Nikkormat EL Silver 35mm SLR Film Camera. New Mirror Foam and Door Seal. Exc++++

Note to buyers. Buyer Guarantee.

Traditionally, buying a used Nikon film camera on eBay can be a slightly daunting affair as, although Nikons from this period are superbly built and as reliable as they come, they are also not in their first flush of youth! Here at The First Lensman, we aim to remove all doubt from the buying process. Not only do we test every aspect of camera functionality prior to listing it, we test every camera we sell with film, as that’s the only true way to make sure it’s perfect. We then make a short video of the results so you know that it works as it should.

If you find that the camera doesn’t work as it should or that it’s not as described, we will not only issue you a full refund, but we’ll pay you an extra £10 for your trouble. Enjoy.

This is a beautiful example of one of Nikon's high quality SLR film cameras from the mid-1970's. The Nikkormat EL was introduced in 1972 and was made until 1976 and was one of the first Auto exposure cameras made by Nikon. The EL has an 'Auto' setting, and in that mode, the camera works in Aperture Priority, the shutter being infinitely variable from 1/90th to 1/1000 sec. It will time expose to 4 seconds on Auto (and in Manual for that matter).

Judging by the body number, this one was probably made at some point in mid to late 1975. Photographer and camera reviewer Ken Rockwell loves the EL. His actual review that follows is for the EL2 which is practically identical to the EL with the exception of the latter's ability to accept AI lenses without the meter shoe. AI lenses fitted with the shoe work perfectly on the EL. The body number is 5571404. This one is actually the Japanese market variant: you can tell by the spelling of 'Nikomat' which was the Asian version rather than 'Nikkormat' in the European markets.

Key Features

Body Condition: Exc++++

The camera is in superb condition. The worst there is to say about the camera is that the battery life test button is missing from the back of the top plate so one can’t test the battery charge. This is a non-issue as the 4LR44 battery (new one supplied) will run the camera for years! It’s the only thing that stops me grading the camera Near Mint. There are just a couple of tiny dents to the pentaprism housing and some very, very fine rubs on the top plate and the baseplate. The leatherette is just about perfect. The film back is spotless and the light seals are fine. The mirror foam and door seal are new and the camera is light-tight. I know this as I have tested the camera with a roll of film, more of which later.

The Pentaprism housing itself is in great condition. There are about 8 or so tiny bits of dust and debris on the Fresnel screen when looking through the viewfinder, but they are only noticeable when looking through without a lens attached. I’ve photographed them through the viewfinder and uploaded the image to eBay so you can see for yourself. One doesn't notice them at all when shooting. Apart from that, the viewfinder is bright and clear, free of fungus, haze or mould. The mirror is nice and clean. The film advance is lovely and smooth. I would say that this camera has been regularly serviced throughout its life.

The shutter works perfectly and is dead accurate. I know because I have tested it over the speed range with film in the camera. See image section below. The exposure meter agrees to within 1/3 EV with my D7200, reading a touch under exposed. The battery is new and will be supplied with the camera.

Image quality:

The test images were shot on Fomapan 200 Creative 200 ISO Black and White film and were taken in and around South Birmingham and Liverpool Street in London. I used a Nikkor 35mm f/2 lens fitted with a yellow filter (not supplied with the camera, although I can get pretty much any Nikkor lens you want). The film was developed in Ilford ID11 at a 1:3 dilution and scanned to digital using a light box and a Sony A7R II with 55mm f/2.8 Nikkor Macro lens and 27.5mm extension tube to give 1:1 reproduction. The accuracy of exposure on all of the pictures tells us that the metering is accurate in both Manual and Aperture priority modes. The shutter is also working correctly at all speeds.

Image list

1. Paddington. 250th f4 Manual
2. Paddington. 1/2 sec f22. Auto.
3. Liverpool St. 4sec f11 Manual
4. Liverpool St. 2sec f16 Auto
5. Horseshoe. 1000th f5.6 Auto
6. Horseshoe. 250th f16 Auto
7. Horseshoe. 125th f22 Manual
8. Bridge. 125th f4 Auto
9. Boat. 60th f11 Manual
10. Petrol Station. 250th f11 Manual

I’ve taken pictures at varying speeds and apertures to make sure everything works as it should. I have annotated the images with notes. The eBay images go from very slow (pub in Liverpool Street at dusk – 4 sec) right up to 1/1000 second (the first Horse Shoe pub image).

Performance Summary

This is an excellent camera for anybody that wants to get into film photography or for collectors alike. It works flawlessly in Auto mode and will continue to turn out lovely pictures for many decades to come. The added bonus is that this camera used the older Pre-AI lenses as well as the Newer AI enabled lenses, so it's relatively inexpensive to build a system with this camera as a starting point.

What's in the box?

Nikomat EL body, body Cap.