CharlesDAMorgan
Veteran
I shall be re-testing my Minolta stuff soon. I've always found the Rokkor lenses to be superb for colour and I'll give them a go at some black and white to see if I can improve the results using my favourite Tmax400 at 200 in Perceptol.
A 100mm f2.8 arrived today and I dug out a macro lens 80mm which I ordered by mistake and have yet to get the necessary bellows/tubes. The lenses are all so small and I have always loved the looks of it all.
A 100mm f2.8 arrived today and I dug out a macro lens 80mm which I ordered by mistake and have yet to get the necessary bellows/tubes. The lenses are all so small and I have always loved the looks of it all.
donkee
Established
I have a 200mm f2.8 that I used in the old days for newspaper work. It, along with me, took a few hits at sporting events. It has a ding in it so no filters will screw in and the front element has some scratches in the coating but it still works great. I wish I still had my XD-11 black body but that was destroyed in a basement flood. At least I have replacements in the form of an XD-5 and XD-11 chrome bodies. As much as I like them I'll probably be selling them and sticking with an SRT or two. As I age I trust electronic shutters less!
rfaspen
[insert pithy phrase here]
I always forget about my OM kit... I seem to have about 4 bodies, mostly OM-2n, but there's an OM-4 among them. The lenses are very good except the 35-70 zoom which is too soft for a spoiled person like me. However, my primes are wonderful: the 50/3.5 macro, 50/1.8, 50/1.4, 135/2.8, and the oh so lovely 90/2 macro.
I don't use these cameras because they seem too small in my hands -- ergonomics. But all is not lost, I do use the macro lenses on my M240 with great results.
If you find them ergonomic, the OM system is a fantastic value (although some of the lenses command a price). I've thought about finding a grip of some kind to make them more ergonomic, but I have so many other cameras.
I don't use these cameras because they seem too small in my hands -- ergonomics. But all is not lost, I do use the macro lenses on my M240 with great results.
If you find them ergonomic, the OM system is a fantastic value (although some of the lenses command a price). I've thought about finding a grip of some kind to make them more ergonomic, but I have so many other cameras
.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I have an OM-3 in the cupboard which was a model I lusted after for a while ... spot metering and an extra shutter speed of 1/2000 They are quite hard to find and command a fairly high price.
wpb
Well-known
In Yoshihisa Maitani's defense, the shutter ring was placed to allow all the camera's settings to be seen in a single glance (aperture, focus and shutter speed). As someone who started with an OM-2n (in 1981) I found other cameras to have a less "tidy" layout. I still own the camera to this day but have just purchased an OM-4 to start using the lenses again.
I've been keeping an eye out for a OM-1 for a while after foolishly passing up an opportunity to get one at a good price a couple of years ago. I've had a FTL for some years and was interested to compare the OM-1 to its predecessor. Also Jane Bown used one for many years and I've wondered what it was about them that kept her with them for so long.
Late last month I stopped at a local recycle store which also recovers usable items from a landfill site. The manager, knowing I always have an eye out for film cameras mentioned some had just got to the shop off the tip face where they had been thrown away with some rubbish—did I want to take a look? I looked—and came home with these three cameras and a couple of extra items.
From top: OM-1 & Zuiko 50mm f/1.8; OM-4 & Zuiko 24mm f/2.8; Yashica Campus RF.
The OM-4 is almost mint but was locked up. On getting it home I removed the battery cover, installed a new battery into the pristine, but previously empty battery compartment and it sprang into life. It appears to function perfectly and I've just run a test roll of APX 100 through it. The 24mm had the most superficial layer of fungus behind the filter on its front glass which has cleaned off without any trace of it remaining.
The OM-1 was only slightly more problematic. It had an issue with the shutter release not self returning that I quickly sorted out. I've yet to install a battery into it but expect the meter to work. There's a little deterioration visible in the pentaprism, nowhere near enough to prevent use. I believe I have a parts OM series body in stock, so I'm hoping the prism from that can be a donor.
The 50mm Zuiko lens belonging to the OM-1 had rather more haze and fungus present than the 24mm. I stripped the optics completely. Some haze in the middle glass resisted conventional lens cleaners. Happily, gently swabbing the affected glass with a cotton tip with a trace of acetone removed it completely. It's also been stripped down to have its helicals re-greased. More care than usual was needed to thread a couple of lens mountings into place cleanly without cross-threading but otherwise I found it to be a very easy lens to work on. It's fairly conventional; although, unlike many German lenses I've repaired, the makers name ring is not just decorative, but is also the means of retaining the front filter ring and aperture control ring in position. Here's an image of the front and middle optics awaiting final cleaning and re-installation. The rear optics came out after the pic.
