Oly RF Survey

[Trius]

Now that there's an Olympus forum, maybe we should take a survey of Oly RF gear. After all, inducing GAS is the RFF mission, right? 😛

So, in this thread, post the following:

* Oly RF model you have or have had
* The best things about that model
* The major drawbacks of that model

No other "rules", though maybe one model per post (with sample photos if you wish) would make it easier to follow the thread.

 

[Rich Silfver]

Olympus 35UC

Olympus 35UC

Olympus 35UC​

About:
The Olympus 35UC is often referred to as 'The Elusive One' or, equally jokingly, claimed that it is made out of 'Unobtanium' - all due to the rarity of the camera.

The 35UC is functionally identical to the 35SPn cameras - and optically identical to the 35SP and 35SPn. The differences are purely cosmetic with some added black plastic around the view-/rangefinder windows and the version lettering. Therefore one could argue that the only reason anyone would seek out the 35UC over any of the other cameras mentioned above would be to expand their camera collection.

I ended up with two of them.

Best thing: The G.Zuiko lens
Worst thing: Price (expect to pay 2-300 dollars and up to 4-500 for one in good condition. All due to its rarity).


Photo of the camera:

Photo taken with the camera:

Blog entry about it: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/10/elusive-one.html

 

[Rich Silfver]

Olympus 35SP

Olympus 35SP

About:
The Olympus 35SP features the excellent G.Zuiko lens in a fairly compact and, to me, attractive camera. The rangefinder is fairly bright (7 out of 10 with Leica M3 at 8 and the new Zeiss Ikon at 9) - obviously a highly subjective subjective rating scale.

Optically identical to the 35UC and 35SPn.

I ended up with four of them (now down to three).

Best thing: The G.Zuiko lens and the fairly low price for such a good lens..camera...I mean.

Worst thing: Not a whole lot really.

Price:
Expect $90-130 for a good chrome one and $100-200 for a good black one.

Photo OF three (now two) of my four SP's (the chrome one didn't make it):

Photo BY the camera:

 

[Trius]

35 Sp

35 Sp

Olympus 35SP

(Note: Functionally identical to the UC posted by Rich, except lack of battery check button, which is the "n" in the SPn designation.)

Best things
* Spot meter! I've previously posted about the spot meter being worth the entire price of an SP. I "grew up", photographically speaking, using a spot meter, and having an RF with a very useable spot meter is wonderful

* G.Zuiko 42mm/f1.7 lens. This lens is sharp, moderately contrasty and displays nice bokeh. Olympus assigns a letter to its lenses, with the letter's position in the alphabet (A=1, B=2, etc.) denoting the number of elements in the design. Not all Olympus lenses are so designated, but if it is, you can tell how many elements in the design. Hence, this lens is a seven-element design. I don't know how it relates to any other "standard" designs (if it does), e.g. Sonnar, Planar, etc.

* Size and feel. It's not the smallest Oly RF (that honour goes to the XA models), but it's also not the largest. For me, the dimensions, shape, weight and balance are perfect.

* Viewfinder. The viewfinder is bright with a contrasty rangefinder patch. Is it as good as a Leica or Zeiss Ikon. No, probably not. But without having done a direct comparison (my next task!), it's compares very favourably indeed.

* Quiet shutter. The Seiko leaf shutter is, like most leaf shutters, very quiet. It is not as quiet as the Olympus 35 LC, and I haven't done a "controlled" comparison with other leaf shutter RFs. (For example, the 35 LC shutter is quieter, eventhough it is the same shutter. My belief is that the larger mass of the LC dampens the shutter sound more effectively.) But my anecdotal memory is that it's in a group of cameras with pretty low shutter noise.

* EV metering. A lot of people aren't familiar or comfortable with EV metering, and I must admit that when I got my first SP I was not totally comfortable. But as I used the camera, I came to appreciate its benefits and ease of use.

Not Best Things

* Uncoupled meter. The meter display in the viewfinder is just that: a display of the meter reading. Effective EV as determined by exposure settings are not displayed in the viewfinder.

* EV Metering. I know, I listed this as a strength. But sometimes I would like the OM-1 match needle display.

* Price. The deserved reputation of this camera has driven the price up, though prices do fluctuate on the auction site, seemingly related to phases of the moon or some such.

* Fixed lens design. Yeah, I know, it's unfair since it was designed as a fixed lens camera. But really, this same camera in an M (or even screw) mount would be killer, killer, killer.

Earl

 

[back alley]

where it all began...

my first good camera was the the little 35rc you see here.

after a good cla a few years back it still works great, has a nice clear finder and a wonderful lens.
it is quiet to shoot but a bit more noise when winding the film.
it's small, light and easy to carry about.

