Checking over a 35SP

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Rodchenko

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I've taken a chance on buying a cheap 35SP, as I don't quit trust old automatic cameras (such as my Yashica Electro) and wanted something I could use manually if I wished.

Anyway, it's been sold by a house clearance specialist who doesn't know much about cameras so hasn't tested it, but it looks OK cosmetically.

So, how do I go about checking it over? Any particular foibles I should be watching for?

And hi. I'd forgotten till recently how much I liked Olympus cameras. If all goes well, expect to see me on this board from now on.
 
The meter is the weak point in these cameras, the rest of the camera is built like a tank. The meter is active at all times when a battery is installed, simply pop in a battery and see if the meter needle moves. The spot function may not work even if the meter is good otherwise. If the meter does not work because of a corroded battery wire, repair is very difficult as the plastic battery chamber is epoxied in place, and nearly impossble to remove without breaking it.

The lens on the SP can be infected by fungus. Generally, the fungus can be removed easily with lens cleaning fluid. The lens groups and elements are easy to seperate. The shutter can sometimes stick, it can usually be unstuck by turning the shutter speed ring from B to 1/500 a few times and then pushing the shutter button.

Good luck with your camera,
 
Rodchenko said:
Thanks. That's given me some things to look out for.

By the way, what battery does it take?
Click to expand...

You can use a PX625 battery, a Wein cell, or an LR44 battery with an adapter. The Wein cell will give you the best accuracy, as it is closest to the original 1.3v MR9 mercury battery, which is no longer produced.
 
Hi,

Put a roll of film through it. That's the acid test. Buy a cheap notebook and note, frame by frame, what you did to test it.

The bodies can corrode, fungus can attack the RF and lens, the lenses can separate etc. They are just like any other camera and things can go wrong due to neglect over the years and the stupidity of owners. I've had one returned as past repair and have had perfect ones. They are "normal" in other words.

If your one is OK then invest in one of those little battery adapters that has a diode in it. Then use cheap batteries. Wein cells are nice but dearer and often you only use them a few times before they time expire: well, that's my experience.

And beg, borrow or steal (download) an instruction manual for it.

They are great cameras, if you get a good one at a nice price.

Regards, David
 
There's a great photo dealer on eBay, selling out of Japan, who goes by the moniker nobbysparrow (no relation to my sparrow) who CLAs and sells a lot Olympus 35SPs. He's a very reliable dealer so I suspect these cameras work in all respects -- if you catch the 35SP bug watch his sales for one. They generall go for $125-140. I'm always tempted but so far have laid off.
 
Thanks for the advice. I'm really hoping for a lot of camera for not much money, so, if the meter's had it, I'll just have to use my nous and my Weston. Light seals I can cope with, but more complex stuff would need someone more skilled than I. Purely from an aesthetic pov, I'd love an all-black 35SP, but they seem to attract a £30-50 premium in the UK, and the silver ones are realistically speaking beyond my current budget, so let's check the camera over when it arrives, rig up batteries, put a film through, noting details, and see what transpires.
 
Years ago I gave up on fixed-lens Japanese rangefinders and sold my soul to Leica, but the one I still would love to have is a 35SP. Good luck with it. I hope it turns out to be a keeper!
 
Thanks. You know, I wouldn't mind a Leica, or, even better, an Ilford Witness. Frankly, both are as likely in my life. I'm glad you're happy with your choice, but appreciate your best wishes. I'll let everyone know how I get on.
 
OK, I've got the camera. It looks good. The iris is smooth. The shutter speeds sound good. The rangefinder checks out. The wind on works. The film path feels smooth. The glass looks pretty clear (but I haven't seen it in daylight yet). I've checked it with my T18 flash, which fires well. I've loaded a Delta 100 film and will do some shooting.

You'll notice that I haven't mentioned the metering. That's because there's no battery. I'll shoot manually till I get that sorted out. Which reminds me - I need to find out where to get an adapter.

I'll report back, but, in the meantime, here's a terrible pic from my mobile.

