Olympus 35SP Problem

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eaustin

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Hi there

Having owned an Olympus Trip 35 in my youth in the 80's, I always dreamt of owning a 35 RC or RD, and now when the time came to look I read many reviews that stated the SP was a better camera (but sacrificing size). So, via ebay I was lucky and purchased a used 35SP for 100 euros with original Case (with the 35SP writing on the front).

Firstly this seems a beautiful camera, secondly I am glad I purchased with the original case (complete with velvet inner trim!) as this really adds overall to the feel and atmosphere of the camera.

However the RF seems out of alignment. I am yet to get back my first film, however at infinity focus the RF focus is still "slightly off" - I assume the lens is still focusing to infinity, even though it shows as slightly misaligned?

Also I replaced the battery here in the UK with a PX625 equivalent. Much of the time the meter seems to overread (into the red) - is this a voltage problem?

Overall I am *VERY* happy with this camera. It's just a joy to use and feels like a "real camera", not a mass manufactured toy...

regards
 
The rangefinder can be adjusted quite easily. There is a screw, recessed into the body, just above the upper film rail. With no film in the camera, open the back and you will see it.

Set the lens to infinity, then adjust the rangefinder with a small slot screwdriver until the image is aligned while focusing on a very distant object. If you cannot reach horizontal alignment, then you would need to have the alignment fixed by a competent technician, unless the rangefinder assembly has been damaged.

If it is out just a bit, then I supsect adjusting it with the screw is going to work well.

As for the meter reading, just make sure the ASA setting (it is on a dial on the end of the camera near the rewind crank) is correct. If that doesn't fix your problem, the meter may be out of adjustment. I don't know how to adjust the meter.

It is a great camera. When you have everything working correctly, you will enjoy it. $100 Euro is a bit high for a camera that needs work, but it is worth trying to make it right. Good luck.
 
Trius

I appreciate the reply.

Unfortunately, it seems the price of these Rangefinders are rising. 100 euros was what I expected to pay for a good condition 35SP with Original case. I think now that all 35MM film cameras are declining in use (and declining in sales/manufacturing), those "good" ones will start increasing in price as they get fewer - after all they can never be replaced!

I think they were 10 bids or so for my SP on ebay (I won) and enquiries (that the seller chose to show) were enquiring about postage costs from the US, Taiwan and China!! It seems people worldwide look out for these things....

The hint about adjustment is greatly appreciated. I have a film in the camera presently but once I finish this I will be looking at adjusting the RF myself!

Regards
 
Hi all,

I paid $46 US dollar for mine (it's the newer SPn model). Can't wait until it arrived.

I have a question for you 35 SP veterans: the seller mentioned that the lens will slightly "give" when twisted against the body. He claimed that this is a common problem that doesn't affect functionality. This is his description:

When I take hold of the front lens bezel and twist back and forth, the hash mark between the f stop ring and the focus ring moves slightly. Since this lens is permantely attached, somewhere there are some loose screws. My best guess is that they are the ones that attach the shutter speed and iris rings to the focus mount. I don't think it is play in the focus helicals, but it is very hard to tell. I have owned 7 of these cameras over the years and they have all had the same problem more or less.
Click to expand...
Do you guys concur or is this something that I have to fix later?

Thanks y'all
 
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Shadowfox: Was that an eBay auction? I saw an SPn go for about that amount, I think, and was amazed at the price. Wherever, it's a good deal!

The lens movement is pretty normal with a lot of fixed lens RFs. My SPs have a tiny bit of wobble, one a bit more than the other. It's not something that affects results, though if you have a CLA done it would be reasonable to ask the repairman if it can be eliminated. If it's not possible, it wouldn't be an issue.
 
Good responses

Good responses

Thanks for the confirmation, Trius.

sircarl, it's funny that you've posted about the exact same eBay ad :)
now the camera is on its way to my house.

I'll certainly post an update here once I have a chance to test a film through it. I'll be out of town the first part of next week, so it'll probably be the end of next week before I can get to it.
 
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Trius said:
Shadowfox: Was that an eBay auction? I saw an SPn go for about that amount, I think, and was amazed at the price. Wherever, it's a good deal!
Click to expand...
Trius,

got my new Olympus 35 SP camera from an eBay auction last week. price was a little bit above 90 euro, but that's ok here in Europe, where everythings is more expensive compared to the US.

~HD
 
congrat on the new SP , I have both SP and SPn , the lens should not be wobble at all, both of mine are solid as a rock.
 
Excellent! I really like the empty gallery shot. I know putting an RF on a tripod is counter-intuitive, but for the night shots either that would help sharpness or maybe some sharpening in PS would be helpful.
 
Thanks for the kindly comments, Trius!
I'm just amazed that any pictures came out ok at all :) not having too high of an expectation from 30yrs old consumer camera... but once again, Olympus is re-affirming my choice of cameras to collect.

About the blurriness of the "Empty Gallery" shot, two things that I learnt:
- Picasa is not running the pics through usharp mask algorithm when it's resizing them (before I upload them to flickr)
- Getting out of the *running* car would help too. My honda accord is not terribly rumbly but still in a night shot, it contributes to some shakiness

Still it boggles my mind the kind of shots that I've can produce with my two rangefinders (XA and 35 SPn so far), I don't think my E-300 or my OM-4 can do night shots like these when handheld.

Thanks to you guys who introduces me and hooked me into the world of rangefinders :)
 
You are most welcome. Shot in a running vehicle at night? Holy crap! Well done for sure!! The E-300 and OM-4 have mirror slap to deal with, so you won't get that sharpness. However, with the OM-4 you can use the self-timer and then it does both mirror and aperture pre-fire. That will make a big difference, though I think the self-timer on the OM-4 is "stuck" at 10-12 seconds, i.e, you can't just do a short 3-second timer as you can on a mechanical OM. (I have no clue if the same is true on the E-300.) The OM-4 with the late 50/1.8 or the 50/1.4 or 50/1.2 would give even better results.

You are right, though ... the thought of a 30+ year camera doing so well is great, and is probably the best "secret" as far as the general consumer photographer is concerned. (Not just the Olympus RFs, but top RFs from that era in general.) As films have improved, the quality of those cameras and lenses becomes all the more apparent.

BTW, how do you like the E-300? I really liked the feel of it; if it had had weather sealing, I might have bought it.

Earl
 
Naw! the vehicle is not moving, it's the engine that's "running", sorry for the lousy description.

I love my E-300, but once I got my OM-4, I realize how "entry level" it really is :)

My dislikes:
- Small-ish and dim viewfinder
- Had to push a button first to change shutter speed (not so for changing apertures)
- Slow kit lens with horrible bokeh (the 14-45mm/3.5-5.6)
- Cost me $100 to get OM lens adapter (free with E-1)
- Can't change focusing screen easy/cheap-ly

Likes:
- Takes excellent (sharp, good dynamic range) pictures (especially coupled with OM-lenses)
- Mirror-lock (called Anti-shock on the lcd menu) works for both 2 seconds and 12 seconds
- Cheap compared to E-1
- Flat top (can use built-in flash and external one simultaneously)

Given the opportunity, I'd like to get an E-330 with its live-preview (perfect for products/still shots)

BTW, have you ever do a research for a worthy digital version of the XA? what did you find out there?
 
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shadow: No, I understood about the vehicle, and that the car's vibration, as minimal as it is in an Accord, would contribute to unsharpness for night exposures.

Thanks for the mini-review of the E-300. If I were to get one (based on image quality,) it would be body only and just use my OM lenses with the adapter. The E-330 would be better, but the price would have to come down first.
 
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