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35-557: The FG was the successor to the Nikon EM camera of 1979 and the predecessor of the Nikon FG-20 of 1984. These three cameras composed Nikon's first family of ultra compact 35mm SLR camera bodies. Although the FG had a much less advanced shutter than the more expensive Nikons of the day, it had a very sophisticated electronic design compared to earlier electromechanical Nikons. The FG's metering system

70-478: A 100 mm ƒ/2.8 short telephoto and a 75–150 mm ƒ/3.5 zoom , with the subsequent addition of a 70–210 mm ƒ/4 zoom, and a 135 mm ƒ/2.8 medium telephoto. These lenses were intended to enhance the EM's appeal to new users, as inexpensive but good quality alternatives to expensive Nikkor-branded lenses. The EM also had one very rare feature for an electronically controlled camera. Nippon Kogaku's philosophy that

105-462: A 50 mm lens set at infinity and approximately 92% frame coverage. The focusing screen is a standard Nikon 'K-type' screen with: Displayed on the right side of the viewfinder are: The FG was also Nippon Kogaku’s first amateur level SLR to have through-the-lens TTL off-the-film (OTF) electronic flash automation. However this technology was first introduced with the Olympus OM-2 in 1976. and

140-509: A Nikon-built amateur market camera using a Copal Square shutter. The Nikkorex F was discontinued in 1966, and Mamiya sold the design to Ricoh , which produced the related Ricoh Singlex and Sears SL11. The Nikkorex Zoom 35 was a variation on the Nikkorex 35 II. Released in 1963, the Zoom 35 shares the Nikkorex 35 II's distinctive nameplate mounted to a black selenium cell meter. Instead of a 50mm lens,

175-536: A PC sync socket. Flashes which do not have a hot shoe can be used with a hot shoe-sync cord adapter. The FG can be used with any dedicated Nikon speedlights (flashes) which support TTL flash exposure, and any non-dedicated flash units in either automatic or manual modes. Dedicated, hot shoe mounted Nikon speedlights available during the time the FG was manufactured were the SB-E, SB-15, SB-16B, SB-18 and SB-19. The 1970s and 1980s were an era of intense competition between

210-404: A camera must always work when called upon resulted in the EM's backup ability to operate without batteries, albeit in a limited fashion: mechanical control with one available fixed shutter speed (1/90 second, marked "M90") or fully-manual, operator-controlled open-shutter duration marked "B" for "Bulb", and without the light meter. A little-known feature of the EM is that when the battery is removed,

245-413: A first for a Nikon camera — used a selenium cell above the lens. Controls for meter-coupled aperture , shutter speed and film speed settings are on rings around the lens. Optional attachments via the filter ring were available to convert the lens into a 3.5 cm/5.6 or 9 cm/5.6 lens. The Nikkorex 35 II introduced in 1962, was a revision of the Nikkorex. The Citizen shutter was replaced with

280-413: A more reliable Seikosha SLV shutter assembly, and the corners of the body were rounded to give a more comfortable grip. The name "NIKKOREX" was also printed on the front of the meter lens. The Nikkorex F, introduced in 1962, was the second interchangeable-lens SLR sold by Nikon, but it was manufactured by Mamiya . Along with dropping the leaf shutter design of the other Nikkorex products, the Nikkorex F

315-498: A result of the manufacturing climate of the time, the EM and subsequent FG and FG-20 were released with much lower price points, and more compact and user-friendly bodies than previous Nikons, to appeal to the amateur photographer market. The FG was intended to improve on the short-comings of the EM (which had no manual override) and to compete with other programmed SLRs of the time, such as the Canon AE-1 Program (released 1981)

350-424: A speed range of 1 to 1/1000 second plus Bulb and flash X-sync of 1/90 second. It is 86 mm (3.4 in) high, 135 mm (5.3 in) wide, 54 mm (2.1 in) deep and weighed 460 grams (16 oz). Unlike most Nikons of the time, it was available only in black. The EM has no full manual exposure mode capability, but instead was intended to be used by inexperienced photographers who could not easily master

385-634: A system of dedicated accessories; as much ease of use and automation as was possible in 1979; low cost by dint of a simplified manufacturing process, and the prestige of the Nikon name prominently displayed on the pentaprism housing. The Nikon EM and its later offshoots the FG and FG-20 were a sales and marketing failure for Nikon. Traditional Nikon owners shunned their cheap construction and lack of manual exposure control. The expected female beginner photographer market also failed to appear, as these photographers rejected

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420-519: Is a beginner's level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film , single lens reflex (SLR) camera . It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. (today Nikon Corporation ) in Japan from 1979 to 1982 (available new from dealer stock until circa 1984). The camera was designed for and marketed to the growing market of new photographers then entering the SLR buyer's market. The EM uses a Seiko MFC-E focal plane shutter with

