OM, I've become a Zuikoholic!

Random research notes on Olympus cameras and lenses, hopefully of use to someone.

When using a camera, I normally close my left eye and look through the viewfinder with my right eye. After doing that for awhile (half an hour, say), my vision gets blurry and it takes awhile for my eyes to want to focus together properly again.

A 55mm lens (prime or zoom) gives almost an exact 1:1 magnification in the viewfinder of an Olympus OM camera, which means I can keep both eyes open while using the camera. Today I experimented and found that the optical path on the OM-1 and OM-2 cameras is different than the optical path through the viewfinders on the OM-3Ti and OM-4Ti cameras. With the OM-1 and OM-2, using a 55mm lens, keeping both eyes open works fine - the images in both eyes coincide. However, with the OM-3Ti and OM-4Ti in landscape orientation, the images do not coincide: the image in the viewfinder (my right eye) is below the image seen by my left eye. If the camera is held in portrait orientation, the images in both eyes align properly. (I have no idea why the difference?)

I experimented with using an OM-2 and a 55mm lens, keeping both eyes open, for over half an hour. It is easy to focus the lens, and most importantly, my eyes did not fatigue and get all blurry. In addition, this worked whether or not I had my glasses on.

So, I think I've found my new favorite camera and focal length combination for when I will be taking lots of pictures of the scenery and a different focal length is not required.
 
Just recently acquired a beautiful OM-2n, with the standard 50mm F1.8 lens. I am now converted to the cult of Zuiko. There is something magical about those lenses.

This was shot at around F2.0, using Agfa Vista 100.

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Om-2n 50/1.4 @f4 Neopan 400



mine is over 1.1m but i owned the early version 50/1.4 i did liked it either color or b&w, they great lens. The 50/1.8 mij is also a great performer!
 
FTography said:
bk1970 said:
I find myself lusting for another: 85/2... This is not good, I enjoyed being a one camera/one lense guy 🙂
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wblynch said:
The 85/2.0 is a gem and, even at its currently high prices, still a bargain in the grand scheme.
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bk1970 said:
Yes, from all the samples I saw the 85/2.0 looks simply gorgeous. And it's light and small! But also rare at the moment, it seems, as I can only see one being on sale in Europe (looking on *bay).
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Having recently acquired a second specimen of the OM 85/2.0 in better condition than my original one, I am planning to pass on my OM MC 85/2.0 in B condition (optically good, has seen some use on the barrel) to someone else.
If anyone's interested, I would be more than happy to sell it to a fellow RFFer rather than dumping it on the evilBay. 🙂
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If anyone's still interested, you may find my OM 85/2.0 (one of my two, anyways) up for sale in the classifieds.
 
After sooo many months without any substantial shooting I was able to give the OM-1 some very needed use.
It was a school carnival and was able to shoot a bit of TriX. The reactions of people were funny (high school kids).
"Wait, it works?" "Oh, what kind of camera is that?" "Is it authentic?" "Is that a camera?" 😀

Now with the release of the OM-D, my OM-1 will be fashionable again 😛
 
DanOnRoute66 said:
Saw an OM-2N in pretty good cosmetic condition with the eyecup and an uncracked Shoe 4, so I took a chance and bid and won:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/22095107924...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_1911wt_1189

Camera arrived today and found that a pair of alkaline batteries was installed upside down in the battery compartment. The camera works perfectly! You can never have too many working OM-2Ns.
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Sweet! What's hilarious is that the seller was columbuscameragroup ... you'd think they'd know!

I recently bid on an OM-4 with winder and 50/3.5. It had been previously listed with no bids, so was relisted. I decided to place one maximum bid since I was about to place an order for an Epson V-750 and didn't want to blow my budget . The kit went for just over $200!
 
Trius said:
Sweet! What's hilarious is that the seller was columbuscameragroup ... you'd think they'd know!

I recently bid on an OM-4 with winder and 50/3.5. It had been previously listed with no bids, so was relisted. I decided to place one maximum bid since I was about to place an order for an Epson V-750 and didn't want to blow my budget . The kit went for just over $200!
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I think I saw that OM-4 kit you mentioned but I didn't bid. I hope it's a good set of gear.
 
Just bought a nice clean OM-4T with 50mm f/3.5 macro and T-32 flash from a buddy--all for $100. He hasn't used it in his plastic surgery practice for over 10 years. Replaced batteries and it's working perfectly!😀
 
boomguy57 said:
Okay, y'all...I am eyeing up an OM-2s, despite the fact that I am happy with my M6 and M3. With everything I keep hearing about the OM system, I'm intrigued.

However, how is it comparable to my Pentax ME Super in terms of size and ergonomics? I quite like the Pentax, and I'm not sure if the OM-2s is such an upgrade. Convince me!
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I have both the OM-2s and the Pentax ME Super. They are very close in most aspects, but I prefer the ME Super by a small margin. The shutter/mirror action is smoother and quieter. It's more heavily damped. The OM-2s sounds louder and more fragile, even though I don't think it actually is. The spot meter of the OM-2s is very nice, though. But the ME Super max shutter speed is 1/2000. They are both nice and have different strengths and weaknesses. I have the Zuiko 50mm 1.8 MiJ, which I can recommend. I think it's marginally better that the Pentax-M 50mm 1.7.
 
I'm a little ambivalent about the OM-4 I bought. It came with some metering problems (well over a stop out) and the ISO setting moves around all the time when you use the EV compensation dial. I'm not convinced that I like the camera enough to justify the cost of the repairs. The viewfinder is lacking compared to my OM-1 and the camera generally has a busy feel to it that the earlier OM's don't have.

I really have trouble getting past the purity of a good OM-1 as a picture taker!
 
Artisan

Artisan

My first offering since I took everything down and shut up shop in preparation for major abdominal surgery (cancer) - it was my own way of dealing with life at that time. I have been in and out of hospital a couple of times more since the initial 'visit' and it has disrupted a couple of attempts to get back to normallity i.e. Gas, film and stinking of fixer!
 
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