Both OM cameras came with good original ever ready cases and there was also an additional focus screen, small dedicated Olympus flash for the OM-4, and an OM Zuiko 35–105mm zoom.
Late last month I stopped at a local recycle store which also recovers usable items from a landfill site. The manager, knowing I always have an eye out for film cameras mentioned some had just got to the shop off the tip face where they had been thrown away with some rubbish—did I want to take a look? I looked—and came home with these three cameras and a couple of extra items.
From top: OM-1 & Zuiko 50mm f/1.8; OM-4 & Zuiko 24mm f/2.8; Yashica Campus RF.
The OM-4 is almost mint but was locked up. On getting it home I removed the battery cover, installed a new battery into the pristine, but previously empty battery compartment and it sprang into life. It appears to function perfectly and I've just run a test roll of APX 100 through it. The 24mm had the most superficial layer of fungus behind the filter on its front glass which has cleaned off without any trace of it remaining.
The OM-1 was only slightly more problematic. It had an issue with the shutter release not self returning that I quickly sorted out. I've yet to install a battery into it but expect the meter to work. There's a little deterioration visible in the pentaprism, nowhere near enough to prevent use. I believe I have a parts OM series body in stock, so I'm hoping the prism from that can be a donor.
The 50mm Zuiko lens belonging to the OM-1 had rather more haze and fungus present than the 24mm. I stripped the optics completely. Some haze in the middle glass resisted conventional lens cleaners. Happily, gently swabbing the affected glass with a cotton tip with a trace of acetone removed it completely. It's also been stripped down to have its helicals re-greased. More care than usual was needed to thread a couple of lens mountings into place cleanly without cross-threading but otherwise I found it to be a very easy lens to work on. It's fairly conventional; although, unlike many German lenses I've repaired, the makers name ring is not just decorative, but is also the means of retaining the front filter ring and aperture control ring in position. Here's an image of the front and middle optics awaiting final cleaning and re-installation. The rear optics came out after the pic.
Both OM cameras came with good original ever ready cases and there was also an additional focus screen, small dedicated Olympus flash for the OM-4, and an OM Zuiko 35–105mm zoom.
David Hughes
David Hughes
I don't know what the rest of you think but I prefer the OM-1's and OM-2's; if you've SLR experience you can use them without the instruction book* as they are straight forward cameras. The 1's being purely manual and the 2's giving you sensible choices.
I shouldn't have said "sensible" but can't think of another word. The first point is that the OM-4 (my one) has a different VF display and it takes a bit of getting used to; secondly, it has a brilliant (on paper) system built in that lets you take several spot readings and it will average them out in camera and you press the button etc, etc.
In theory then you can take 2 spot readings of your young lady's face, one of the background, one of her summer dress and - perhaps - one of her dad with his shotgun and it sorts it all out for you. But I see that as taking time compared to the classic adding of 1½ EV's (OM-1 and OM-2)) or just pushing the spot button (all the other, perhaps).
So a good idea that many will appreciate but it leaves me cold.
Regards, David
* My OM-4 came with two instruction books "A" and "B" and goes to over 136 pages due to the odd page numbering style.
I shouldn't have said "sensible" but can't think of another word. The first point is that the OM-4 (my one) has a different VF display and it takes a bit of getting used to; secondly, it has a brilliant (on paper) system built in that lets you take several spot readings and it will average them out in camera and you press the button etc, etc.
In theory then you can take 2 spot readings of your young lady's face, one of the background, one of her summer dress and - perhaps - one of her dad with his shotgun and it sorts it all out for you. But I see that as taking time compared to the classic adding of 1½ EV's (OM-1 and OM-2)) or just pushing the spot button (all the other, perhaps).
So a good idea that many will appreciate but it leaves me cold.
Regards, David
* My OM-4 came with two instruction books "A" and "B" and goes to over 136 pages due to the odd page numbering style.
kuvvy
Well-known
I’ve hung on to my OM1 and just the 50/1.4. Recently sold some nice lenses: 24/2.8, 35/2 & 85/2. Great lenses but didn’t see much use.
Paul
Paul
David Hughes
David Hughes
Ooops, I forgot to add that there's a serious source of info about the OM range here:-
https://esif.world-traveller.org/om-sif/bodygroup.htm
Regards, David
https://esif.world-traveller.org/om-sif/bodygroup.htm
Regards, David
RoccCity
Established
Those 85mm f2’s fetch a pretty penny these days. They are tack sharp and take gorgeous shots though. Miss mine.
skopar steve
Well-known
Great score Brett!
Steve, I am astonished that it was all being thrown out with the trash. So wasteful not to pass it on to someone who might want it. Fortunately the refuse site monitors deliveries and actively recycles usable items. My good luck I guess.