Olympus Ace E test result

[shadowfox]

Hiy'all

After anticipating another wreck coming through the mail, I finally got my hands on the Tower 19 (or for obvious reasons I'd like to refer to it by it's name in the Japan market, Olympus Ace E) that I won from the bay last week.

So, is it a wreck?

I wrote a short review on my blogspot here.

In summary, I'm not thrilled by the cosmetic appearance, but I'm thrilled that it still working, and the camera is a fun one to use, and I like the results.

 

[shadowfox]

21 views and no comments, wow! I know that the RFF world is run by Leicas, FSU, VCs, and Nikons, but ... come on 🙂

 

[peot]

I´m in the low budget spread of RF:s myself. And I like the picture! It´s crisp and the colors are great. These old cameras we are using never stops to surprise me in the picture quality they deliver.

 

[zuikologist]

Cosmetically it looks good. I like the results too - especially the b&w shots on our flickr set. Interchangeable lenses on such small camera is very cool.

 

[rogue_designer]

21 views and no comments, wow! I know that the RFF world is run by Leicas, FSU, VCs, and Nikons, but ... come on 🙂

meh - all flikr images are blocked by the firewall, so I can't see anything to comment for a while yet. Otherwise... Thumbsup!

 

[Nikon Bob]

Always nice to get good results from a RF model outside the mainstream. Looks like you got a winner there.

Bob

 

[filmgoerjuan]

I love using older cameras. And while that camera is rough looking, the photos from it are sharp, sharp, sharp. Congratulations!

 

[shadowfox]

meh - all flikr images are blocked by the firewall, so I can't see anything to comment for a while yet. Otherwise... Thumbsup!

Really? wow, that's a new low for those IT goons (I'm one myself 🙂)

 

[rogue_designer]

Yup. No Flikr, no photobucket or similar. So for images not actually uploaded to RFF, or hosted on a server (other than the image hosts), I get lots of blank spaces in the image posts here. Very frustrating.

 

[Trius]

Shadow: I don't know how I missed this yesterday ... oh yeah, I came home and was so tired that didn't get on the computer. 🙄

Anyway ... yowza! I really, REALLY, REALLY like the results. Now you've done it to me. I was on the fence about the Ace because I didn't know how the lenses would perform. They are, after all, "vintage". But man, that looks sweet ... the contrast is neither too low nor too high, at least for that type of scene.

Damn, you've ruined me! 😀 :bang:

Edit: BTW, is the meter active/accurate? That would be amazing.

 

[shadowfox]

Trius: What? you didn't come to the "altar" yesterday? 🙂

It's YOU and your "magic" that got my attention on this camera 😀.

I'm really glad I got this one, a Leica it is not, but it's smooooth! The meter actually works, it can be used to shoot with shutter priority OR aperture priority.

The only weird thing is the ASA selector knob is detached from the shutter-speed ring, so when I change the shutter speed, the ASA selector is no longer indicating the correct ASA anymore. It doesn't look like it's broken, but what a weird design...?

 

[Xmas]

Shad

Hey the GAS is bad enough already, and I had been resisting an Ace in a showcase for weeks and weeks and weeks. It is like being a (real) Trooll I can only look at your post when it is dark and the shops are shut.

Stoppit......

Noel

P.S. How many were made?

 

[Todd.Hanz]

21 views and no comments, wow! I know that the RFF world is run by Leicas, FSU, VCs, and Nikons, but ... come on 🙂

Great camera and results, gotta love any pic with "Blue Bell" and "Starbucks" 😉

Todd

 

[Xmas]

Shadow

I think that is how the meter works, see

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/instructionmanuals.html

Noel

 

[leica M2 fan]

Wonderful example of lens sharpness and the color is beautiful. No wonder we love Zuiko's and Xenars and Xenons and Tessars and...........

 

[shadowfox]

Shad

Hey the GAS is bad enough already, and I had been resisting an Ace in a showcase for weeks and weeks and weeks. It is like being a (real) Trooll I can only look at your post when it is dark and the shops are shut.

Stoppit......

Noel

P.S. How many were made?

GAS is really bad, so far I manage to contain it within Olympus.

God knows if the Leica GAS returned, or the Nikon SP GAS which I feel brewing now (...ewww) may make me keel over ...

As for the number made, my research indicates that it was in production from 58 - 61, not even John Foster (biofos.com) knew how many were made.

Here's another picture with the lens removed, the lens is tiny!

 

[wintoid]

If anyone cares, there's an Ace available here http://www.peterloy.com/Stocklist.htm

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Anybody still using one of these in 2021? I rummaged through a box the other day and unearthed this treasure—I'm a bit smitten. Its finder is lovely, indeed. Here's a quick phone image.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Two extra lenses for the Ace have as also been found. Has anybody used these? Are they any good?

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Various images from the Olympus Ace 35mm rangefinder (the original, unmetered model).

This particular example wasn't working on arrival, stuck shutter, filthy viewfinder and out of calibration rangefinder.

Rangefinder adjustment proved a total PITA, due to needing to remove the entire finder/RF unit to access the adjustment screw (thus, slightly upsetting the calibration every time as the unit could shift, fractionally, in its mounting screws). After spending a day (literally) patiently getting calibration closer and closer removing the optical module several dozen times (yep, really), eventually, I got a kilometre-distant target virtually perfect using an Emoskop telescope loupe to enlarge the patch image: then gently jinked the entire unit back and forth in its mount, until the merge was spot on, before fastening the module securely. Fun it was not but the next one would be easier. Don't try to get the patch perfect with the adjuster. Get it darned close, then rock the module around to nail it. Connecting pin to the focus follower at the lens was removed, cleaned and lubricated also.

The shutter was stripped and cleaned then carefully reassembled. Pressure needed to advance the wind lever reduced to a negligible amount and it now cocks smooth as silk, the self timer functions reliably every time.

The internet (English language, anyway) isn't exactly over endowed with well documented images from this camera: the only 35mm rangefinder Olympus ever made that featured interchangeable lenses. Particularly rare are those images made with the 3.5cm & 8cm lenses. Let's see if we can do something about that. Hence a few repeated subjects, below, as I elected to record them with more than one focal length.

Lens: Olympus 4.5cm E. Zuiko 4.5cm f/2.8.
Film: Ilford Pan F Plus ISO 50 35mm black & white negative.
Development: ID-11 1 + 3 20C/16 minutes.

Holden FC Special

Holden EJ Special

Cat & Fiddle Square, Hobart, Tasmania

Film: Kodak Ultramax 400 35mm colour negative.
Lens: Olympus 3.5cm E. Zuiko-W f/2.8.
Fordson Tractor

Lens: Olympus 4.5cm E. Zuiko f/2.8.
Film: Kodak Ultramax 400 35mm colour negative.

Lens: Olympus 8cm E. Zuiko-T f/5.6.
Kodak: Kodak Ultramax 400 35mm colour negative.

Lens: Olympus 4.5cm E. Zuiko f/2.8.
Film: Kodak Ultramax 400 35mm colour negative.

Lens: Olympus 3.5cm E. Zuiko-W f/2.8.
Film: Kodak Ultramax 400 35mm colour negative.

Lens: Olympus 8cm E. Zuiko-T f/5.6.
Film: Kodak Ultramax 400 35mm colour negative.

Conservatory Flower Bed

Lens: Olympus 8cm E. Zuiko-T f/5.6.
Film: Ilford Pan F Plus ISO 50 35mm black & white negative.
Development: ID-11 1 + 3 20C/16 minutes.

Vintage Coupe