OM2 / 2n - Manual 1/60th speed?

[Lilserenity]

Hiya,

For some years I have seen references on the web to the OM2 / 2n having one manual speed (other than bulb) of 1/60th second. However this is only in some forum postings and never have I been able to fire the shutter on my OM2n at 1/60th with no batteries, just the usual mirror lock up and reset required.

I assumed this was just one of those things.

I am now borrowing a OM2S / SP (Spot-Program) and this does have a 1/60th manual speed, a very nice little addition, I was wondering if in fact these forum posts have just got it wrong or is there something I'm missing about my OM2n's?

One manual speed, the very useful 1/60th a second on a 2n would almost perfect this camera.

I'm assuming that the web has it wrong, and it's the 2SP has the 1/60th manual speed only in the OM2 series.

Vicky

 

[ChrisN]

Hi Vicky

I can't answer the question, but I was a little confused at first by the term "manual". Do you actually mean mechanical - ie a shutter speed that will work without batteries; is mechanically driven and regulated rather than relying on electronics?

 

[Lilserenity]

Hi Vicky

I can't answer the question, but I was a little confused at first by the term "manual". Do you actually mean mechanical - ie a shutter speed that will work without batteries; is mechanically driven and regulated rather than relying on electronics?

Yes sorry bad choice of words, I meant mechanical with no batteries required to fire the mirror+shutter, the OM2S has a mechanical 1/60th speed as well as Bulb. I have seen numerous mentions the plain OM2/2n has this too, but in my experience it doesn't, just trying to find a definitive answer 🙂

e.g. http://photo.net/olympus-camera-forum/00ENzN

Vicky

 

[ferider]

... the 2SP has the 1/60th manual speed only in the OM2 series.

Vicky

That is correct. Only OM2SP, OM4 and OM4TI have the manual 1/60.

Roland.

 

[John Hermanson]

The only mechanical speed the 2/2N have is B. There is NO 1/60 mechanical speed in the 2/2N . Mechanical 1/60 is found in OM-2S/4/4T/4Ti. One trick you can do with OM-2/2N with no batteries: use Motor Drive or Winder on the body, set camera to B. When you fire shutter with Motor/Winder, shutter speed is approx. 1/500th. John

 

[Lilserenity]

That is correct. Only OM2SP, OM4 and OM4TI have the manual 1/60.

Roland.

That makes sense, I could have sworn it was a bad Internet 'myth' and you've confirmed it! Life now goes on 😉

The only mechanical speed the 2/2N have is B. There is NO 1/60 mechanical speed in the 2/2N . Mechanical 1/60 is found in OM-2S/4/4T/4Ti. One trick you can do with OM-2/2N with no batteries: use Motor Drive or Winder on the body, set camera to B. When you fire shutter with Motor/Winder, shutter speed is approx. 1/500th. John

John as ever, you are a legend (here in England that is a very nice compliment!) with this treasure trove of information. I was contemplating a Winder 2 in the not too distant future and if that can fire at about 1/500th in B mode, that will be super useful for daytime use at an aperture I like shooting at in the street (f/5.6 ISO 125/100) which gives a nice little bit of overexposure for the negative material too.

Thanks again,

Vicky

 

[FrankS]

The only mechanical speed the 2/2N have is B. There is NO 1/60 mechanical speed in the 2/2N . Mechanical 1/60 is found in OM-2S/4/4T/4Ti. One trick you can do with OM-2/2N with no batteries: use Motor Drive or Winder on the body, set camera to B. When you fire shutter with Motor/Winder, shutter speed is approx. 1/500th. John

Excellent tip!

quick question: does OM winder 1 work properly on an OM2n?

edit added: yes it does - http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photograph...lympusom1n2/shared/mdwinder/winder1/index.htm

I have this nice chrome OM2 with a lazy, not wanting to return film advance lever, that use of the winder 1 would make perfectly functional. 🙂

 

[Chris101]

That is correct. Only OM2SP, OM4 and OM4TI have the manual 1/60.

Roland.

OM-1n does it pretty well.

 

[jesse1dog]

OK - let's do a bit of lateral thinking.
You 'need' a manual OM body on which you can use all your existing lenses. So, there isn't one!
But Cosina made the OM2000 which has remarkable similarities to the Bessa R. The OM2000 body works with your lenses, it is fully manual through all the shutter speeds that include 1/2000, and has battery dependant spot metering.
The body isn't the most robust in the world but it feels remarkably good in my hands. Problem solved - may have raised some others but ....

jesse

 

[ChrisN]

OK - let's do a bit of lateral thinking.
You 'need' a manual OM body on which you can use all your existing lenses. So, there isn't one!
But Cosina made the OM2000 which has remarkable similarities to the Bessa R. The OM2000 body works with your lenses, it is fully manual through all the shutter speeds that include 1/2000, and has battery dependant spot metering.
The body isn't the most robust in the world but it feels remarkably good in my hands. Problem solved - may have raised some others but ....

jesse

And it uses modern batteries too!

I'd assume that all the OM fans know the reference site, but just in case ...


http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~rwesson/esif/om-sif.htm

 

[Landshark]

Manual=OM1

Manual=OM1

OK - let's do a bit of lateral thinking.
You 'need' a manual OM body on which you can use all your existing lenses. So, there isn't one!

jesse

?? OM1?

