How good is the OM-3 ... who has one here?

Keith

Keith

The best camera is one that still works!
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I didn't realise that the OM-3 had such a limited production run which explains the silly prices it goes for I guess ... 1983 to 1986?

I really like the idea of the fully manual shutter (don't really want an OM-4) combined with the advanced spot metering system ... and the extra stop of shutter speed (1/2000) would be useful at times.

I'm toying seriously with the idea of selling my FM3A and seeking out an OM-3, then maybe selling one of my OM-2s which would leave me with an OM-1, OM-2 and an OM-3 to go with the reasonably comprehensive range of Zuiko lenses I now have. I realise some of the earlier ones were battery hogs but I guess that is something that Camtech can deal with if necessary?

Do you have one ... is it as good as it's specifications suggest? I figure it could be the perfect platform for my 50mm f1.2.
 
Tthe original OM-3 had the battery drain issue that plagued so many other OM cameras and on top of that commands a premium cause of idiot collectors. The later OM-3Ti fixed that but is more costly than a leica MP used costs because of collectors. No thanks, I'll stick to my OM-4T bodies. I have 3 of them for less $$$ than one OM-3Ti
 
carlb said:
Isn't it just an OM4 without the AE, but with a ridiculous price tag!!! I know which one I'd buy.
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Yes. It has a mechanical shutter, while the OM-4 has an electronic one. The metering is the same, except the OM-3 does not have TTL flash metering (The OM3Ti does have it). Neither version of the OM-3 has a self-timer. The wind mechanism, mirror mechanism, metering system, etc. is all the exact same as the OM-4 and 4T
 
I once owned an OM-3 and found it an interesting camera. It has an advanced metering system yet it retains a fully mechanical shutter, a key feature in my opinion and many other classical camera adherents. I still prefer the OM-1 to all the OM cameras, but if I ever got back into the Olympus OM system I'd want another OM-3.

As far as build quality, as I recall the OM-1 and 2 struck me as better made. It's similar to the OM-4, not bad really, but a product of the modern era with less metal and more electrical features and plastic parts to potentially go awry. I don't know the FM3, but if it's anything like the FM2 I'd stay with it. IMO Olympus OM is fun and attractive to use casually, but Nikon bodies and lenses are really a prime tool for serious use.
 
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David Murphy said:
I once owned an OM-3 and found it an interesting camera. It has an advanced metering system yet it retains a fully mechanical shutter, a key feature in my opinion and many other classical camera adherents. I still prefer the OM-1 to all the OM cameras, but if I ever got back into the Olympus OM system I'd want another OM-3.

As far as build quality, as I recall the OM-1 and 2 struck me as better made. It's similar to the OM-4, not bad really, but a product of the modern era with less metal and more electrical features and plastic parts to potentially go awry. I don't know the FM3, but if it's anything like the FM2 I'd stay with it. IMO Olympus OM is fun and attractive to use casually, but Nikon bodies and lenses are really a prime tool for serious use.
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I've used OM-4T cameras for 16 years now with near daily professional use in rain, snow, blowing dust in the New Mexico desert, etc. Never had a bit of trouble with any of them, unlike my Nikon F4s, which has an electronic fault that costs more to fix than it is worth.
 
kully said:
I think I know why Keith started this thread ;-)

Go on, you know you want it.
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LOL ... I've always prefered the Olympus ergonomics to the Nikons and several OM-4s have passed through the classifieds here when I've had the money only to be foiled by the dreaded CONUS only clause. :bang:

No AE or self timer on the OM-3 doesn't worry me as I have a very nice OM-2 for the occasions I need TTL flash capability along with the afore mentoned functions.

I just wish he'd put the damned thing on eBay so I can stop thinking about it! :D
 
I feel you Keith, I pine for an OM3/ti as well. The famed battery drain of the non-ti version scares me enough to hesistate with the regular om3, and the price of the om3ti is just ridiculous... I'm also with you on the OMs being so much nicer in use than the equivalent. They almost make them feel... clunky.
 
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My only camera for many years was an OM-1 MD. In 2003, I saw a brand new OM-3Ti for sale at the close-out shelf at a camera store for $1,800. No money was all that kept me from buying it (and I mean NO money).

Years go by, and I have an OM-3Ti that I bought from KEH.com in EX+ condition for $2,199 in June 2010.

