Is the OM1 that much better than ...

oftheherd

oftheherd

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OK, this is RFF. But we have a very lively discussion going on about Olympus OM's. I agree they are good btw. Several times here I have mentioned the Fujica ST 901 and the Fujinon lenses. I don't think anyone has ever commented.

So, my question is this, anyone else have or had Fujica screw mount cameras or screw mount lenses? Especially the ST 801 or ST 901. Even the AZ1, although I don't think it was as handy as the 901, even with its dedicated flash and motor wind.

How about it? Do/Did you own one and what was your opinion of it and the Fujinon glass?
 
All of this OM talk has had me thinking and looking. An OM1 looks to be the ideal OM, other than the later pricey models largely due to the big viewfinder. The Pentax MX also looks to be a similar contender.

I gave M42 cameras a run once, but these Fujica's are full aperture metering correct? That is different for the lot. I will have to go look.
 
Yes the ST 801/901 and AZ models were open aperture metering. And the ST models were small. I don't recall that the OM-1 was any smaller. And the ST's came out before the OM-1. 😀
 
All of this OM talk has had me thinking and looking. An OM1 looks to be the ideal OM, other than the later pricey models largely due to the big viewfinder. The Pentax MX also looks to be a similar contender
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I agree - I love the OM1n (the n version is later and has some improvements). But it does have the mercury battery problem - I had mine modified to take an SR44 battery. The Pentax MX is also excellent - it feels great in the hand. But I think it feels a bit lighter and less solid than the OM1 (I can't be sure, because I haven't handled them both at the same time, but that's what I remember).
 
I need an M42 body, and I've settled on an Olympus FTL or a Fujica ST801. The FTL is to keep "peace in the family", the Fujica because it's smaller, more like an OM-1. IIRC, the viewfinder is very good, very OM-like.
 
All this SLR talk on a rangefinder forum indeed ... the 'bartender' may have to dicipline us. 😱

I too have been ogling OM-1's and 2's ... St901's and MX's on eBay over the last few days. Every time one of these discussions comes up I learn a little more about various cameras and my information base broadens which is good ... someone recently offered to give me a Fujica and I didn't even bother to get back to them ... I may now!

These SLR's from this era are fine cameras and not representative of the thundering monsters a lot of them evolved into. I think aside from an OM, I will probably look seriously at an MX Pentax, as my old SP500 which I have had for thirty years, impresses me with it's rugged simplicity and small dimensions. It's had no attention in that time and has even survived my son's attempts to meddle with it at various stages ... I ran a roll of film (1/2 a roll) through it the other day and was very impressed with the results and it's ease of use was outstanding!

I can see myself now heading towards a small collection of classic SLR's ... it's my own damned fault for starting these threads about them. ('show us your SLR') The amount of enthusiasm that bubbles away in these threads about non RF cameras at times makes me proud to be a member of this forum and confirms in my mind that it really is all about ... 'PHOTOGRAPHY.'

😀 😀 😀
 
never used a fujica camera but i did sell them in the old days when i worked in a camera shop.
they always struck me as well built and solid.
i had 2 fuji enlarging lenses that were excellent so i would suspect the fujinons on the st cameras would be excellent also.

but i would still cast my vote for the om cameras, bayonet mount and small winders do it for me.

joe
 
Trius said:
I need an M42 body, and I've settled on an Olympus FTL or a Fujica ST801. The FTL is to keep "peace in the family", the Fujica because it's smaller, more like an OM-1. IIRC, the viewfinder is very good, very OM-like.
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The ST 801 is small and light with a good viewfinder. It is rugged as well. One thing it has that others at the time mostly did not was a top shutter speed of 1/2000. I can't tell you much about using them. As I have mentioned before. I got mine along with two lenses (the legendary Series 1 35-85 was one). I gave it to my daughter to try and interest her in SLR's over P&S cameras. She won't let it go.

She has produced some very good photos and gotten a lot of compliments from friends about that camera. They seem to recognize it as different and therefore good(?). She also loves the Fujinon 43-75mm lens. IIRC Fujica pioneered that lens length. Several other camera lines later copied it, including Nikon.

EDIT: I had not heard of the Olympus FTL. I didn't know they had tried the M42 mount before their bayonet mount. I'll have to watch for one of them. Just another of the reasons I like RFF: the knowledge here.
 
