Nikon EM Meter does not work

[LeTGiao_Gallery]

<p>My Nikon EM meter doesn't seem to work, even though I had replaced the battery and the check light comes on. Any idea what to check for, since if the meter doesn't work in AUTO mode, it can only be used at M90 and B settings only.<br>

Please help with tips and/or technique to fix this annoying problem. Thank you all in advance.</p>

[Michael R Freeman]

<p>One thing you might try is to clean both the spring contact inside the battery compartment *and* the bottom on the inside of the battery holder. Use some alcohol on a cotton swab (Q-tip) to clean the contacts. But since the check light is working I suspect the power supply is not the problem.</p>

<p>Are you at frame 1 or later? The meter may not work until you get to frame 1 (at least this is what the EM instruction manual implies, albeit rather vaguely).</p>

<p>Other than the above, you probably don't have many options. The EM was never known for its reliability. :-)</p>

[LeTGiao_Gallery]

<p>Michael,<br>

Thanks for your quick response.<br>

I reset the frame counter to 1, with no better result. The needle stays in the upper red area, never fluctuates out of it as it should.<br>

I am at a loss for what could prevent the meter from functioning. Could it be the contact at the switch to AUTO?</p>

[bgussin]

<p>Le-<br>

The film must be advanced 3 frames for the meter to come on. At least that's my experience. Also the "plunger" assembly on the back film door can wear out, rather, the plate the plunger presses to let the camera know the door is closed. I used need nosed pliers and gently pulled the plate out to compensate for slightly bending in to the camera body. But remember: Three advances turn on the meter. I always forget and get freaked out. I just tried it a few times to make sure I remembered.<br>

-Bob</p>

[LeTGiao_Gallery]

<p>Bob,<br>

Thanks for your tips. I put a roll of film in and advanced three frames to No 1. The meter still does not budge! I then took a few pictures in AUTO mode, regardless of the meter, to see how they come out.<br>

Le</p>

[SCL]

<p>I experienced a similar problem when I picked up a used EM at a charity shop and replaced the battery. After a couple of shots, I noticed the meter worked fine BEFORE I advanced the film to the next unexposed shot, but after advancing the film, it was unresponsive in the viewfinder, but the shots came out fine. So I've taken to not advancing the film after a shot...sort of clumsy, but I guess this thing is waking up after a long slumber.</p>

[gary e]

<p>One time, my EM's meter needle was a little jumpy, so I took off the lens and swiftly cycled the Ai lever just outside of the lens mount. This cured the problem, so it seems the contacts inside were a little oxidized from storage.</p>

[zoid]

<p>Yep, also had to give a bit of 'exercise' to the exposure compensation button too on an EM to bring the meter back to life. It's usually more of an oxidation issue than anything else. If my batts have been in a while then I usually will take a pencil eraser to their surfaces as well.</p>

 

[LeTGiao_Gallery]

<p>Stephen, Gary and Zoid,<br>

Thanks for your tips. The camera is now loaded so I am hesitant to do anything inside the camera. When the roll is done, I will check again on your tips.<br>

Cheers,</p>

[madaline_bowler]

<p>Hello...<br>

Mine is the same I think. I went out today to take some portraits, and to my annoyance the light metre was not working. The little black stick stays in the top red bit labelled A. It seems to work inside, but not outside, I am realy confused. Have a deadline next week and really need to take some photos. Its a Nikon FE. Can anyone help? I have changed the batterys it is not them.</p>

[craig_secret]

<p>Was this ever resolved? I just picked up an EM off fleaBay with non- working meter, hopefully I can get it working :)</p>

[LeTGiao_Gallery]

<p>Craig,<br>

Unfortunately, none of the things suggested above helps. I went ahead and set it to auto., just to ignore the dead meter and tried out a roll of film. The photos came out Ok, so I just ignore the meter for now. If you ever come up with some thing, please let me know.<br>

Good luck,</p>

[craig_secret]

<p>I bet Rick Oleson could diagnose it, that guy knows everything!<br /> How can we get him to look over here?</p>

<p>If the camera is metering properly, and all is working except the needle in the viewfinder, I bet there is a loose wire or something inside - like a capacitor or something, that needs to be replaced.</p>

<p> </p>

[richard_oleson]

<p>It's fairly uncommon to have the camera metering properly but no needle operation in the finder... it sounds like either a wire off right at the galvanometer, or worse, a broken connection within the galvanometer itself. I've seen that twice, where the solder connection failed at the end of the little hair spring that runs from the shaft to the frame. Those springs have 2 functions, both to act against the magnetic power of the meter movement and also to conduct the current to the coils. In one of the 2 I encountered, a Pentax Spotmatic, I was able to resolder the connection by wrapping a small diameter wire around the tip of my soldering iron and use the end of the wire as a small tip to reach the joint. I was less lucky with the other one, an Olympus OM-2: too much heat got into the hair spring, traveled to the other end of the spring and desoldered THAT end. At that point it became hopeless, and I was left with a good working OM2 with the finder needle just floating aimlessly around.</p>

<p>In the EM, it MIGHT be worth opening up the camera and trying to find the bad wire, and fixing it if it's in an accessible location. The odds aren't great of sorting it out for less effort than it would take to replace the body, though. If you can live without knowing your shutter speed (just pretend you've got a Pentax MV), I'd probably just keep using it as it is.</p>

<p>rick</p>

[craig_secret]

<p>Well I must be lucky, this time :)<br>

The seller advertised an EM with a broken meter - I asked him if he tried new batteries and a compatible lens and with caps lock on he assured me he did. So when the EM arrived I install new batteries and attached a compatible lens and it works perfectly :) Only it needs new seals so I ordered an InterSlice kit.<br>

I often buy a camera listed as "like new" and they arrive in terrible condition - but this time the opposite :)<br>

have fun!<br>

Craig</p>

 

[koen_delvaux]

This is not a disposable camera. It is an easy fix. I wrote a blogpost about it:

http://delvauxkoen.blogspot.be/2012/10/nikon-emfgfmfe-lightmeter-repair-to-fix.html

A short explanation on how to clean the oxidated diaphragm ring preventing the meter from working.

[ben_teo]

<p>I tried the cleaning contacts fix but still no luck... my needle keeps sitting on the bottom. It will jump from the top to the bottom as soon as i go to half press the shutter. </p>