Ernest Nitka Photography

What you can do with a cheap camera and lens

The premise was to get a cheap Nikon Film SLR and have it in our trailer all the time.  Then I just need to bring film and batteries.  I selected the Nikon EM because I just got it back from repair and needed to ensure that it was working.  I selected in date color film and Japanese Camera Hunter ( JCH)  Black and White film to shoot.

The Nikon EM is a beginner’s level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single lens reflex camera. It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1979 to 1982. The camera was designed for and marketed to the growing market of new women photographers then entering the SLR buyer’s market.


It is a bit awkward in that it is aperture priority only camera.  So for adjustments you either have to change the ASA dial ( and not forget to set it back after the shot) OR use a button on the front of the camera that opens up by two stops.  My review of the negatives show that when I shot plain and then opened by two stops that the 2 stop button worked fine.

I did not do my own developing on the JCH film - I had The Darkroom  lab process the film.  The color film turned out great as well.

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