feenej
Well-known
I had a cla done on my OM-1 at Camtech. The shutter got noticibly quieter, and the meter works now, but the film advance is still a little rough. Must be worn out gears, huh?
OM-1 rough film advance
- Thread starter feenej
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PaulW128
Well-known
Your best bet would be to call /email John and see what he says
Good luck
Paul
Good luck
Paul
feenej
Well-known
It's not bad at all, just not smooth like I was expecting, so I thought maybe it was just heavily worn. I figure the next thing to break on it will be the film transport, but it could be in 5 or 10 years, or sooner I guess.
Chris101
summicronia
By following Paul's advice and contacting John directly, you will be talking to the person who did the cla (although I think he calls it an overhaul) on your camera, and he can give you definitive answers, rather than speculating here about the problem.
nobbylon
Veteran
none of my om's were particularly smooth winding, my Nikons are much smoother and Leica M's are just the standard by which all others are judged!
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Even after a CLA my OM-1 is not as smooth as my FM3A ... I don't think the film transport mechanism is a strong point of the OM design.
petronius
Veteran
Agreed. The transport of my OM-1 is the most annoying part. Nikon, Canon, Pentax, even the old battleship Chinon CE-II, they all feel much better when advancing.
feenej
Well-known
Oh, makes sense. Maybe they were a little rough brand new. I just got a 1962 Pextax SV - the thing is beat, but the film advance is pretty smooth. Sending it off for repair/cla today.
The film advance levers on my Minoltas feel like they're gonna fall off all the time. All have been worked on too. Makes them feel cheap.
The film advance levers on my Minoltas feel like they're gonna fall off all the time. All have been worked on too. Makes them feel cheap.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Obviously the advance mechanism of an OM is effective even if it is a little rough and noisy ... I always get perfect frame spacing on both my OM-1 and OM-2.
newspaperguy
Well-known
The OM-1n seems a little smoother than the OM-1 MD.
If I recall correctly, they went to brass gears in the newer model.
The 1n just back from John H is nearly as smooth as my Canon P...
which I think was better than my M3.
If I recall correctly, they went to brass gears in the newer model.
The 1n just back from John H is nearly as smooth as my Canon P...
which I think was better than my M3.
Frontman
Well-known
Great going guys, now I'm winding the levers on all of my cameras to see which is the smoothest. I tried the OM1n, OM4Ti, Canon F1, Canon FTb, Nikon FM2, Leica M2 and M4, Yashica CC, and Konica C35.
Which has the smoothest wind? The cheapest one of the lot, the $5 C35, it's like winding a Swiss watch. Next best is the CC, followed by the Ms, then the Nikon, Canons, and last but not least, the OMs.
The OM winding is definitely not very refined, but, as Keith said, frame spacing is always perfect. (better than any of the 3 Leicas I have had).
Which has the smoothest wind? The cheapest one of the lot, the $5 C35, it's like winding a Swiss watch. Next best is the CC, followed by the Ms, then the Nikon, Canons, and last but not least, the OMs.
The OM winding is definitely not very refined, but, as Keith said, frame spacing is always perfect. (better than any of the 3 Leicas I have had).
nobbylon
Veteran
Haha that's made me laugh! I wonder how many others are holding their cams up to their ears and listening very carefully while advancing the wind lever? hahaha
nobbylon
Veteran
that makes sense to me as my OM1n was much nicer than my OM1md. That one felt like I was mixing sand and water in a bucket!
PaulW128
Well-known
Both of my OM1's purchased a little over 6 months ago have been overhauled by John and have pretty smooth film advances, similar to my F3HP (which I no longer have)
But I also think they feel so good because they are more satisfying than handling a digital slr.
Best,
Paul
But I also think they feel so good because they are more satisfying than handling a digital slr.
Best,
Paul
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
And let's not forget that to really compare the film transport mechanisms of all your cameras you should do it with film loaded, otherwise it's a little like sitting there revving your car in neautral with the park brake on and telling yourself ... 'it drives nicely!'
😛
😛
John Hermanson
Well-known
"Rough" wind mechanisms in OM-1, 1n, 2, 2n cannot be adjusted or made smooth. The only way to a buttery smooth film advance is to shoot thousands of exposures. John
John Hermanson
Well-known
and some complain about "that annoying sound when you turn the shutter speed dial from 30 to 60". John
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Chris101
summicronia
I hear the sound of a metal plate sliding on another metal plate at 15->30, 30->60, AND 60->125 as well as the reverse that I do not hear at other transitions on my OM-1n.
John Hermanson
Well-known
Between 30 and 60, the slow speed governor is disengaged. Some make the sound, some don't. Some make the gear noise as you track through ALL the slow speeds. It's another thing that isn't considered a defect. To make the sound go away, remove the slow speed governor. Then you have NO slow speeds. John