 

[ray_g]

The Olympus 35SP was my first rangefinder. After years of shooting with an EOS and kit lens, I was blown away by the SP. Not just by how sharp the lens was, but by how solid and well built it was. I still have it, and have added another SP, in brown covering and CLA'd by gman.

What I don't like about the SP's is that the meter's always on, unlike most RF's where the meter is on the lens ring and shuts down when you cap the lens.

I also have an RC, and briefly had an EC. I love the small RC. Sharp, and works without a battery.

I am still keeping an eye out for a reasonably priced RD. 🙂

 

[pixman]

I have a 35SP. I love the quality feel of the camera, the 7 element lens which is very sharp. The spot meter is great. Like others, I don't like the "always on" meter. I am trying to find a case for it on Ebay.

Rod

 

[kully]

Another RC'er here.

A lovely, heavy little camera.

- Good
Lens, size, features, quiet shutter.


-Bad
Baselength, noisy wind-on.

I also have the Olympus Trip 35 - not a rangefiner, but the toughest camera I have ever owned. I can't beleive it is still working.

 

[oscroft]

I've got an XA and an XA2...

XA
Like: Small size, very good lens, rangefinder
Dislike: plastic clamshell feel

XA2
Like: Small size
Dislike: plastic clamshell feel, zone focusing

 

[Austintatious]

I also have an Olympus XA and XA2.
Love the form factor and the size of them.

 

[dreilly]

An Oly 35 LC has been my main 35mm shooter for some time. It's got the same lens as the later SP/SPn/UC but not the automatic mode...just a nice match needle meter. It's bigger and more battleship-ish than the SP line, but somehow feels lighter. Great camera! I'll try to find a picture of it, and by it, tomorrow.

 

[JeffGreene]

I've got an XA and a 35SP. Love the lenses on both cameras, although my XA film advance action's been giving me trouble lately. Love both cameras although I prefer the XA for its unobtrusiveness. Both cameras are capable of great images, although this "Indian" has yet to achieve what the cameras are capable of. Unfortunately, I've recently contracted Leica disease and have been spending most of my time shooting with the new M6.

 

[Trius]

The LC is my latest Oly acquisition.

Likes:
Lens, meter display format, very quiet shutter, enough mass to handhold at very slow speeds, meter on/off button

Not so likes:
A bit large, viewfinder not as bright as the SP, meter display can be hard to see in low light, meter display is at top (prefer it at the bottom), EV locking of shutter speed with aperture can be frustrating

f1.7, 1/2 sec.

 

[jmilkins]

XA - great carry everywhere camera

XA4 - great, sharp 28mm lens with a good close focus capability

35SP - yet to use properly - What do others do about the px625 battery?

 

[Trius]

John: The possibilities are:

1. Modify circuitry to recalibrate to 1.5 volt silver batteries
2. C.R.I.S. adapter
3. Use Wien zinc-air PX625 replacement
4. Use cheap zinc-air hearing aid battery with rubber o-ring (#9 at your local hardware store should work) to compensate for the smaller size.
5. Silver-oxide SR44W and compensate for higher voltage be adjusting ASA setting.

These are sort of in descending order of preference, IMO.

Earl

 

[rbiemer]

I only have the XA.
Likes: size/heft, pretty good RF. Lovely lens. Easy to find battery.
Dis-likes: Only two. The shutter button is very easy to push. I have one or two "premature exposures" on most rolls of film I've shot with it.
Some times it is too quiet--when I've been shooting at night and trying to handhold some very long exposures, I'm sometimes not always sure if the camera is "done" yet.
Rob

 

[Trius]

Rob: That can be an issue with the XA if you have a lot of noise/sound around. But the SP, man, that thing is SUPER quiet when the shutter closes. I got some interesting results last weekend cuz I couldn't hear the shutter closing, and lowered the camera before the exposure was completed.

 

[rbiemer]

My similar shots aren't so good. And I really do consider it an operator error and not a fault of the camera.
Rob

 

[Phoenix Phil]

I only have one XA now (I think it is my fourth). I compared it recently to the Canon QL17 and found the XA sharper and had better contrast. I love the form factor.

Has anyone compared the SP (or other variants) to the Konica Auto S2 or Hi-matic 9? I am tempted to buy the Auto S2 given the reviews that I have read and the low price.

Thanks
Phil

 

[jmilkins]

Thank you for the battery options Earl! I have no excuse now.


Attached XA4 image of my bike near the Snowy river. The tree looks like it has a scar on it where indigenous Australians in years past cut out a canoe.