OM, I've become a Zuikoholic!

p.giannakis said:
Might sound like a silly question but what batteries are you using? What you describe happens to me when i use LR44 batteries (even straight out of the box). The OM2n needs SR44 batteries.
Also, in manual mode, if you don't have your eye close to the viewfinder, light gets infrom there and indicates higher exposure.


Edit: Also, the OM2 uses different light cells for manual and different for Auto. The ones used in auto have an excellent reputation for reliability.
Click to expand...

Thanks Pan. Just checked the batteries and they are SR44 - I only use those now. My eye position is as close as possible - it's about the only way my old eyes can make out the needle.

I'll replace the batteries with a fresh set, the LED light is bright, but who knows, and see what meter readings I get.
 
Got my first OM body last week, a beat up OM-4. I love it! Thanks to this thread for the prompt. And thanks to Pan especially for the advice and for sharing a great HP5 recipe.

med_U76079I1587741878.SEQ.0.jpg
 
Different M-1 versions

Different M-1 versions

A little something that i discovered recently - maybe it is common knowledge but i didn't know.

Apparently there are two different versions of the original M-1. The more common, in which the rewind button has a red dot (like in all later OM-1 ones) and the more rare one where the rewind button has a red line. Apparently for a short while Olympus subcontracted the manufacturing of that part to another company and those M-1 are a bit more rare to find. I attach a picture I found online of a M-1 with the red line.

1be20cdb-13f5-46bf-bbc6-530a61b2d488.jpg
 
I remember that when Olympus introduced the M-1 Leitz made objections against this name so Olympus had to change it. Then the name became "OM-1". So M-1 cameras must be very rare.

Erik.
 
Erik van Straten said:
I remember that when Olympus introduced the M-1 Leitz made objections against this name so Olympus had to change it. Then the name became "OM-1". So M-1 cameras must be very rare.

Erik.
Click to expand...

That is correct, "M" stood for Maitani, later added "O" for Olympus. According to Olympus only 52.000 cameras were made as M-1, far fewer with the red line.

Maitani was an avid Leica user - he also used his Leica to copy engineering plans during his university studies (there were no photocopy machines then) and found it difficult to frame accurately. So he turned to the spotmatics but the were big and heavy. When he designed the OM1 he lifted all his ideas from his barnack Leica. The OM1 is very similar in size with a barnack Leica.
 
p.giannakis said:
That is correct, "M" stood for Maitani, later added "O" for Olympus. According to Olympus only 52.000 cameras were made as M-1, far fewer with the red line.

Maitani was an avid Leica user - he also used his Leica to copy engineering plans during his university studies (there were no photocopy machines then) and found it difficult to frame accurately. So he turned to the spotmatics but the were big and heavy. When he designed the OM1 he lifted all his ideas from his barnack Leica. The OM1 is very similar in size with a barnack Leica.
Click to expand...

Interesting!

For years I've been working with an Olympus Pen FT (18x24mm) and some lenses. The Pen F-cameras were also a creation of Maitani. I enjoyed the camera very much, above all when the Tmax100 film became available.

However, finally I wanted to use faster film and I returned to Leica and Nikon rangefinders.

Erik.
 
Erik van Straten said:
Interesting!

For years I've been working with an Olympus Pen FT (18x24mm) and some lenses. The Pen F-cameras were also a creation of Maitani. I enjoyed the camera very much, above all when the Tmax100 film became available.

However, finally I wanted to use faster film and I returned to Leica and Nikon rangefinders.

Erik.
Click to expand...

Erik, the Pen FT is a wonderful thing - I was always put off by half frame as I don't like too much grain in my pictures. The OM1 isn't that much bigger so I never made the jump to buy one.

Just for reference, a couple of pictures of the OM1 next to a IIc

IMG_0868.JPG


And the OM1 behind the IIc to compare height
IMG_0869.JPG


Very similar size.

Please post any pictures from the FT, I am sure people (me included) would be very interested to see.
 
OM 2 mirror lock up issue?

OM 2 mirror lock up issue?

I am only very slightly familiar with OM's I had an OM 1 some time ago.
Now, I have an OM-2n, it seems to work perfectly fine in automatic mode,
but in manual mode the mirror locks up, something like 9 times out of ten.:bang::bang::bang:

Am I hitting a mirror lock up switch?🙁
Could the batteries be at fault?

Any advice and solutions will be deeply appreciated...

David
 
Montag006 said:
I am only very slightly familiar with OM's I had an OM 1 some time ago.
Now, I have an OM-2n, it seems to work perfectly fine in automatic mode,
but in manual mode the mirror locks up, something like 9 times out of ten.:bang::bang::bang:

Am I hitting a mirror lock up switch?🙁
Could the batteries be at fault?

Any advice and solutions will be deeply appreciated...

David
Click to expand...


Have you tried to leave it there for some time? I suspect it does not lock up but does a long exposure. I had the same and it was exposing the film for 5 mins or something.
Long story short, it needs repair. Internet stories say that is an aging capacitor....
 
p.giannakis said:
Have you tried to leave it there for some time? I suspect it does not lock up but does a long exposure. I had the same and it was exposing the film for 5 mins or something.
Long story short, it needs repair. Internet stories say that is an aging capacitor....
Click to expand...

Yikes! It came back from being repaired 2 -3 weeks ago.

I will try what you said...

Thanks for the advice

oh.... should have included this...
When I have had the mirror lock up I turned the meter switch to reset
to un-lock the mirror...

I'll let it sit after an exposure next time....
 
Check the batteries first. Many battery-reliant SLRs will have the mirror lock up if you trip the shutter when the batteries are dead.

I just gave away an FG in need of a CLA, and I noted this happened when I removed the batteries.

If it's not the batteries directly, it might be something wrong in the battery circuit, like corrosion or a wire that came loose when it was being repaired for something else.
 
Either exercise or operator error

Either exercise or operator error

p.giannakis said:
Have you tried to leave it there for some time? I suspect it does not lock up but does a long exposure. I had the same and it was exposing the film for 5 mins or something.
Long story short, it needs repair. Internet stories say that is an aging capacitor....
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions and advice
I wound setting it to "B" and used the "lock" switch by the lower lens mount
after of few cycles of this, it works fine. 🙂

Again thank you all very much...
 
The OMs are great cameras. I sell a number of them in the store where I work. Sadly I’m about to list my lovely OM1 & OM2 for sale.
Compared to many other 35mm SLRs they are smaller and feel so nice in the hand.
 
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