When I started watching for an OM-3Ti on the web (in about 2006), I noted that KEH.com could not keep OM-3Ti's in stock - they would disappear shortly after they showed up for sale. The front cover of the KEH.com catalog, Volume 10, 2008, has the heading, "We are on a search for these hot selling cameras and are willing to pay BIG BUCKS for them!!!" The cameras, shown wrapped in flames, are Olympus OM-3Ti, Hasselblad 903 SWC, Hasselblad XPan 6 and XPan II Plus, Leica M6 with .85 finder, and Fuji G617.

By June 2010, I had seen only one or two OM-3Ti's show up. I even started watching the "In-Transit" page, where I spotted the OM-3Ti that I purchased. The day it showed up (I had saved up the money for a while), I purchased it. At that time, I remember, there was only one other OM-3Ti for sale that showed up with a Google search, and it was $3,000. None of the other major web sites for cameras in the U.S. had OM-3Ti's for sale.

Today, there are four listed on the KEH.com web site, from LN ($2,899) to EX ($1,995). The LN, LN-, and EX+ ones have been listed long enough to have the price dropped. (The LN one, I believe, was orignally $2,999, but it may not be the same as the previous LN body that was listed at that price).

So, the OM-3Ti is expensive, but in the past year has become more available on the market.

OM cameras I've owned and used: the OM-1 MD mentioned above (1979), OM-2n (last fall), OM-4Ti (2003?), OM-4T (last spring), and an OM-G (last month).

Comparing the OM-1 MD to the OM-3Ti, there are three differences that affect my reaction to the cameras while using them: the reflex mirror moves much more smoothly on the OM-3Ti than on the OM-1 MD, causing less vibration; the meter on the OM-3Ti turns itself off within a minute, whereas the OM-1 MD meter doesn't turn itself off; and, while I love the bar graph meter on the OM-3Ti, I have trouble seeing it sometimes, like when holding the camera in portrait mode, or when there is strong light coming from the side and entering the viewfinder from the back of the camera (an eye-cup would help that, I'm sure).

Comparing the OM-3Ti to the OM-4Ti, they are both works of beauty. The whirring of the gears on the OM-3Ti is cool, and knowing that the camera will operate without a battery is reassuring. I'm all set if they ever quit making batteries. The major difference is that the 4Ti has an Automatic exposure mode. Sometimes, Auto mode is very handy, thus making the 4Ti more versatile than the 3Ti. Interestingly enough, I don't have as much difficulty seeing the meter on the OM-4Ti as I do on the OM-3Ti. As has been noted elsewhere, the paint on the OM-4Ti falls off easily. That doesn't affect the pictures, but mine got banged up a little quicker than I'd hoped.

The OM-G was purchased cheap from a pawn shop with a couple lenses. The major differences between it and the single-digit OM's is the meter on the OM-G is not nearly as nice (it's lighted numbers on the side of the viewfinder, whole stops only), and the reflex mirror is slower and not as smooth (it shakes the camera).

The OM-2n is an automated OM-1. I haven't used it as much as the 3Ti (two rolls vs. at least 10). The film advance lever on the OM-2n usually requires two strokes. The first stroke moves the film but doesn't always cock the shutter. If I HAD to choose between the OM-2n and the OM-3Ti, I'd go with the 3Ti.

Likewise, if I HAD to choose just one of the OM's, I'd go with the OM-4Ti. Hopefully that day will never come.

[Edit: adding a reasons why I'd choose the OM-4Ti: spot metering (not in 1 or 2), diopter adjustment for the viewfinder (not in 1 or 2), extended time-exposures in automatic mode (not in 1 or 3), self-timer (not in 3), and mirror lock-up (when using the self-timer) (not in 2 or 3).]
 
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OM-3 has all-metal body (cast aluminum), brass top and bottom. Some plastic parts but no worse than anyone else. The 2/2N is still more serviceable than a 3Ti. Meter movements, wind mechanisms and circuits are still available. The same cannot be said for a 3Ti, unfortunately. John
 
sreed2006 said:
My only camera for many years was an OM-1 MD. In 2003, I saw a brand new OM-3Ti for sale at the close-out shelf at a camera store for $1,800. No money was all that kept me from buying it (and I mean NO money).

Years go by, and I have an OM-3Ti that I bought from KEH.com in EX+ condition for $2,199 in June 2010.

