OM-2 with dedicated TTL flash.

[Keith]

In the OM-2 kit I picked up recently there was a genuine OM TTL flash unit damned near the size of the camera ... no wonder there's a shortage of uncracked hot shoes around! This thing is rather large and quite heavy and I definitely wouldn't want it hanging off the camera via that little demountable hot shoe. 😱

There was also a flash bracket with a handle that screws to the tripod mount and the correct genuine remote cord to connect the flash to the camera. With the flash set to auto and the OM-2 also set to auto I gather its just a matter of focusing and pressing the shutter and the elctronics take care of the rest? I know nothing about flash and have never used one ... how do you judge what aperture to use or doesn't that matter too much?

I'd quite like to have a play with this thing but don't have any info about the correct setup! 😱

 

[plummerl]

Keith, it would help to know the exact models your talking about. I just finished a few rolls (one Kodachrome!) that involved the OM-2n, T32 flash mounted on the Power Bounce Grip 2 and a Winder 2. Assembled, it is an impressive rig. Generally, the T32 with the OM-2n has recommeded aperture settings based on desired distance along with ISO value. I'm pretty sure the manuals are out there. In fact the Olympus SIF site has them: http://olympus.dementia.org/eSIF/om-sif/flashphotogroup.htm.

 

[Keith]

Keith, it would help to know the exact models your talking about. I just finished a few rolls (one Kodachrome!) that involved the OM-2n, T32 flash mounted on the Power Bounce Grip 2 and a Winder 2. Assembled, it is an impressive rig. Generally, the T32 with the OM-2n has recommeded aperture settings based on desired distance along with ISO value. I'm pretty sure the manuals are out there. In fact the Olympus SIF site has them: http://olympus.dementia.org/eSIF/om-sif/flashphotogroup.htm.

The flash is the Quick Auto 310 which is designed to work with the OM-2 and not necessarily the OM-2N apparently. Amazingly I've just now discovered a book in the bag that had all this OM gear in it called 'Olympus SLR Cameras' by Carl Shipman and it's an absolute mine of information! 😱

There's thirty one pages of info on the two flashes that Olympus made at that time for the OM series ... the Auto 310 and the smaller T-20. As I supected the Auto 310 is quite a piece of work ... it has three modes: Manual, Auto and TTL Auto. According to the book in TTL Auto mode you set the camera on AE and rotate the aperture dial to get a shutter speed of around 1/30 in the viewfinder and away you go ... you can also compensate for white or black subjects as you normally would by using the compensation dial.

Now that I know how this thing works I might give it a try out tomorow. 🙂

 

[1948nikon]

Om2 Blind

Om2 Blind

If my memory serves me correctly I think that you will find that the 310 works rather magically in conjunction with the OM2 Blind , something like a pre flash reflected off the blind as well as off the actual film surface then directed to the cell in the penta housing Check out the blind you will see its different from all other SLRs.

 

[Keith]

I quite like the look of black and white photos taken with a flash. When I was young my mother was a very keen photographer and always had a camera at family gatherings, parties etc ... and always with a flash on her camera. I burned my fingers on quite a few flash bulbs as a child ... until she eventually entered the age of electronics! 😀

 

[John Hermanson]

With 310 flash, to get TTL Off-The-Film flash control, you have to have hot shoe 2. Camera set to "auto" and dial on the back of the flash set with the arrow pointing straight up to TTL auto setting. 310 will do otf only on plain OM-2 with shoe 2. John