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All this SLR talk on a rangefinder forum indeed ... the 'bartender' may have to discipline us.
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Well, as we are RFF all of this SLR talk is Off Topic here, but a little variety is not a bad thing. I have moved the recent SLR threads to our OT forum.

That said, it is shameless plug time.

We do have a sister site, DSLR Exchange at which all things SLR are On Topic.
http://www.dslrexchange.com/

You will find a lot of familiar names there, and I am sure that growing the archives there will serve us all as a great resource in the future.
 
back alley said:
never used a fujica camera but i did sell them in the old days when i worked in a camera shop.
they always struck me as well built and solid.
i had 2 fuji enlarging lenses that were excellent so i would suspect the fujinons on the st cameras would be excellent also.

but i would still cast my vote for the om cameras, bayonet mount and small winders do it for me.

joe
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Joe,

I don't remember you ever mentioning you used to work in a camera store. Always wanted to myself but just never did.

You are right about all Fuji glass; enlargers, LF, MF, and 35mm, at least in the screw mount. Probably the bayonet mount lenses were also just as good, but I never had any experience with them. By the time Fujica made the switch to bayonet I was too much in love with my ST 901 and too heavily invested in screw mount lenses to want to make the switch.

And a funny thing, I personally have never been a fan of bayonet mounts. I had it in the Contax and now in the FX 103, also a breech lock in the Super Press 23. I can't always see the tabs to tell me which way to mount the lens in low light. I have no problem geting a screw mount set proberly by reverse twisting until I know where it is, then tightening it up. Maybe it is just me.
 
Based on a lot of favorable comments here and elsewhere, I took a flyer and got a Fujica STX-1N with the 55/1.9. Nice camera and lens -- but finding the X-Fujinon lenses has proven difficult. I have seen the 43-75, but that's not a very useful focal length range, and I believe it's woefully slow -- f3.5-4.5.
 
oftheherd said:
Joe,

I don't remember you ever mentioning you used to work in a camera store. Always wanted to myself but just never did.

You are right about all Fuji glass; enlargers, LF, MF, and 35mm, at least in the screw mount. Probably the bayonet mount lenses were also just as good, but I never had any experience with them. By the time Fujica made the switch to bayonet I was too much in love with my ST 901 and too heavily invested in screw mount lenses to want to make the switch.

And a funny thing, I personally have never been a fan of bayonet mounts. I had it in the Contax and now in the FX 103, also a breech lock in the Super Press 23. I can't always see the tabs to tell me which way to mount the lens in low light. I have no problem geting a screw mount set proberly by reverse twisting until I know where it is, then tightening it up. Maybe it is just me.
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i worked full time for a couple of years in one small shop in the mid 70's and then years later when i was out of my regular work i also did a full time stint at a local pro shop. i continued to work there on saturdays for years. it fed my gas at the time, having access to great used gear that we took in trade and getting to play with all the new toys.
 
The ST701 was contemporary of the first OM-1 cameras. The original OM-1 was known as the "M-1". I've read that is it was out in 1971, same year as the ST-701. The ST-701 was stop-down metering. The ST-801 was out afterward, and had a special 42mm screw mount lens for wide-open metering.

Olympus had a short-lived full-frame screw mount camera, the "Olympus FTL".
 
KoNickon said:
Based on a lot of favorable comments here and elsewhere, I took a flyer and got a Fujica STX-1N with the 55/1.9. Nice camera and lens -- but finding the X-Fujinon lenses has proven difficult. I have seen the 43-75, but that's not a very useful focal length range, and I believe it's woefully slow -- f3.5-4.5.
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I am surprised you have trouble finding the x-Fujinon lenses. I used to do a search just on Fujinon lenses of ebay looking for the screw mount lenses and seemed I used to see too much of the X-mount.

I agree on the 43-75. I never thought too much of it, but my daughter loves it. How is the STX-1N? I have never used any of the bayonet mount cameras since I only wanted to increase my stable of screw mount lenses.
 
Brian Sweeney said:
The ST701 was contemporary of the first OM-1 cameras. The original OM-1 was known as the "M-1". I've read that is it was out in 1971, same year as the ST-701. The ST-701 was stop-down metering. The ST-801 was out afterward, and had a special 42mm screw mount lens for wide-open metering.

