1. Open the camera back by pulling up the film
rewind knob 25.
2. Place the cassette in the film cassette chamber 33.
3. Secure the cassette with the film rewind fork
34 by pressing the knob back.
4. Insert the film leader into any of the film takeup
spool’s 38 six slots. Be sure the film’s perforations
engage the film sprockets 37. Press the shutter
release button and stroke the film winding lever to
advance the film.

Nikon EM Owner’s manual
–7 –
5. After closing the camera back, press the
shutter release button ❸.
6. To take up film slack, turn the film rewind crank
24 in the direction of the engraved arrow, until you
feel a slight resistance. Be careful not to wind the
film back into the cassette.
7. Advance the film, press the shutter release
button and advance the film again until the
frame counter ❶indicates “1”to start AUTO
operation.
Q: How can I be sure the film has been properly
loaded and is being advanced?
A: If, as you advance the film winder lever, the film
rewind knob rotates in the opposite direction of the
arrow engraved on it, you can be sure the film is
being properly advanced.
Note: If you release the shutter during “AUTO”operation with the cap mounted on the lens or in an
extra dark place, the reflex mirror ⓮will remain in the “up”position. To return the mirror to its
original position, set the shutter operation mode selector ❷to M90 or B.
B. Set ASA
1. Pull up the ASA film speed selector ring 26.
2. Turn it until the ASA film speed setting index 27
is aligned with your film’s ASA rating.
Note: Don’t forget to reset ASA when you use film
with different ASA ratings; otherwise, the film will
not be correctly exposed.
Q: What is ASA?
A: ASA is a number which indicates the relative sensitivity of your film to light. Your camera must
have this information to be able to give your film the proper exposure.
Q: What should I do to remember the ASA rating of the film loaded in the camera?
A: As a reminder, insert the film carton tab which indicates the ASA rating, into the camera back’s
memo holder 41.

Nikon EM Owner’s manual
–8 –
C. Focus
1. Aim your camera at your subject, then compose the
picture through the viewfinder.
2. Rotate the lens focusing ring 23 until your
subject appears in the viewfinder.
Out of focus
In focus
①Shutter speed scale
②Flash ready-light
③Flash photography bracket
④Shutter speed needle
⑤Split-image range finder spot
⑥Microprism ring
⑦Fine matte outer field
Split-image rangefinder spot ⑤:Suitable for subjects with well-defined outlines. Turn the focu-
sing ring 23 until the two halves of the spot coincides, forming a single image.
Microprism ring ⑥:For subjects without definite contours, or for rapid focusing.
Turn the focusing ring until the image in the ring appears crisp.
Fine matte outer field ⑦:Ideal for close-ups or when shooting
with telephoto lenses. Turn the focusing ring until the image in the
field appearssharp.
To “prefocus”the lens (i.e., when time does not permit focusing
through the viewfinder), turn the focusing ring until the estimated
distance is aligned with the lens aperture/distance scale index ⓳.
With this technique, however, the focus may not be as sharp as you
expect.
Note: When you’re using lenses with small maximum apertures (e.g., ƒ/5.6, ƒ/8) or taking close-
ups, you may find it difficult to focus with the split-image spot or microprism ring (i.e., they
become “dark”); in this case, focus with the fine matte outer field.

Nikon EM Owner’s manual
–9 –
D. Determine Exposure
1. Set the shutter operation mode selector ❷to
AUTO.
2. Select an aperture by turning the lens aperture
ring ⓱.
3. Press the shutter release button ❸halfway
(i.e., cushion your finger with the shutter release
fingerguard ❹) to switch the camera’s meter on.
The shutter speed indicated by the needle ④in
the viewfinder will depend on both the selected
aperture and scene brightness.
Note: The meter remains switched on for a brief period even after your finger is lifted off the shuttle
release button.
Exposure warning signal: Should a “beep-beep”sound be emitted, note the position of the needle in
the shutter speed scale. If it swings past 1/1000 sec. and stays within the red zone, overexposure will
result. In this case, reset lens aperture until the sound stops or the needle “drops”from the red zone;
despite the sound, correct exposure is possible. If the needle is around 1/30 sec. or below, the sound
merely warns you that camera shake may affect image sharpness because of the slow shutter speed.
You either read - just aperture until the sound stops, or, if the needles is below 1/30 sec., use a tripod to
prevent picture blur. The meter remains switched on for a brief period even after your finger is lifted
off the shutter release button.
Notes: 1. At approximately 1/1000 sec. or 1/30 sec., a shrill sound may be emitted; it becomes
regular when the beyond these points.
2. It is possible you won’t hear the warning sound in noisy shooting situations.
Overexposed
(above 1/1000 sec.)
Tripod recommended to
prevent camera shake
(below 1/30 sec.)
Correctly exposed
Q: What shutter speed is best to use?
A: The shutter speed should be fast enough to prevent camera shake, especially in hand-held
shooting. In dim light, you may not be able to get a high speed. As a rule of thumb, use a tripod if the
shutter speed is slower than a number equal to the focal length of the lens. For example, with a 50 mm
lens, don’t take hand-held pictures at shutter speeds slower than 1/50 sec., and with a 135 mm, try to
use a minimum speed of 1/135 sec. Remember, this presumes your subject is not moving. If it does,
you’ll need faster speeds —in which case you just open the lens aperture.

Nikon EM Owner’s manual
–10 –
E. Shoot
1. Depress the shutter release button ❸with
steady, even pressure.
2. Advance the film to the next frame by stroking
the film winding lever ❺.
You can move the grooved winding lever with
your right-hand thumb in one sweep or a
series of short strokes.
Self-timer: This provides an approx. 10-sec. exposure delay. Slide the
lever ❿away from the lens as far as it will go, cover the finder eyepiece
32 with the palm of your hand to prevent stray light from entering, then
depress the shutter release button ❸. Note that the timer is designed not
to cock accidentally and requires slight pressure when you start to stroke
it. After use, gently nudge the lever back into place since it always stops
just before the starting position.
Q: When is the exposure compensation button ❾used?
A: To obtain a correct exposure when the main subject is side lit or
backlit. In this case, keep the button depressed as you depress the shutter
release button ❸, the shutter speed needle “drops”by about 2 steps (i.e.,
from 1/250 sec. to approx. 1/60 sec.).
F. Unload the Film
1. When you can no longer stroke the film
winding lever and the frame counter ❶indicates
that the last exposure has been made, press the
film rewind button 44. Don’t force the lever, or
you may tear the film out of the cassette.
2. Turn the film rewind crank 24 in the direction
of the engraved arrow with even pressure until
rewind “tension”gets lighter.
3. Pull up the film rewind knob 25 to open the
camera back, and remove the cassette.