When I started watching for an OM-3Ti on the web (in about 2006), I noted that KEH.com could not keep OM-3Ti's in stock - they would disappear shortly after they showed up for sale. The front cover of the KEH.com catalog, Volume 10, 2008, has the heading, "We are on a search for these hot selling cameras and are willing to pay BIG BUCKS for them!!!" The cameras, shown wrapped in flames, are Olympus OM-3Ti, Hasselblad 903 SWC, Hasselblad XPan 6 and XPan II Plus, Leica M6 with .85 finder, and Fuji G617.

By June 2010, I had seen only one or two OM-3Ti's show up. I even started watching the "In-Transit" page, where I spotted the OM-3Ti that I purchased. The day it showed up (I had saved up the money for a while), I purchased it. At that time, I remember, there was only one other OM-3Ti for sale that showed up with a Google search, and it was $3,000. None of the other major web sites for cameras in the U.S. had OM-3Ti's for sale.

Today, there are four listed on the KEH.com web site, from LN ($2,899) to EX ($1,995). The LN, LN-, and EX+ ones have been listed long enough to have the price dropped. (The LN one, I believe, was orignally $2,999, but it may not be the same as the previous LN body that was listed at that price).

So, the OM-3Ti is expensive, but in the past year has become more available on the market.

OM cameras I've owned and used: the OM-1 MD mentioned above (1979), OM-2n (last fall), OM-4Ti (2003?), OM-4T (last spring), and an OM-G (last month).

Comparing the OM-1 MD to the OM-3Ti, there are three differences that affect my reaction to the cameras while using them: the reflex mirror moves much more smoothly on the OM-3Ti than on the OM-1 MD, causing less vibration; the meter on the OM-3Ti turns itself off within a minute, whereas the OM-1 MD meter doesn't turn itself off; and, while I love the bar graph meter on the OM-3Ti, I have trouble seeing it sometimes, like when holding the camera in portrait mode, or when there is strong light coming from the side and entering the viewfinder from the back of the camera (an eye-cup would help that, I'm sure).

Comparing the OM-3Ti to the OM-4Ti, they are both works of beauty. The whirring of the gears on the OM-3Ti is cool, and knowing that the camera will operate without a battery is reassuring. I'm all set if they ever quit making batteries. The major difference is that the 4Ti has an Automatic exposure mode. Sometimes, Auto mode is very handy, thus making the 4Ti more versatile than the 3Ti. Interestingly enough, I don't have as much difficulty seeing the meter on the OM-4Ti as I do on the OM-3Ti. As has been noted elsewhere, the paint on the OM-4Ti falls off easily. That doesn't affect the pictures, but mine got banged up a little quicker than I'd hoped.

The OM-G was purchased cheap from a pawn shop with a couple lenses. The major differences between it and the single-digit OM's is the meter on the OM-G is not nearly as nice (it's lighted numbers on the side of the viewfinder, whole stops only), and the reflex mirror is slower and not as smooth (it shakes the camera).

The OM-2n is an automated OM-1. I haven't used it as much as the 3Ti (two rolls vs. at least 10). The film advance lever on the OM-2n usually requires two strokes. The first stroke moves the film but doesn't always cock the shutter. If I HAD to choose between the OM-2n and the OM-3Ti, I'd go with the 3Ti.

Likewise, if I HAD to choose just one of the OM's, I'd go with the OM-4Ti. Hopefully that day will never come.

[Edit: adding a reasons why I'd choose the OM-4Ti: spot metering (not in 1 or 2), diopter adjustment for the viewfinder (not in 1 or 2), extended time-exposures in automatic mode (not in 1 or 3), self-timer (not in 3), and mirror lock-up (when using the self-timer) (not in 2 or 3).]
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Hey SReed, next time you're going out in a low light situation, you should try using the OM-2n in Auto mode. That's my go-to low light camera.

The OM-4T is a sweet machine, I do like mine, but it is (IMO) inferior in low light situations.

I'd love to use an OM-3/Ti, but yeah, they're expensive and rare.
 
I have one, and I don't think you'd want to know how much I paid for it. :p

Go for it, Keith, it's a black OM-1 with OM-4's multiple spot-metering. What's not to like?
 
Another OM-3Ti user here, I can share my opinions. First off (as Chris Crawford loves to continually point out whenever the OM-3(Ti) is discussed) an OM-3 operates and handles exactly like an OM4(Ti) in manual mode.

