What's the best Olympus OM?

[John Hermanson]

Thanks John, very interesting. It suggests something like a silicone lubricant is needed when working on them. I wonder how many use it. (This is a sore point with me; years and years ago I used to deal - moonlighting - with the technical enquiries for my family's firm. A standard rant was about the specialised lubricants for plastics not working on metals, despite a lot of warning labels etc.)

Another point, does the circuitry of the OM-1 mean a mercury battery is needed or is it a balanced (is that the word? my memory is poor on that subject) circuit that mean a spacer and hearing aid battery or even the LR44 would work?

Regards, David

Speaking of silicone lube, the use of plastic gears in the OM-10 shutter meant higher friction, so they had to use silicone lube to make things more slippery. In a very short time, this lube went everywhere and once it hit the shutter magnet, it meant gross overexposure, sometimes 5-10 stops. Most OM-10 are plagued with it. My OM-1 meter conversion uses a 1.55v silver oxide battery, step down ring, and schotkey diode. That is all that's needed and meter is as accurate as the day it left the factory. These days, if anything, the CDS age become non-linear, but that can be fixed too. John

 

[John Hermanson]

Dan, I am not sure is a myth or not, but I have one and the battery life is very bad. The question is how many cameras have the issue. Not sure, but definitely is not impossible to find one with the issue...
The problem is solved by removing batteries when the camera is not in use. Even B does not help.
G

yeah, not a myth. the high drain original board was used in thousands of bodies. The circuit was made for Olympus by Sharp. At the Olympus Woodbury office, I personally exchanged hundreds of original 4s for new ones (with the exact same circuit) because we had no option, a lower drain board had not been created yet and there was no other fix. The OM-3 (and 2S) were out for such a short time, that Olympus never came up with low drain boards. John

 

[bgb]

A very interesting but GAS producing thread ... I feel a strong urge to own another OM. :bang:

Which of the OM models is likely to have the longest service life? Some I guess are already getting close to being not economically repairable?

The OM-1 OM-1n would be the logical candidate as I has fewer things inside to go wrong ... maybe.

 

[Keith]

All the OM line is getting old. Rather than consider which has the longest service life consider which is the easiest to repair and has the most repair parts available.

Consider checking with John Hermanson's website.

I suspect the OM-1 may be camera that is ultimately the most repairable not to mention it can be used without a meter unlike the OM-2 and other AE models.

It will be very sad when parts start to become scarce for the OM range ... not to mention when John eventually decides to give the art of breathing new life into these gems away!

 

[bgb]

All the OM line is getting old. Rather than consider which has the longest service life consider which is the easiest to repair and has the most repair parts available.

Consider checking with John Hermanson's website.

OM-1 or OM-1n it is then ... a black one!

The OM isn't the only thing around here getting old 😀

 

[Chris101]

OM-1 or OM-1n it is then ... a black one!
...

The silver one is the classic:

 

[bgb]

OR a silver one !!! Thanks for the encouragement Chris101 ;]

 

[GWT]

Thanks again guys for your great input!

It's looking like the OM1 Or Om1n seem to be the safest choice. Now I just have to decide which of my cameras I want to part with when I trade!

 

[ferider]

Don't worry about the color. Do yourself a favor and buy a CLA'ed camera (prism foam, etc.)

There are two OM2N CLA'ed by John in the classifieds, right now. Great deal.

That being said, silver OM bodies are pretty:

🙂

Roland.

 

[Keith]

Don't worry about the color. Do yourself a favor and buy a CLA'ed camera (prism foam, etc.)

There are two OM2N CLA'ed by John in the classifieds, right now. Great deal.

That being said, silver OM bodies are pretty:

🙂

Roland.

That's a little OM gas inducing ... 🙂

 

[newt_on_swings]

My om4t champagne in navy blue sting ray with custom grip:

 

[Rodchenko]

Ah, nostalgia! My first camera ever was an OM-1. I struck lucky first time, as, the more I learned about SLRs, the more I appreciated the OM-1. I bought an OM-40 for a second body, but the mirror clatter was too much to bear after the quiet OM-1.

I aspire to an OM-2SP, but I accidentally have two other film SLRs to sell first...

 

[John Hermanson]

Which of the OM models is likely to have the longest service life? Some I guess are already getting close to being not economically repairable?

The OM-1 OM-1n would be the logical candidate as I has fewer things inside to go wrong ... maybe.

OM-1 through 2N are still very serviceable. I have meters and circuits, even shutter curtains. OM-2S and up not so, especially if there's a circuit failure. John

 

[John Hermanson]

Thanks again guys for your great input!

It's looking like the OM1 Or Om1n seem to be the safest choice. Now I just have to decide which of my cameras I want to part with when I trade!

OM-1N is "newer" and less likely to have prism damage from rotting foam. High serial number plain OM-1 (above 1,110,000 serial number) were made without prism foam. John

 

[bgb]

Thanks for the info John 😀

 

[Rodchenko]

Prompted by this thread, I've got an OM-2SP on the way. Can't wait.

 

[John Hermanson]

Having said that I'll stand by my comments about the OM10 as most people's usage these days will/should be well within its capabilities.

Another point, does the circuitry of the OM-1 mean a mercury battery is needed or is it a balanced (is that the word? my memory is poor on that subject) circuit that mean a spacer and hearing aid battery or even the LR44 would work?

Regards, David

If people still shot a lot of slide film, they'd abandon the 10 quickly. Overexposure makes slides unusable while overexposed negatives can be salvaged and compensated for in printing.
LR44 batter (A76) are 1.55V and used by themselves without a diode would result in an error of up to 2 stops. John

 

[Rodchenko]

Prompted by this thread, I've got an OM-2SP on the way. Can't wait.

Well, I got the body yesterday, and it all checks out OK, though the shutter speed ring feels a tad stiffer than I remember it from my OM-1).

Just waiting for the lens now.

*drums fingers*

 

[GWT]

Here it is -

Thanks so much for all your inputs, I'll be shipping it off for a overhaul early next week and hopefully enjoying many years of OM heaven!

 

[sreed2006]

Congratulations! It looks really nice. Hope you have a lot of fun.