455-486: Is controlled by a micro-computer which measures center-weighted brightness, using a sensitive silicon photodiode (SPD) sensor. The metering system performs 'instant stop down metering', where the meter reading is taken after the lens is stopped down but before the mirror flips up and the shutter opens. In 'P' (Programmed AE) mode, the micro-computer calculates stepless aperture (f/stop) and stepless shutter speed using pre-programmed values. In 'A' (Aperture Priority AE) mode,

490-548: The F2 of 1971 were highly regarded by professional photographers, the F2's bulk, expense, and intricacy made it a slow seller to most amateurs and beginners. Although Nikon's mid-level Nikkormat FT (1965) and EL (1972) camera series were made almost as well as the Nikon F and F2, their relatively high price turned amateurs toward less expensive models from other manufacturers. The Nikon EM formed

525-586: The Minolta X-700 (released 1981) or the Pentax Super Program (in the USA/Canada; Super A, rest of the world; 1983). The FG was well received by many amateur photographers, but was criticised by others due to the lower build-quality and reliability when compared to other Nikons of the same era. The FG has known reliability issues, particularly with its shutter components and ICs. The major improvements of

560-421: The "Auto" setting produces a shutter speed of approximately 1/1000 sec. This is documented in the factory repair manual. The EM and its E-system accessories were Nippon Kogaku's first attempt to reach the low end of the SLR market. Called internally “SLR Camera for Women”, the EM was designed to provide style, with its exterior contours designed Italian automobile stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro ); convenience with

595-522: The AF Nikkor G type introduced in 2000, lack an aperture control ring, and the AF Nikkor DX type (2003) with image circles sized for Nikon's digital SLRs will mount but will not function properly. IX Nikkor lenses introduced in 1996 for Nikon's Advanced Photo System SLRs must not be mounted to an EM, as their rear elements will intrude far enough into the mirror box to cause damage. Beginning in 1977 with

630-521: The EM included a highly automated dedicated electronic flash unit, the Nikon SB-E (guide number 56/17 (feet/meters) at ASA 100) and a very small power winder, the Nikon MD-E (motorized film advance at 2 frames per second). There was also a new Nikon Series E range of lenses. The Series E lens line up in 1980 included a 28 mm ƒ/2.8 wide angle, a 35 mm ƒ/2.5 semi-wide angle, a 50 mm ƒ/1.8 normal,

665-734: The FG compared to the EM were improved exterior cosmetics, internal printed circuit electronics, the addition of the manual exposure and programmed autoexposure modes, and provision for TTL flash automation. The FG-20 is a simplified version of the Nikon FG, with no Programmed AE mode, no TTL OTF flash, and no exposure control, but retaining Aperture Priority AE, and manual and auto flash exposure control. Nikkorex F / Nikkor J Autofocus Camera | APS-format | Nikkorex with Leaf Shutter | Nikomat/Nikkormat | All Other Cameras | Manual Focus with electronic features (A mode) See also: Nikon DSLR cameras Nikon EM The Nikon EM

700-516: The Nikkorex Zoom 35 has a fixed 43-86mm f / 3.5 lens that is a predecessor to the Nikkor F-mount 43-86mm lens released later in 1963. Like the earlier fix-lens Nikkorex models, virtually all control of the camera was done using rings on the lens. Shutter speed, aperture, film ASA (ISO) number, zoom and focus each had a control ring on the lens, while only the shutter release and film wind were on

735-552: The Series E lenses were unpopular with Nikon buyers, several of the Series E lenses exhibited excellent performance, particularly the 50 mm ƒ/1.8, the 100 mm ƒ/2.8, and the 75–150 mm ƒ/3.5 zoom. Nikkorex F / Nikkor J Autofocus Camera | APS-format | Nikkorex with Leaf Shutter | Nikomat/Nikkormat | All Other Cameras | Manual Focus with electronic features (A mode) See also: Nikon DSLR cameras Nikkorex#Nikkorex F The Nikkorex nameplate

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770-493: The advanced amateur Nikon FM , there was a complete overhaul of the entire Nikon SLR line. The 1970s and 1980s were an era of intense competition among major SLR brands Nikon, Canon , Minolta , Pentax and Olympus . Between 1975 and 1985 there was a shift away from heavy all-metal manual mechanical camera bodies to much more compact bodies with housings made of lighter materials and electronic automation controlled by integrated circuits . Because of rapid advances in electronics,

805-529: The base of the new line. On introduction it was the smallest and cheapest Nikon SLR ever made. It was an electromechanically-controlled, manual-focus camera powered by button batteries. The EM featured a lightweight, compact copper-aluminum alloy body and fiberglass-reinforced polycarbonate plastic top and bottom covers, plus aperture priority semiautomatic exposure control governed by a built-in 60/40 percent centerweighted, silicon photodiode light meter . A left side viewfinder galvanometer needle pointer indicated