I didn't switch to film, only to rely on batteries (there is something very cool about an advanced, mechanical camera) so it was my choice. But I could be happy with a 4(Ti) also. In fact, you can get a 4Ti for cheaper than a plain ol' OM-3.

Why get a Ti? Honestly, the real reason is the standard inclusion of the rare and spec-tac-u-lar lumi-micron matte focusing screens. If you can get one of these (a 2-4, or a 2-13) and stick it in a plain OM-3 or OM-4, do it - though the combo might cost just as much.

Honestly, there is nothing on this earth with a viewfinder as bright and clear (and I compare this to any medium format SLR such as a Pentax 67, Mamiya RB67, Mamiya 7, or the 35mm RF with the best viewfinder - the Leica M3.

Seriously, an OM-3 or OM-4 makes a 0.91x M3 finder seem dark and dull (I have a really pristine M3) - it's more like the hyper-clear, brighter-than-reality effect you get with the Zeiss ZM external finders for the wide angles, but with the SLR's perfect focusing accuracy and framing.

Coupled with the Zuiko 21mm f/2.0, there is no other camera system that can nearly replicate the experience. A Leica R8/R9 is the closest I have experienced, but still far inferiour.

The kicker? The OM-3/OM-4 are clearly lacking in "quality feel" not only when compared to a Leica M3 (which is, of course, legendary) but an OM-1/OM-2 is also better "made" - much smoother winding, and if you open them up, much less plastic inside - I'm a little bit annoyed at the number of plastic parts inside the OM-3/4.

As a "user's" camera, however, there is no comparison - the actual shutter release cycle of the OM-3 has less vibration than an OM-1 - even though it's a bit louder - and the viewfinder is out of this world.

You get so used to it, that it's only when you again look through a Nikon F4/F5, or any DSLR, that you are shocked at how cr*ppy they are by comparison. Like looking through a dirty window.
 
Don't have an OM-3 or OM-3Ti. But I did purchase some 2-13 and 2-4 focusing screens that I use in my OM-4T and OM-4 cameras. The clarity, ease of focus and brightness is astounding. However, you do have to be a little bit careful in focusing by deliberately going past what you think is perfect focus and then turning back to nail the focus. The clarity is so great compared to other viewfinders (including compared to the 1 series OM focusing screens or other cameras) that you might think you have the focus perfect, only to find it gets noticeably sharper with a little more of a turn of the focusing ring. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find those focusing screens anymore sold separately from OM-3Ti cameras; I paid around $80.00 for my last one (with a custom etched grid) and thought I got a very good deal. I do have some Beattie focusing screens and have tried Lumi-micron screens from the OM-PC, but those simply do not compare to the 2-Series OM focusing screens at all.
 
I have OM-1, two OM-2n, OM-3 and OM-4Ti (and a OM-10 and OM-40).
If I had to keep one, it would be the OM-3 (mine doesn't have a battery drain problem). The combination of such an advanced metering system if you need it, but still simple if you don't want the spot-metering, with the mechanical shutter and the VF ... I have a FM3A also; nice camera, but having to keep the advance lever "open" to have a working lightmeter stands in my way no end ..

Stefan.

Keith said:
I didn't realise that the OM-3 had such a limited production run which explains the silly prices it goes for I guess ... 1983 to 1986?

I really like the idea of the fully manual shutter (don't really want an OM-4) combined with the advanced spot metering system ... and the extra stop of shutter speed (1/2000) would be useful at times.

I'm toying seriously with the idea of selling my FM3A and seeking out an OM-3, then maybe selling one of my OM-2s which would leave me with an OM-1, OM-2 and an OM-3 to go with the reasonably comprehensive range of Zuiko lenses I now have. I realise some of the earlier ones were battery hogs but I guess that is something that Camtech can deal with if necessary?

Do you have one ... is it as good as it's specifications suggest? I figure it could be the perfect platform for my 50mm f1.2.
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@John Hermanson - I always enjoy your answers on these threads. They're consistent, concise, and quite informative.

@nikku - I have a particular low-light photograph in mind that I want a do-over on. I'll take the OM-2n along this time and try it out. Thanks for the tip.

@Keith - If I read John Hermanson's post correctly, he's saying that if some parts of an OM-3 break then you get to keep both halves. I'm certainly going to treat mine more gingerly from now on.
 
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