Help with camera choice to get back into photography

Alan Gales · Jan 29, 2018

Here is the instruction manual if you need it. Send Mike 3 dollars for his time if you find it useful. It's really nice of him to provide all the instruction manuals that he does.

http://www.cameramanuals.org/olympus_pdf/olympus_om10.pdf

Check out page #41 for information about the manual adapter.

Like I said earlier, buy a 35mm camera book that teaches you about 35mm photography. It along with the instruction manual will make things a lot easier for you.

Craig75 · Jan 29, 2018

if you dont want to touch the shutter button either just get a roll of Ilford XP2, set aperture to f8, shutter to 1/125 and that will allow you to shoot from first thing in morning till late afternoon outside without having to change any settings, It's black and white film with a big margin of exposure which can be developed by any place that does colour film developing (unlike other b/w films).

those settings will allow you to use your camera as a point and shoot outside so just burn up a roll of xp2 and drop it into yr local colour photo lab.

if the roll comes back a mess then your camera needs a look at, if roll looks fine then just shoot your camera until it falls apart.

Easy.

E. von Hoegh · Jan 29, 2018

Craig75 said:
if you dont want to touch the shutter button either just get a roll of Ilford XP2, set aperture to f8, shutter to 1/125 and that will allow you to shoot from first thing in morning till late afternoon outside without having to change any settings, It's black and white film with a big margin of exposure which can be developed by any place that does colour film developing (unlike other b/w films).

those settings will allow you to use your camera as a point and shoot outside so just burn up a roll of xp2 and drop it into yr local colour photo lab.

if the roll comes back a mess then your camera needs a look at, if roll looks fine then just shoot your camera until it falls apart.

Easy.

That's wonderful advice. How, pray tell, do you propose the op distinguish between a malfunctioning camera and user error, when he has no experience with or knowledge of an SLR camera?

Craig75 · Jan 29, 2018

because I'm quietly confident OP can turn shutter to 1/125 and aperture to f8 and then just leave those settings there.

Ces1um · Jan 29, 2018

Jheath0015 said:
When I was in high school photography class (15 years ago) I was using my mother’s Minolta freedom 35af. Just a simple point a click but I thought the photos I developed turned out quite well. Good enough I sold some prints. I’m now wanting to start taking pictures again. I am having a hard time choosing a rig for this. I am wanting to stick with point and click for now at least for simplicity and that it’s all I know how to use. SLR’s are more than I want to deal with at the moment. My choices from research are the Minolta Hi-Matic af2/af2m, Nikon L35AF, or Canon AF35M/L. I have been leaning towards the Minolta but just because I’ve used a Minolta before. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also to note is my wife has an Olympus OM-10 with several lenses in storage. Since it’s an SLR I would prefer the others but, if it still works should I stick with that?

So a roll of film is cheap and development isn't overly expensive. You have an olympus om-10 at home. Just put one roll of film through it. See if you like it. Run it in auto or if you want to try manual, fiddle with it's bits until the light meter reads "0" or it's green or however your camera indicates the exposure is on. Literally, just turn the shutter speed dial or aperture ring until it's in the middle of the exposure meter and fire away. You'll miss the odd shot because of weird lighting conditions but everybody does so don't worry about it. You're overthinking it. Put a roll into that camera and start shooting with it. They're dead simple. Other people can figure it out, so can you. Just make sure you set the iso wheel to match whatever film you put into it and fire away. I'm sure on day one most of your shots will turn out without issue.

E. von Hoegh · Jan 29, 2018

Craig75 said:
because I'm quietly confident OP can turn shutter to 1/125 and aperture to f8 and then just leave those settings there.

And if the aperture doesn't close down to 8? This is not uncommon in Oly lenses which have sat for a while. How about if the shutter is wonky? The camera has been sitting idle for 15 years.
The point is, that the OP have confidence that the camera works properly to start with.

