OM, I've become a Zuikoholic!

I bought a beautiful black OM-2 recently on RFF.com. I tested it, but it was not for me. I felt pain and suffering when I had to let it go... to my sister's house... :p
 
Last edited:
I'm thinking of sending the OM-2 my grandpa gave me to John from camtech. I've been using it heavily and it's taken quite a beating. In fact, the top part of the casing has lifted about 1 or 2 millimeters on the left side and the rewind crank is somehow loose. How much do you guys think a full repair would cost me with an otherwise perfectly working camera? Would it even be worth it or should I just get a clean one on eBay and put the legacy OM-2 on the shelf for decoration?
Thanks for your input.
 
Another vote for Camtech and the rationality of actually spending money on a camera to ensure it's right instead of just hoping for a decent experience on the lucky dip known as 'eBay!'

I bought an OM-2N from ebay a year or so ago with a 50mm f1.8 Zuiko for $50.00 and it has been absolutely perfect from day one.

Conversely, I bought a black OM-1 with motorwind and 50mm Zuiko a few months later that was advertised as perfect for more than twice the price of the OM-2N (had to have a black OM-1) ... the winder never worked correctly and a couple of months down the track the meter went ballistic and the film advance started skipping. I sent the camera to John who CLA'd it and repaired the meter and advance mechanism and while doing so noticed the early signs of prism death which added another $50.00! From memory the repair came to around $190.00.00 including return freight from the US to Oz but the camera is a joy to use now and I think it was money well spent!
 
DanOnRoute66 said:
If you intend to continue using any camera for a number of years, I'd say it's worth it to get the overhaul. You could buy one for less, but there's no guarantee it won't soon develop problems. I had my first OM-1N overhauled about 15 years ago when the wind lever started getting loose and the film advance was gettiing noisier. I figured trouble was ahead so I spent about $90 getting it overhauled at Tempe Camera Repair (Tempe, Ariz.). To me it was worth it. The camera has continued to work flawlessly. If the work is done right (and I hear nothing but praise for Mr. Hermanson) the camera should give you many more years of reliable service.
Click to expand...

That's funny Dan! While I sent my OM to John at Camtech, I took my M4-P to TCR. The kid there named Joe seems to really know his Leicas. I'll bet they also know OMs, because they always seem to have a good selection of them (as well as a dozen lenses or so) in the used case.
 
Hey fellow Zuikoholics...

I just added a post about a wrist strap you can buy for less than $3 in the acc forum.

I mention it here, because it's on my "new" John H. overhauled OM-1n
with its gray Cameraleather GripTak covering (I'm lovin' it.)

Incidentally, the actual Camtech repair prices are posted on John's site...

and believe it or not, they have stayed almost the same over the past 10-years.

Helluva bargain for superior work.


http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86142


(Click on photo to enlarge.)
 
Last edited:
I hope I'm not about to become a 'zuikoholic' as I've just rescued an OM10 from a local charity shop. Chances are slim though as there was no lens with it so I'm relying on my trusty Tamron adaptall-2 lenses.

Ronnie
 
ronnies said:
I hope I'm not about to become a 'zuikoholic' as I've just rescued an OM10 from a local charity shop...
Click to expand...

Speaking of which...I pulled out my wife's old OM10 (I mostly use my Bessa R and old IIIC) and discovered that (uh-oh)...I LIKE IT! Now I understand that the OM10 is not in the same league as the OM1, 2, etc...but this one has the manual adapter and really handles nicely. How well do the meters perform on these machines? Should I consider sending it on a trip to Camtech if I start using it a lot. I'm having a bad feeling about all this. In the past this kind of thing has only resulted in---GAS!

Cheers...

Rem
 
I've come to the conclusion that it's all in the viewfinder ... how the hell did Olympus manage to make the viewfinder of the OM-1 so much better than it's competition?

I rate my newly aquired FM3A as one of the finest SLR's I've experienced and the only area it doesn't quite match or better my OM-1 and OM-2 IMO is the viewfinder ... brightness aside the image in the viewfinder of an OM-1 is simply staggeringly large in such a small bodied camera!

How did Maitani do it?
 
Keith said:
I've come to the conclusion that it's all in the viewfinder ... how the hell did Olympus manage to make the viewfinder of the OM-1 so much better than it's competition?

