Nikon EM

Fred Aspen said:

I'm thinking it is related to the Series E lens. Nikon made quite a few changes to lighten the lens and keep costs down. Manufacturing shortcuts may have opened up a possibility for a light leak.

I believe the mounts on the cameras are pretty much the same. I would be looking closely at the Series E lens for possible gaps.

Try an AI or AIS lens.

-Fred

Click to expand...

I can do it with either lens attached or not.

Here's the bottom of the camera. Looks solid and all the screws are in place. Maybe there's supposed to be a gasket inside...

I know the LED is bright, but so is sunlight. How much real light gets in...?
I will develop the film tonight..

Greg

(ps...thanks for your help)

This is seriously weird! The lens mounting flange should be totally tight against the body – as yours seems to be – and yet you can shine light through some sort of gap. I can assure it doesn't happen on any of mine.

Another thing: the lens in your photo at the top of the thread is not an E series lens. It's an old lens that pre-dates the AI type, so unless it has been modified it shouldn't fit your camera.

You say your photos had white blotches – I presumes we're talking prints rather than negs here – could you post some examples, please?


Richard

Greg, I was finally able to squeeze some light under the chrome metal lens mount on my FM2N, without a lens attached. If you look at your message #26, photo 2, I was able, with a red laser pointer, to put light through at almost the same place you did. It was actually 3 to 5mm to the right of your spot and it was barely perceptible. However, with a lens attached, the light is blocked by the inside flange of the lens that goes into the body about 7mm deep. The laser light was coming in at about 3mm deep. So, with a lens on my Nikon, none of this light can be seen. And that's the way I would imagine it should be with your EM. Your video and pics prove otherwise. Strange.

FWIW, I light-leak-tested my Minolta SRT-102 and XE-7 and could not squeeze any laser light through any part of the lens mount area.

Not sure if this makes any difference regarding the light leak, but Richard brings up a good point about non-ai lenses and your EM. Not sure what damage it might do, but you'll not be able to use the camera's meter with that lens attached. Unless it was ai'd. How many sets of aperture settings or f/stop numbers does that lens have near the camera end of the lens? 1 or 2?

Marc

Shocked, would not believe it unless I saw it with my own eyes. Let me assure fellow Nikon owners it is my one & only 35mm SLR. I started shooting with them in the early 70’s.

Greg came by today to pick up the free sink that I gave him. Just for fun, he came with his camera and LED light. Greg is a very nice fellow and very intelligent and is looking for a solution to his problem. My thought is to isolate the various factors so things that are not causing the problem in his pictures can be eliminated and help pinpoint the cause.

I can confirm light is getting into the camera. I put a PK13 on his EM and I almost thought that fixed the problem, however, it only reduced the light. A body cap (no lens) was a bit worse, probably fits looser.

So, since I have a lot of Nikon's we started to compare the ones I had. Now, I don’t store most of them with a battery in it since I usually use my favorite, the F3. Only the cameras that would open on “B” without a battery got tested.

The Nikon F2, no light, period. Skipped the Nikkormat EL, it would not work without its battery. The next camera, an FG and F1.8 lens (non E), leaked light, about like his EM.

My favorite, the F3 leaked light. Since the F3 leaked light and the other Nikon's the FA, FE, did not have batteries in them, we skipped them. I would tend to thing that the more modern Nikon leak light.

So, they do leak light although it’s never been a problem in the 30 plus years that I have used Nikon. I have flown, as a passenger in small aircraft taking pictures with the F3, lots of times and mostly sunny days and its never been a problem.

However, leaking light and getting on the film may not be related. My observations are the light would have to make a right turn or reflect off of something in order to get to the film. With the mirror up, everything inside is anti-reflective flat black. Unless proven otherwise, I don’t think the light leak is the problem.

I suggested to Greg that he test the camera & lens in total darkness except for the LED held up against the spot where the light leaks from. Hold the shutter open for a maybe 30 seconds and then develop and inspect the negatives. I think this will show whether the light leak can get on the negative or not. If not, the problem is elsewhere.

Will have to wait and see for the results. I also gave Greg an extra lens shade since it seemed that he would need this in any case.

Nice fellow and nice to have another APUG in the neighborhood.

Richard Kelham said:

This is seriously weird! The lens mounting flange should be totally tight against the body – as yours seems to be – and yet you can shine light through some sort of gap. I can assure it doesn't happen on any of mine.

Another thing: the lens in your photo at the top of the thread is not an E series lens. It's an old lens that pre-dates the AI type, so unless it has been modified it shouldn't fit your camera.

You say your photos had white blotches – I presumes we're talking prints rather than negs here – could you post some examples, please?


Richard

Click to expand...

Hi Richard,

I will try to find the prints I made a while back. I am in the process of taking more this week, and will post them.

The other lens I purchased on ebay. A 28mm lens.

I am sure with proper investigation a solution will be found.

Greg

Jim, Thank you so much for your 8' sink and lens shade. I have truly struck gold with the fine people I have met on APUG.
As I mentioned earlier today, I learn best after making mistakes. Thanks for helping with my predicament and giving me some ideas to pinpoint the problem. I am looking forward to getting my darkroom started. I especially liked your 4x5 cameras. I really do like the control with regard to composition that I will learn. I have to keep thinking about how light affects a subject.

Thank you again, for sharing your afternoon. It is a great resource to be able to have access to the experience of those here on this group board.

Have a great week.

Greg

By the way,...welcome to APUG, Greg.

From a transplanted Milwaukeeian.

Marc

Thanks Marc...

Been in Milwaukee 8 yrs, before that up in Albany,Ny

Got a FM2n, FE2, FA, F5 & F6. Never had the problem nor ever heard of it.

Nor have I, on the ~75 or so Nikon bodies I've owned over the years. I could see it happening, if the mirror box was damaged, but it's definitely NOT normal. I kinda wonder if there's maybe a piece of plastic that's missing, since I just looked at my F3, which has the same lens mount design, unlike the older Nikons in my hands, and there's something that's blocking light from getting through on my F3...

-J

Mike Kennedy said:

Interslice light seal replacement kits made by Jon Goodman.Best around!You can buy them on ebay.
Nikon user for 12 years.Their only defect was the idiot behind the lens.

Click to expand...

update to the Nikon EM light leak.

I purchased Jon Goodman's light seal kit on Ebay and installed it, and it has fixed my problem. I replaced ALL the foam in the camera, and ran a couple of rolls through the camera and NO light leaks. I do still have the light around where the lens attaches, but that was not causing the problem.

Many thanks to those that helped me with my situation.

Jon also said to say hello to his friends on APUG.

Greg

Congrats.

Good to hear. That light surprised the hell out of me, I checked and I found it on an N2000 and my FM2n. The mount of the lens seems to block that source of light though.

All my Nikon F series are up tight and leak nothing. Now keep in mind that the EM was the smallest & cheapest SLR Nikon ever made. It's a cool little camera but with used EM bodies going for under $100 I wouldn't expect too much from them.


-Joe