I got hold of a pretty nice Nikon EM from eBay for $42 inclusive of the shipping from the US. It came loaded with batteries and 2 spare LR44 batteries. The camera was in perfect condition, almost new with a very functional meter.
What’s great with the Nikon EM is that it is very compact single lens reflex (SLR) camera capable of using wide range of Nikon lenses available (Nikon bayonet F-mount). The camera even fits the front pocket of my cargo shorts with the standard 50mm f/1.8 lens attached.
The Nikon EM has a nice bright viewfinder giving significant information necessary for the person behind the camera. Focusing is easy with a fixed focusing screen. There are a lot ways to focus with the EM; the central split-image rangefinder, microprism collar, or surrounding ground-glass area. The viewfinder also shows the shutter speed scale from 1 second to 1/1000 and the red over/ underexposure warning signs (aside from the beeping sound whenever the shot is under/ overexposed). In addition, there is an LED electronic flash ready-light adjacent to approx. 1/90 seconds. Mine, however, is no longer functional (at the moment, I guess because I haven’t tried it with a Nikon SB flash yet). The outer diameter of the ring inside the viewfinder is the priority section where emphasis is given more in metering than the rest of areas combined, this ‘theory’ is called the center-weighed metering used in virtually all modern manual focus Nikon camera bodies.
Because the EM is aperture priority, it is a very nice SLR for street photography. You just need to set the aperture depending on the effect you want your image to have (wider aperture gives greater depth of field), focus, and shoot. It’s that easy. Other considerations may include shooting a backlit subject and shooting specific subjects (i.e. landscapes, buildings, portraits, etc.).
I still need to learn a lot from the EM and learning can only be made through actual experience using it. There is only one thing I’d do – SHOOT!
Discussions