840-444: The brands continually leapfrogged each other with models having new or more automatic features. The industry was trying to expand out from the saturated high-end professional market and appeal to the large mass of amateur photographers who wanted to move up from compact automatic leaf-shutter rangefinder cameras to an SLR, but were intimidated by the need to learn the details of operating a traditional SLR. Although Nikon cameras like

875-448: The camera body. The Nikkorex Auto 35 was a new design replacing the Nikkorex 35 II. The camera body was redesigned with curved surfaces, the shutter release button on the front on the body rather than the top and the film advance on the back of the camera. New features included a 48mm f / 2.0 Nikkor lens, a new instant return mirror design, improved pentaprism viewfinder and a shutter priority auto-exposure mode. Nikon offered

910-429: The exposure on a shutter speed scale. The viewfinder also had Nikon's standard 3 mm split image rangefinder and 1 mm microprism collar focusing aids, but the focus screen was fixed. The viewfinder is dimmer than those in the semi-professional Nikons since the expensive prisms of the latter were not used. The camera is also fitted with a low-light exposure warning in the form of an audible 'beep'. Accessories for

945-450: The flagship Nikon F , the Nikkorex 35 used a fixed four-element Nikkor -Q 5 cm f / 2.5 lens instead of an interchangeable F-mount; a Citizen MVL leaf shutter instead of a Leica -inspired focal plane shutter; a fixed, mirror-based viewfinder and fixed focusing screen instead of a glass pentaprism; no instant-return mirror mechanism or mirror lock-up option; no provision for motor drives; and lesser build quality. Built-in metering —

980-409: The implicit condescension of an aperture-priority-only EM, and instead bought either higher-priced Nikons or other-brand cameras. The less-expensive Series E lenses marketed with the camera also came in for heavy criticism, and Nikon soon dropped the entire line. Despite its cheaper construction quality, the EM has proved to be as reliable over the years as more expensive Nikons of the era. Although

1015-401: The intricacies of shutter speeds and f-stops . There were also significant changes to the EM's mechanical and electrical components to reduce its production cost relative to previous Nikon cameras: dimensional tolerances weren't as tight, there were no ball bearings in the film advance mechanism, and no high-quality titanium shutter. The introductory US list price for the body plus normal lens

1050-469: The major SLR brands: Nikon , Canon , Minolta , Pentax and Olympus . This was in part a result of rapid advances in electronics at the time, which allowed new cameras to be released more frequently and with more automated features than had been possible previously. Between c. 1975 to 1985, there was a dramatic shift away from heavy all-metal manual mechanical camera bodies to much more compact bodies with integrated circuit (IC) electronic automation. As

1085-403: The micro-computer calculates a stepless shutter speed for a given user-selected aperture value. In 'M' (Manual Exposure Control) mode, the user selects both aperture and shutter speed, and the metering system provides a suggested shutter speed (indicated in the viewfinder) for the selected aperture. The viewfinder consists of a fixed, eye-level pentaprism providing a magnification of 0.84x, with

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1120-482: Was also used previously in the Nikon F3 introduced in 1980. TTL OTF flash exposure control is more precise than previous methods as it measures the flash exposure at the film plane rather than at the flash itself. Correct flash exposure is achieved via a SPD cell at the base of the mirror box, which measures light reflected back from the film plane. The FG can only connect to flashes via the hot shoe connection, as it lacks

1155-523: Was only $ 231. The EM accepts nearly all lenses with the Nikon F bayonet mount except lenses introduced in 1959, non-ai lenses will damage the lensmount, it does support the automatic indexing (AI) feature introduced in 1977. The contemporary Nikon-made AI lenses were the Nikkor AI-S, Nikkor AI and Nikon Series E types. The AF-S Nikkor, AF-I Nikkor, AF Nikkor D and AF Nikkor autofocus lenses are also AI types. Nikon's most recent 35 mm film SLR lenses,

1190-512: Was the first production camera to use the Copal Square shutter, a rugged design used in many future cameras by Nikon and other manufacturers. The shutter also offered a faster flash sync speed of 1/125th of a second compared to the Nikon F. Along with a different shutter, the Nikkorex F used a hinged back for more convenient film loading. In 1965, the first of the Nikkormat series was introduced,

1225-425: Was used for a series of 35 mm film , single-lens reflex cameras sold by Japanese optical manufacturer Nippon Kogaku K.K. , as well as a series movie cameras and movie projectors. The models, made by other companies, were designed and marketed as low-cost, feature-reduced equipment for the consumer market. The Nikkorex 35 was the first model of the Nikkorex series, produced in 1960. To keep costs low compared to

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