[rant] not happy with my olympus 35RD...

T

thelovecollect

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this is my second RD...
here's a little history..the first one was perfect. it was sharp. the meter was accurate. did a seal replacement and CLA (didn't need one but did it anyway) and the camera came back with bad focus. sent it back, somehow repairman can't fix problem and breaks meter in the process. wait 9 months for parts. gave up and asked for the broken camera back. sold on ebay.

bought second camera off ebay. shot 3 rolls today. focusing not as sharp as original. meter is terrible. a few frames unexposed. some frame spacing problems..

i love this camera but i've had enough..
i also have been shooting my friends leica M6 for a month so maybe the hate is intensified..
 
I have almost all Olympus cameras ever made - apart from the RD.
I never got it due to the reported issues with this model.
I know, I know - internetrumours where every issue is magnified but I still didn't. Having said that the reported issues were mostly pertaining to the shutter on this model - haven't heard any issues about focusing and metering.

Sorry to hear about the issues you've been having with it - then the compact Olympus 35 cameras work they are really good and great fun to use.
 
Rich Silfver said:
I have almost all Olympus cameras ever made - apart from the RD.
I never got it due to the reported issues with this model.
I know, I know - internetrumours where every issue is magnified but I still didn't. Having said that the reported issues were mostly pertaining to the shutter on this model - haven't heard any issues about focusing and metering.

Sorry to hear about the issues you've been having with it - then the compact Olympus 35 cameras work they are really good and great fun to use.
Click to expand...

yeah, that was going to be a in-my-bag-always camera..
maybe i'll looking into a konica s3 or canonet, or maybe i'll break down and get a leica. that m6 had the best in-camera meter i've ever used..
 
The Olympus 35SP/SPn are great cameras.
The spot meter is surprisingly accurate - to the point that I used it as 'an external spotmeter' when photographing with my Hasselblad.

For quite some time my 'classic camera kit' was a 'blad and a Olympus 35SP.

(Photo below taken with a 'blad but spotmetered with my 35SP):
medium.jpg
 
Problem with the RD's is that the shutter blades tend to get gummy from the grease they use to dampen the focusing helacoid - the grease seeps over time onto the blades - first, the shutter gets a little slow and you overexpose and eventually the blades just jam.

I sent mine to CamTech for a CLA - I think it ran about $90 at the time. John Hermanson owns the company and he basically repairs Olys of all sorts - 631-424-2121 or zuiko.com.

There are some cameras with issues that are overblown, but the sticky shutter problem is almost an inevitability with the RDs and with this particular camera, it is not really a DIY job.

A great camera, but a CLA is almost the price of admission.
 
Rich Silfver said:
The Olympus 35SP/SPn are great cameras.
The spot meter is surprisingly accurate - to the point that I used it as 'an external spotmeter' when photographing with my Hasselblad.

For quite some time my 'classic camera kit' was a 'blad and a Olympus 35SP.

(Photo below taken with a 'blad but spotmetered with my 35SP):
medium.jpg
Click to expand...

gorgeous pic. i guess the sp makes a cheap spot meter + camera, how much are they going for these days?

JohnM said:
Problem with the RD's is that the shutter blades tend to get gummy from the grease they use to dampen the focusing helacoid - the grease seeps over time onto the blades - first, the shutter gets a little slow and you overexpose and eventually the blades just jam.

I sent mine to CamTech for a CLA - I think it ran about $90 at the time. John Hermanson owns the company and he basically repairs Olys of all sorts - 631-424-2121 or zuiko.com.

There are some cameras with issues that are overblown, but the sticky shutter problem is almost an inevitability with the RDs and with this particular camera, it is not really a DIY job.

A great camera, but a CLA is almost the price of admission.
Click to expand...

well, i dunno my camera well, but there are 2 shutters...the front shutter on occasion does not open up all the way to let light through the second shutter..

the meter treats 90% light conditions f/8-16..
and in shutter priority mode, sometims the shutter will activate when it's in the red zone of the meter..ridiculous..
 
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Rough price estimates:

Chrome 35SP:....About 90-120
Black 35SP:........About 150-200
Chrome 35SPn:..About 110-140
 
Rich:

Greg Weber (Weber Camera/ Konica repair guru) has a scarce BLACK Konica S-3 which has been CLA'd for $225. Too much for me, but maybe for you OK.
 
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JohnM said:
Problem with the RD's is that the shutter blades tend to get gummy from the grease they use to dampen the focusing helacoid - the grease seeps over time onto the blades - first, the shutter gets a little slow and you overexpose and eventually the blades just jam.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what happened to the one I once had..

JohnM said:
... the sticky shutter problem is almost an inevitability with the RDs and with this particular camera, it is not really a DIY job.
Click to expand...

But that was what I tried.. and failed at. End of my RD story :(

The SP looks so much bigger, so if I'd rather be looking for the RC. Or the Rollei 35 :)

Robert
 
Bill58 said:
Rich:

Greg Weber (Weber Camera/ Konica repair guru) has a scarce BLACK Konica S-3 which has been CLA'd for $225. Too much for me, but maybe for you OK.
Click to expand...

Thanks but no, I'm trying to reduce the number of cameras - not increase :)
 
I concur that John Hermanson is the go-to guy for Olympus repairs. He will be straight about what parts are no longer available, and will give you an honest estimate if he is certain he can affect the repair. http://zuiko.com

Client Ruehl at Photosphere (http://www.olyfix.com) is also excellent. Both were top repair guys at Olympus before they went out on their own.

I find the size of the SP to be very good, a nice balance between heft/feel and compact size. No, not as small as the RD and RC, but I actually find those a bit too small. Well, the RC is a bit small for me; I've not used an RD but would love to have one.

John has an XA and an LC from me right now for spa treatments, and I'm anxious to get both back.
 
Bill58 said:
How about an Oly 35 ECR?
Click to expand...

before i think about other cameras, what am i supposed to do with the one i have..
if i ebay it for less than $100, i'll take a loss...

i have a feeling it will sell for $50 bucks..:(
 
My recommended repairmen

My recommended repairmen

Eric Hendrickson in Sharps Chapel TN gets all my SLR gear;
Karl A. Bryan of Beaverton OR gets everything else.

If only everything else in my life was this easy...

Simplify!
-Chris-
 
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