Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
When I got mine it developed an advancing/recocking problem and the meter went feral. I sent it off to John Hermanson for the works and when it came back he'd fixed the meter and re-calibrated it to suit modern batteries and done the CLA which sorted the advance problem. That camera now has a silky smoothness that's right up there with anything I've ever owned.
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
I had one. Truly a great camera. I gave it and a Zuiko 50mm to a friend in Honduras, and that's the last I've seen of it. Still have an OM-4ti and an OM-2, both with Winder 2s. Love that OM system, and the lenses were very sharp. You can't convince the Nikon and Canon crowd of that, but that's their problem, not mine!
I am a canon/Nikon user. I use the Nikons F4s, F5 and F90x and canon EOS-1n RS and EOS 5 a lot. But I find the Olympus OM1 and 2n to be stunning cameras - a real joy to use.
flavio81
Well-known
The OM-1 was a VERY influential camera on its time and it is a very good camera, certainly more than excellent as a first time camera. OM Zuiko lenses are optically good and compact.
However, sometimes on forums this camera is touted as the "non plus ultra" of SLR cameras, as if it were superior to the best that Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax had to offer, which is not.
However, sometimes on forums this camera is touted as the "non plus ultra" of SLR cameras, as if it were superior to the best that Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax had to offer, which is not.
jnclde
Established
So.....what is the best(?) 😁
JP Owens
Well-known
The thing I always liked about the OM's was the big, bright finder image. Back in the day, many SLR finders were pretty dark (yes, original Nikon FM, I'm talking about you).
Sadly, that big finder image came at the cost of very limited eye relief, which makes them hard for me to use anymore now that I require glasses to shoot.
Sadly, that big finder image came at the cost of very limited eye relief, which makes them hard for me to use anymore now that I require glasses to shoot.
Pioneer
Veteran
Huss
Veteran
My Nikon F6 (that's what other F6 owners keep telling me)
flavio81
Well-known
It's impossible to say which one is the best.
Leicaflex SL may be the one with the most refinement or build quality, but then Alpa cameras can be debated to be better built or have the same build quality. At the same time those cameras are limited in features so how can we say they're the "best"
The Nikon F2 is touted as the "best" camera but the contemporary Canon F-1 is better built. The previous Nikon F has a quieter shutter (!) The Nikon F3 is smaller and as capable.
The Pentax LX is sometimes mentioned as the "best of the manual pro cameras" but then its reliability record is not too good, so how can we say it's the "best"?
I don't think there is a "best". My Canon New F1 is perhaps my "best" 35mm SLR due to several factors (versatility, reliability, smoothness of operation, metering system, viewfinder)... but then my Pentax Spotmatic has better ergonomics.
And a Pentax MX is smaller than all them and thus has more chances to be used outside, and thus more chances to capture an interesting image with it...
So there is no real "best".
sreed2006
Well-known
So the OM-1n wins by default.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
For me the process that gave birth to the OM1 is what distinguishes it. Olympus gave their star designer Maitani a set of parameters to work within that defined the camera's ultimate size and weight and he had to stay withing those parameters. The dimensions of the camera are very close to the Leica M3 ... in fact I use an M grip case on my Olympus.
sevres_babylone
Veteran
I should also have mentioned John Hermanson in my post above. I was very satisfied with his service and work on my camera; I had heard about him in this forum.
mcfingon
Western Australia
Maitani had a competitive eye on Leica and Nikon. He wanted to do more in the way of close-focusing ability than the rangefinders, and yet keep the size small, unlike the Nikons of the time. I remember being amazed when I first heard an OM-1 in the 70's that it made a soft ker-lick sound instead of the loud ker-lunk of the Yashica TL Electro I had at that stage. And the big bright finder! But it was expensive new, so I have just bought my first one in 2016...
mcfingon
Western Australia
Good Maitani-Fan story on the design of the OM-1 here:
http://www.maitani-fan.com/maitani_fan/om_1.html?i=1
http://www.maitani-fan.com/maitani_fan/om_1.html?i=1
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
At the time it first appeared it was superior but that was about 45 years ago... (EDIT) Some of us can remember the sensation caused when the testers for a magazine reported that the best lens they'd ever tested came on an OM-1; even today I can remember the crowds outside R G Lewis - who gave a test certificate with each lens.
And how do the Canons and Nikons of the OM-1's time compare with later cameras from other makes? Just mentioned to reverse the logic.
Regards, David
PS And just look at the number of makers who had the same ideas about their cameras some time after the OM-1 appeared to kick start things.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
While I also happen to think that the OM1 was the leader of it's generation that opinion is subjective. I place a very high value on the camera's features that suit me ... the viewfinder, the placement of the shutter speed dial and the way it feels in the hands. No other camera from that era feels as good to me but as I said that is a very personal thing. The fact that you can't hammer in nails with it doesn't really bother me!
mcfingon
Western Australia
The placement of the aperture ring at the front of the lens was the only thing I didn't like about the OM-1 back in the 70's. I am now used to that placement on the Leica's, so it's not a drama. I also thought the shuttter dial was out-of-place then, but not now. You could argue that the controls you frequently use have been brought together in the one plane, so it's better than the standard layout.
flavio81
Well-known
Canons and Nikons of the OM-1 time were the Canon F-1 and Nikon F2, the two cameras are known as two of the best cameras of all time, still highly valued on the secondhand market, and chances are that if you buy one of them, it will work correctly from day one without giving any trouble. Nikon F2 still stands on its own when comparing it to later cameras from other brands or even from the Nikon brand.
Huss
Veteran
I thought that a major news agency originally adopted the OM series film cameras, then dropped them as they were unreliable in pro photojournalism usage, and so went back to Nikon.
It's not for nothing that Nikon and Canon owned the pro market.
It's not for nothing that Nikon and Canon owned the pro market.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
I've read versions of this story about other makes of camera. I wonder if it is an internet 'hardy annual' to use a gardening term...
Regards, David
I've read versions of this story about other makes of camera. I wonder if it is an internet 'hardy annual' to use a gardening term...
Regards, David