Olympus had a short-lived full-frame screw mount camera, the "Olympus FTL".
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I guess that is why I seem to remember the OM-1 coming out just after the ST-901 (it may have been earlier but somehow I don't remember it that way). I didn't know they had an earlier version under another name.

I never used any of the other ST models, nor even saw them. I started with the 901, and only about 6 or 7 years ago ran across an 801 I won on ebay with two extra lenses. I know they had one, I don't remember if it was the 601 or the 701, that could use an accessory winder. They didn't have winders again until the AZ-1. I think some of the X mount cameras, perhaps the 5, had winder capabilities.

I never thought too much of winders. I had one for the Contax 139Q and still have it, but don't use it with the FX 103's. I can easily crank with my thumb and save the weight.
 
If I remember right, Fuji was one of the first to come out with LEDs instead of a meter needle.

I have an OM-1 and while I use my F2 (A and AS) as my main camera, I still shoot with her from time to time. My initial impression is the same, she's just a bit too small for my hands. My Ms, my F2, my S2 all feel great in my hand, but the OM-1 just is too small, my fingers cramp up. I love everything else about the camera. She is quiet, light weight, takes great lenses, a bright viewfinder and has a wonderful flash system.

IMHO, the OM-1 is tied with the F/F2 as the best SLR ever. The OM-1 wins kicks butt on size, the Fs get the nod on ruggedness and flexibility. While the OM-1 finder is brighter, the 100% view and removable heads of the F/F2 brings them into a dead heat in the viewfinder space.

B2 (;->
 
rover said:
Well, as we are RFF all of this SLR talk is Off Topic here, but a little variety is not a bad thing. I have moved the recent SLR threads to our OT forum.

That said, it is shameless plug time.

We do have a sister site, DSLR Exchange at which all things SLR are On Topic.
http://www.dslrexchange.com/

You will find a lot of familiar names there, and I am sure that growing the archives there will serve us all as a great resource in the future.
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Here's an idea which may incur the wrath of the bartender, although then again it may not.

Why don't we incorporate DLSRx into RFF?

Why?

1. We don't have to have a separate user account
2. As these threads have proven, there is a lot of SLR love amongst RFFers
3. Because Off-Topic will soon turn into SLR sub-forum 😱
4. We'll help bring the RFF goodness to the SLR world

Why not?

It may be confusing to talk about SLR in a RangefinderForum.com.

Me personally, I don't think it's a big issue. RangefinderForum is the friendly, knowledgeable, civil, and edgy community of photo enthusiasts that we all love. Nothing will ever change that. SLR would be a sub-forum, just like Fixed Lens, and TLR.

In a sense, it's kinda a jab towards the silly RF vs SLR "war" out there.

So, what say thee?
 
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Second this motion !

Roland.

shadowfox said:
Here's an idea which may incur the wrath of the bartender, although then again it may not.

Why don't we incorporate DLSRx into RFF?

Why?

1. We don't have to have a separate user account
2. As these threads have proven, there is a lot of SLR love amongst RFFers
3. Because Off-Topic will soon turn into SLR sub-forum 😱
4. We'll help bring the RFF goodness to the SLR world

Why not?

It may be confusing to talk about SLR in a RangefinderForum.com.

Me personally, I don't think it's a big issue. RangefinderForum is the friendly, knowledgeable, civil, and edgy community of photo enthusiasts that we all love. Nothing will ever change that. SLR would be a sub-forum, just like Fixed Lens, and TLR.

In a sense, it's kinda a jab towards the silly RF vs SLR "war" out there.

So, what say thee?
Click to expand...
 
I would welcome it if you could limit the first page to perhaps one of two topic areas. The first being Rangefinders, the second being SLRs (D and F). One user ID works in both, you could jump back and forth as you want. The key is keeping the RF world very isolated from the SLR world. This is important from the perspective of advertisers and many members.

In a perfect world, just add a higher level branch at the top. I'm sure it would not be that easy. I think what makes RFF the success it has been is it's focus on one topic. Stephen has expanded it a bit, but I think opening it up too far would kill it.

Again, your milage may vary.

B2 (;->
 
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