I rate my newly aquired FM3A as one of the finest SLR's I've experienced and the only area it doesn't quite match or better my OM-1 and OM-2 IMO is the viewfinder ... brightness aside the image in the viewfinder of an OM-1 is simply staggeringly large in such a small bodied camera!

How did Maitani do it?
Click to expand...

I agree. Every time my digital camera friends and coworkers try to impress me with their big DSLR viewfinders, I honestly don't know what to say. They are all "It's sooooo huge isn't it??" and I'm like "yeah, sure...."

How did that tiny OM manage to get such a brilliant viewfinder?? Why others couldn't?
 
Keith said:
I've come to the conclusion that it's all in the viewfinder ... how the hell did Olympus manage to make the viewfinder of the OM-1 so much better than it's competition?

I rate my newly aquired FM3A as one of the finest SLR's I've experienced and the only area it doesn't quite match or better my OM-1 and OM-2 IMO is the viewfinder ... brightness aside the image in the viewfinder of an OM-1 is simply staggeringly large in such a small bodied camera!

How did Maitani do it?
Click to expand...

Very simple actually Keith the man was a genius.
 
One area where I've noticed that the Nikon really trumps the OM-1 and 2 is the metering. It's center weighted like the Oly but appears to be much more defined and meters very strongly fom the center of the image where the focusing circle is. I find the OM-1 bias quite difficult to judge when metering backlit scenes ... the Nikon is very predictable here and I've noticed more consistently accurate exposures from my latest roll in fairly challenging light with the FM3A!

I'd like to sample the spot meter of the OM-4 some day!
 
Keith
I've been thinking the same about the OM-4 for quite a bit now and have had failed bids on several on eBay. But I'm thinking again. For the price of an OM-4 body what will I gain? And the chances are it will need some sort of service! More expense! So I guess a cheaper solution is to just take 3 or 4 bracketed exposures of those back lite subjects, all quite quickly done with the OM-1. Cost of the extra frames is going to be nothing like the expense of an OM-4 body.
jesse
 
Well let me join the club. I have an OM 4TI and use it with a 24mm PC lens and a motor drive. The PC lens has built in filters for BW film and with the spot metering and a grid screen is quite an animal. I have shot with this rig for years and use it especially for architecture.
 
ronnies - a Zuico f1.8 50mm lens isn't going to cost you a great deal and is ideal for the OM-10 you have picked up. I guess if you ask on this forum there might well be some one who has a spare they could let you have to try out.
I'm using an OM-10 body myself at present and am surprised how much I like using it.
jesse
 
jesse1dog - I think I may know someone who has one I could borrow. Maybe it wouldn't be a good idea though as I may want MORE ! :)

Ronnie
 
I'm thinking of getting a incident light meter soon , so I can compare if my exposures will be any better.
 
Have not finished the first roll yet, and have only used the 50/1.4 so far.

It's a nice camera, light and responsive, very good looking. The viewfinder mag makes it a little difficult with glasses, like an FM and FE series camera. Very nice feel to it, mirror dampening is what made this camera famous.

Just don't go knocking my Nikons. Now that I have an Olympus, my opinions are completely unbiased and based on first hand experience. Nikon, Canon, Fujica, Retina S, Pentax, Cosina, Konica, and now Olympus. No Exakta or Contarex.
 
Latest shot from E-P2 + an old Zuiko 50mm 1:1.8

4363918321_bd1923a69b_o.jpg


Not bad for a "lens cap" eh?
 
Calling Zuikoholics!

Calling Zuikoholics!

I have been using my wife's old OM10, and liked shooting with it so much that I bought a black OM2 which just arrived today. Bought it for $130 from a pretty well thought of eBay seller, and indeed, once I put a couple of fresh batteries inside everything seems to be functioning perfectly. HOWEVER...there does seem to be a fair amount of dust present when looking through the viewfinder, and I'm wondering if this is something that I can clean up myself. I'm not sure exactly where the dust resides, whether it's on the focusing screen, the prism...I don't know. I have some basic instructions on how to remove the focusing screen, but they do indicate that one should use a dedicated pair of tweezers to grip the screen upon removal, and when re-inserting. I really don't have anything like that. So, what do you think...is this something I should tackle, or should I just live with the dust and send the camera off to John H when I can't stand it anymore.

Cheers...

Rem
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom