Andrew McPhee
Olympus Freak
A couple of weeks ago I found the Confessions of a Gearhead thread and drooled over Keith Novak's Leica collection.
I also really liked his display cabinet so I did a quick trip to Melbourne last weekend and raided the Ikea store to get one for myself.
And it fits my Olympus collection just nicely...
Top row L to R:
OM-1 (bought new in '78) w/1.4, OM-2 w/1.8, 100/2.8, 24/2.8, 135/2.8, 35/2.8, 180/2.8, 50/3.5 Macro, 300/4.5
2nd row L to R:
35 Model 4 1/200 shutter, 35 Model 5 1/300 shutter, Chrome Six III 3.5, Chrome Six III 2.8
3rd row L to R:
Pen single lug, Pen double lug, Pen S 2.8, Pen EE (stippled cover), Pen EE (basketweave cover), Pen EE (basketweave cover w/full nameplate)
4th row L to R:
Pen EE S (Olympus nameplate), Pen EE S (Olympus-Pen nameplate), Pen EE2, Pen EE3, Pen EF
5th row L to R:
Trip 35 (black button), Trip 35 (silver button), Trip 35 (black finish), 35EC (black finish), 35EC, 35ECR, 35ED
6th row L to R:
XA3, XA2 (blue), XA2 at rear, XA, 2x XA1 at rear, 35SP
7th row L to R:
35-S 2.8, Electro Set (Cds), Auto Eye II, Quickmatic EEM (126 film), Quickmatic EES (126 film)
I also really liked his display cabinet so I did a quick trip to Melbourne last weekend and raided the Ikea store to get one for myself.
And it fits my Olympus collection just nicely...

Top row L to R:
OM-1 (bought new in '78) w/1.4, OM-2 w/1.8, 100/2.8, 24/2.8, 135/2.8, 35/2.8, 180/2.8, 50/3.5 Macro, 300/4.5
2nd row L to R:
35 Model 4 1/200 shutter, 35 Model 5 1/300 shutter, Chrome Six III 3.5, Chrome Six III 2.8
3rd row L to R:
Pen single lug, Pen double lug, Pen S 2.8, Pen EE (stippled cover), Pen EE (basketweave cover), Pen EE (basketweave cover w/full nameplate)
4th row L to R:
Pen EE S (Olympus nameplate), Pen EE S (Olympus-Pen nameplate), Pen EE2, Pen EE3, Pen EF
5th row L to R:
Trip 35 (black button), Trip 35 (silver button), Trip 35 (black finish), 35EC (black finish), 35EC, 35ECR, 35ED
6th row L to R:
XA3, XA2 (blue), XA2 at rear, XA, 2x XA1 at rear, 35SP
7th row L to R:
35-S 2.8, Electro Set (Cds), Auto Eye II, Quickmatic EEM (126 film), Quickmatic EES (126 film)
Last edited:
back alley
IMAGES
gotta love ikea!
great looking collection andrew!
joe (who still owns an oly 35rc, the first good camera he ever bought)
great looking collection andrew!
joe (who still owns an oly 35rc, the first good camera he ever bought)
wintoid
Back to film
So THAT'S where they're all going!
Archie
shooting mathematican
exactly my thoughts wintoid 
robin a
Well-known
WOW !!!...........................Robin
clintock
Galleryless Gearhead
No EC-2 ?
Blastphemy.
I wish I still had my OM1 with 1.4 that I got new in 1978.. I wish I was eleven years old again too!
Blastphemy.
I wish I still had my OM1 with 1.4 that I got new in 1978.. I wish I was eleven years old again too!
back alley
IMAGES
clintock said:No EC-2 ?
Blastphemy.
I wish I still had my OM1 with 1.4 that I got new in 1978.. I wish I was eleven years old again too!
i'll trade you an om1 with a 35-70/4 zoom for a cl...
joe
flashover
John K
Very nice collection
Last edited:
pbjbike
Established
Where's the Ace?
That's one sweet collection of gear the likes of which will never be built again.
That's one sweet collection of gear the likes of which will never be built again.
ferider
Veteran
Nice collection, Andrew.
You will need a second shelf though, for upcoming ACE, PEN F, OM[34] cameras
Cheers,
Roland.
You will need a second shelf though, for upcoming ACE, PEN F, OM[34] cameras
Cheers,
Roland.
Andrew McPhee
Olympus Freak
clintock said:No EC-2 ? Blastphemy.
I wish I still had my OM1 with 1.4 that I got new in 1978.. I wish I was eleven years old again too!
I bought her when I was 18 working at my first job (in a camera store). I traded a Nikon F in on her and have never regretted it for a minute. That OM-1 is my baby and I'll never part with her. Matter of fact I'm seriously thinking of writing in my will that I want to be buried with her. And I'm not kidding.
She's never missed a beat in almost 30 years. Last year she had her first CLA and now she feels like the first time...
And the missing EC-2 and the Ace..? They're in my future somewhere. Part of the fun is the thrill of the chase! I looked at the collection last night and realised I'm only about one third of the way there. The next third will be fun but I know the last third is going to require patience and serious dollars!
I've set boundaries for my collection. All models of 6x6, all Pen viewfinder models and all 35mm models except for SLR's. I put that top row of OM stuff there just for the heck of it but I don't class it as part of the 'collection'.
Last edited:
Trius
Waiting on Maitani
Andrew: So good to see you here again, Mate! And I'm seriously glad you provided the shot of the collection. I knew you had accumulated "a few", but I had no idea!
Normally I would treat this as a challenge, but I think I'll resign myself to being an also-ran.
Normally I would treat this as a challenge, but I think I'll resign myself to being an also-ran.
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
Please... please... please send a copy of this image *everyday* to Olympus and tell them "Please make more of these"
Are there any RFF-ers who live in Japan? please print this image and post it on electric/phone poles.
And finally, please send me the blue XA2, I need to take a picture of that alongside of my red one (drool drool drool!!...) I promise I'll return it to ya
Are there any RFF-ers who live in Japan? please print this image and post it on electric/phone poles.
And finally, please send me the blue XA2, I need to take a picture of that alongside of my red one (drool drool drool!!...) I promise I'll return it to ya
Trius
Waiting on Maitani
If no other companies other than Leica & Zeiss "get it", then I am pretty sure Olympus won't. They're trying to figure a way out of the 4/3s corner.
Andrew McPhee
Olympus Freak
Trius said:Andrew: So good to see you here again, Mate! And I'm seriously glad you provided the shot of the collection. I knew you had accumulated "a few", but I had no idea!
Normally I would treat this as a challenge, but I think I'll resign myself to being an also-ran.![]()
G'day mate to you too!
Hey don't be put off by the challenge, it isn't hard. What you see inside my cabinet (OM top shelf excluded) was all acquired within the last two years and none cost me more than AU$80 (US$60) - the average is around AU$30. All you need is a little spare cash, an eBay account, patience, one of John Foster's books and an understanding wife. Oh, and an Ikea cabinet too...
BTW, did I read correctly on another thread you are weakening and are considering purchase of a C-V Bessa..? I think you should join the club.
Andrew McPhee
Olympus Freak
shadowfox said:...please send me the blue XA2, I need to take a picture of that alongside of my red one (drool drool drool!!...) I promise I'll return it to ya![]()
Sorry, but my blue one is afraid of flying so you'll have to send your red one to me so we can get them together. And maybe they'll have baby white twins so then we can have one each!
If you want to see a really weird colored XA2 have a look at my website (look in the 'Camera collecting' category). I have pics there of a multicolored XA2 that sold on eBay a while back for crazy money. Not genuine, somebody obviously raided a parts bin to make a quick buck...and it worked.
Trius
Waiting on Maitani
Oh, that's an OLD post, and I was able to make it through without succumbing!Andrew McPhee said:G
BTW, did I read correctly on another thread you are weakening and are considering purchase of a C-V Bessa..? I think you should join the club.
I haven't decided what to do yet. The M5 has the strongest pull for me, though the upcoming R-4M is also a consideration. Not having that much spare cash is a great deterrent! Besides, the 35SP is still such a joy to use, how can I neglect it ... er, them? I don't have the SPn or UC yet, and no black samples.
But I do admit that an M body with a 28, 40 and 75 are hard to resist.
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
Andrew McPhee said:Sorry, but my blue one is afraid of flying so you'll have to send your red one to me so we can get them together. And maybe they'll have baby white twins so then we can have one each!
If you want to see a really weird colored XA2 have a look at my website (look in the 'Camera collecting' category). I have pics there of a multicolored XA2 that sold on eBay a while back for crazy money. Not genuine, somebody obviously raided a parts bin to make a quick buck...and it worked.
Gosh! that's gruesome!
Hey, wait, I didn't know that there's a white one...
Andrew, you may be the right person to answer this: what's the difference between Pen EE, EE-2 and EE-3 ?
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
Trius said:Oh, that's an OLD post, and I was able to make it through without succumbing!![]()
I haven't decided what to do yet. The M5 has the strongest pull for me,
<cropped>
But I do admit that an M body with a 28, 40 and 75 are hard to resist.
I know exactly how you feel, I just got over my first ever Leica GAS attack
Andrew McPhee
Olympus Freak
Trius said:Oh, that's an OLD post, and I was able to make it through without succumbing!![]()
I haven't decided what to do yet. The M5 has the strongest pull for me, though the upcoming R-4M is also a consideration. Not having that much spare cash is a great deterrent! Besides, the 35SP is still such a joy to use, how can I neglect it ... er, them? I don't have the SPn or UC yet, and no black samples.
But I do admit that an M body with a 28, 40 and 75 are hard to resist.
I'm having similar thoughts about acquiring an M body and lenses. Before Christmas I bought a Bessa R w/35 2.5 from Mr Gandy, it's a really nice camera and I'm finding myself using it more often than any other camera in my bag.
It has whetted my RF appetite and has got me thinking about moving up in the RF world and looking for something with an L and a M on it.
Not for the snob value (I hate poseurs). Not because I think I'll take better photos with it (probably won't). I want it simply because I really like old-fashioned and nice feeling precision cameras. I like the feel of a smooth wind mechanism, a shutter with a satisfying snick, a body with heft that 's made from metal, lenses with metal barrels and click stops that have real clicks.
My OM-1 gives me that feeling. So does the original Pen. Sometimes when they're empty I like to fire off a few blank frames just to feel and hear these babies talk to me.
Don't get me wrong about the Bessa, she talks to me as well but she lacks the finer touches I mention above. I might keep her, or maybe I'll sell her to fund the M-something, I don't know. All I know is I have some thinking to do...
Share:
-
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.