IMAG0061_zpsd8ac2bf0.jpg


And here's a size comparison with my Yashica Electro 35GSN and my Canon G11

a4674458-4395-4213-9490-369e9b12d9dd_zps11ce872a.jpg
 
Bargainacious!

No, there weren't many made, but they are beautiful. There's one at the National Media Museum in Bradford, and standing drooling in front of the glass case is probably the closest I'll ever get to one.

Ah, never mind. I'll see how I get on with the SP.
 
I was out shooting with the SP this morning on my way to work. I think I messed up a few shots by being unfamiliar with the camera, but it does handle well. No meter (battery on order), but I took an initial reading with my Weston, then kept it Sunny 16 (ish) as I walked. Caught street scenes, architecture, cyclists, abstract, contre-jour, arty stuff etc. Once got frustrated with the angle of view being a shade narrower than my Minox's 35mm, and once got frustrated that the lens wasn't longer (trying to isolate an item beyond a fence - I'll probably crop when I get the scan).

It feels good, and I've not been this excited about a film in a long time. Can't wait to get it processed and check the camera is OK (fingers crossed).
 
I think overall you are going to like it. It is marked a tad less short than many P&S lenses of the time, which were often 38mm or 40mm. But that may only be Olympus marking the true FL. The magazines used to talk about lens manufacturers maybe fudging a little on FL and/or f/stop for competitive reasons. I haven't used mine in a very long time. Maybe I need to drag it out and exercise it a litte. I'm looking forward to seeing your photos and getting you impressions after you have seen them.
 
First problem showed up this morning. I was taking some photos in a sunny but chilly Southwark on my way to work, and found that the rangefinder lagged a bit behind the lens focus. I've never come across this before, and didn't think it was possible, being a mechanical link. It did get to the right position, but I admit I resorted to using scale focus for the street shots, and the rangefinder only for architectural stuff that wasn't going to move (and much of which was pretty much at infinity anyway).

When it comes to this, the lack of dof markings for setting a focal range or hyperfocal distance is a disappointment.

So the temperature was below freezing, but nothing compared to what can be achieved in continental Europe or parts of America. I guess it puts a CLA a bit further up my list of priorities.
 
The rangefinder can stick on these cameras. A tab on the lens housing pushes a lever under the rangefinder assembly, the lever is held against the tab by spring pressure, not a solid mechanical connection. The pivot pin on the lever may require lubrication. In warm weather it will probably work fine.

You can use a regular LR44 battery in the SP, though you must bend out the tab in the battery compartment to get a tight fit, and you much keep the battery centered in the battery cap when you thread it into the base plate.
 
I had a heart in mouth moment yesterday. I took my Olympus to the hospital to photograph my new baby on film rather than the digital that we'd used on the day he was born. At the bus stop, I took a couple of photos, but realised that the shutter hadn't fired, even though I could wind on. Oh no! What a time to fail me!

I rewound the film (remembering to listen for the leader, and having noted the number of exposures), and removed it before examining the mechanism. I couldn't work out what the problem was, but, once I'd got on the bus, I thought it might be worth trying to fire using the self-timer.

That's when I realised the lever was partially set - neither on nor off. A wee bit of movement released the lever, and all was well.

Film reloaded, aperture down, fastest shutter speed and rattled off twenty actuations with the lens cap on, and the camera is running smoothly again, even on the self-timer.

Phew!
 
So, given that I'd have to shell out for a repair to get the meter working, I figured it'd be better value to get another SP with a working meter. I took a gamble on one on ebay, and it came today. At first, it seemed like it wasn't going to play, but, once I'd taken the battery out and cleaned up some loose crusty bits, it looks to be just fine. I've taken a few shots already on Auto, and one or two on manual. I'm not convinced the spot metering is working, but it's hard to check. We'll see. I've put a fussy film in to test it hard.
 
Hi,

Try Michael Spencer for Olympus-35 SP repairs. I can't speak too highly of him.

And the small battery company for the obvious.

Regards, David
 
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