You're not going to get an accurate speed with a winder and B any more than manually. The winder doesn't set a speed, the camera does.

Using a quick poke at the shutter release will, most likely give some creative camera movement.

Get an OM1 and some sort of adapter for the battery. Don't worry about auto exposure.

 

[DanOnRoute66]

OK - let's do a bit of lateral thinking.
You 'need' a manual OM body on which you can use all your existing lenses. So, there isn't one!
But Cosina made the OM2000 which has remarkable similarities to the Bessa R. The OM2000 body works with your lenses, it is fully manual through all the shutter speeds that include 1/2000, and has battery dependant spot metering.
The body isn't the most robust in the world but it feels remarkably good in my hands. Problem solved - may have raised some others but ....

jesse

The OM-1 and OM-1N are fully manual operation; the battery only controls the light meter. Even with a dead battery or no battery, the shutter speeds will still operate properly. That's why I always carry an OM-1N as a backup, even though my favorite OM is the OM-2N.

 

[Lilserenity]

Ahhh I shan't be carrying another body as a backup, it was just the thought that maybe just maybe the OM2n has a manual speed but clearly not.

I'd sooner carry a bunch of batteries than another body as I like to work light (camera in hand by my side, wrist strap around well...guess 😉, a spare roll of FP4+ or Portra stuffed in my pocket and off I go) so having to carry another body doesn't grab me.

I'm sure I'll end up with another OM body some day, but bizarrely despite loving the OM series (and it appears the OM2000 'solves' this) but I have always found the shutter speed around the lens is always just a bit too tough for me to move quickly, guess bigger stronger hands may help 😉 So that's why the AE of the OM2n suits me down to a tee (and I have exposure compensation where I can reach it and turn it easily.)

I have no doubt I'll end up with an OM1 body at some point but unless the shutter speed movement is slick and easy, I'm not sure it'd get much use.

Vicky

 

[jesse1dog]

And the speed dial of the OM2000 is on top of the camera - very 'Leica-ish'.

jesse

 

[John Hermanson]

On the inside, the OM-2000 is really...uh....not so hot. Cosina design, only has the Olympus name on it. No relation to any Olympus made OM product. No offense intended to those who like it, but it is simply not close in quality to any real OM. Regarding real OM bodies, OM-1 through 2N set to B. Because of the way the winder/motor "punches" the release mechanism, it does set the shutter speed, 1/500th. John

 

[Keith]

Ahhh I shan't be carrying another body as a backup, it was just the thought that maybe just maybe the OM2n has a manual speed but clearly not.

I'd sooner carry a bunch of batteries than another body as I like to work light (camera in hand by my side, wrist strap around well...guess 😉, a spare roll of FP4+ or Portra stuffed in my pocket and off I go) so having to carry another body doesn't grab me.

I'm sure I'll end up with another OM body some day, but bizarrely despite loving the OM series (and it appears the OM2000 'solves' this) but I have always found the shutter speed around the lens is always just a bit too tough for me to move quickly, guess bigger stronger hands may help 😉 So that's why the AE of the OM2n suits me down to a tee (and I have exposure compensation where I can reach it and turn it easily.)

I have no doubt I'll end up with an OM1 body at some point but unless the shutter speed movement is slick and easy, I'm not sure it'd get much use.

Vicky

If your shutter speed dial is as you describe it needs attention. My first OM (OM-2) was like this and I dismantled the dial and cleaned and re-lubed the whole thing including the ball and detent mechanism and it transformed it. Previoulsy it had been a PITA to move comfortably and I was seriously wondering about my choice of SLR.

 

[shadowfox]

On the inside, the OM-2000 is really...uh....not so hot. Cosina design, only has the Olympus name on it. No relation to any Olympus made OM product. No offense intended to those who like it, but it is simply not close in quality to any real OM.

I have always thought that the OM2000 is quite interesting, wouldn't mind trying one with the 35-70/3.6 lens.

They are not super cheap either.

 

[Lilserenity]

If your shutter speed dial is as you describe it needs attention. My first OM (OM-2) was like this and I dismantled the dial and cleaned and re-lubed the whole thing including the ball and detent mechanism and it transformed it. Previoulsy it had been a PITA to move comfortably and I was seriously wondering about my choice of SLR.

I had heard this somewhere else as well but it appears that despite both of my OM2n's being serviced recently both came back with the shutter ring as stiff as ever. It really is a struggle for me to move with the camera to my eye, maybe when I get back from Italy I'll see what can be resolved on this front as it's my only bugbear with the cameras, maybe the other OM2n will come back tomorrow (with a bit of luck) and it will be much better without having cited it as an issue. Either way, worth me having someone take a look at it.

 

[John Hermanson]

If the body mount / shutter speed ring are taken off and re-installed correctly, dial action should be the same or better than when you sent it out. A common mistake reinstalling the 2/2N shutter speed ring and mount is not holding the "reset" lever out of the way as the dial is pressed back down. This traps the lever and makes shutter dial VERY hard to turn (though this should be caught by shop during final inspection). John

 

[ferider]

I have always thought that the OM2000 is quite interesting, wouldn't mind trying one with the 35-70/3.6 lens.

They are not super cheap either.

I liked the 2000 when I had it. Like a Bessa R with mirror box. The zoom that came with it was cr*p though. No offense to anybody who likes it, maybe it was just my lens.