Craig75 · Jan 29, 2018

E. von Hoegh said:
And if the aperture doesn't close down to 8? This is not uncommon in Oly lenses which have sat for a while. How about if the shutter is wonky? The camera has been sitting idle for 15 years.
The point is, that the OP have confidence that the camera works properly to start with.

I'd prefer to run a film through it first, you'd prefer to CLA it first. Everyone's different - spice of life

E. von Hoegh · Jan 29, 2018

Craig75 said:
I'd prefer to run a film through it first, you'd prefer to CLA it first. Everyone's different - spice of life

No. I'd look the camera over, verify that the aperture works and the shutter isn't capping (not uncommon with cameras that have sat), check to see if the meter is in the ballpark. Then, maybe put film in it. I can repair cameras, and I can work around a certain level of dysfunction. The op has stated he wants a camera that works properly. Also, I'm not insisting upon a cla - just that he have it checked over by someone who knows how.
What is your problem with this?

Craig75 · Jan 29, 2018

I apologise unreservedly for advising OP to just run a film through it and will leave you gentlemen to it

Jheath0015 · Jan 29, 2018

No need to argue gentlemen. I’m a nurse and have been working all weekend so I haven’t had time to really sit down with my camera. Turns out it’s an om10 fc. Pretty much just came with the manual adapter instead of buying it. I looked up the manual online and have been liking it over. I have be original paper one at home to use with studying the camer as another of you said. The camera does need batteries so I couldn’t go out and shoot it anyways. So I’ll get it looked at this week if the camera shop I found I worth anything and then start shooting. Will probably start off in auto mode for now and go from there. I will learn it all. Just will take a little time.

Fin · Jan 29, 2018

Craig75 said:
I apologise unreservedly for advising OP to just run a film through it and will leave you gentlemen to it

I don't. Get something loaded in it and go smash out a load of shots!

Last year I was given an OM10 that had been sat in a drawer for nearly 20 years. I put new batteries in, loaded and shot a film, developed it and then marveled at the wonders of Japanese technology and manufacturing. Every single exposure was perfect. The foam seals don't look that great, but light did not leak onto the film. The lens mount and focus rings turn the wrong way for me (Nikon user) but this light compact SLR is brilliant! I've since bought a couple of (actually quite decent) Tamron lenses with different mounts so my B team cameras (OM10 and Zenit 12XP) can be used along side my Nikons.

A great deal of photography is all about experimentation. Go shoot a film in it and see what happens, obviously after pointing it at bright light and checking that the shutter works. Worst case, you will have paid for a film and supported the film industry, better, you might get some good pics.

Jheath0015 · Jan 30, 2018

Any and all advice is accepted by me personally. Whether I follow it or not is another thing but I am appreciative of everything all of you have said. I never went out looking to photograph anything. It always just came to me while I was driving or walking around doing other things entirely. When the moment hit that something would speak to me I would grab my camera and take a shot. The ones I took with that state of mind were my best work. The ones I sold actually. So that’s probably how I’ll continue taking my pictures. On a whim when the moment strikes. Just gotta remember to have my camera on me as much as possible. Haha. Or get a cheap point and shoot to just keep in my truck for all occasions.

Marco Gilardetti · Jan 30, 2018

Jheath0015 said:
When the moment hit that something would speak to me I would grab my camera and take a shot.

Sounds like the perfect moment in which you wish to have with you a dependable camera, doesn't it?

Jheath0015 · Jan 30, 2018

Well yes that is true. Can’t snap a shot with a camera that won’t shoot.

E. von Hoegh · Jan 30, 2018

Jheath0015 said:
Well yes that is true. Can’t snap a shot with a camera that won’t shoot.

You seem to be on the right track, just don't get diverted by the cowboys (whose opinions are worth their weight in gold ).

John Koehrer · Jan 30, 2018

What a bunch of old cranky pantses. "Do it my way or the world will end". Bah!

For another different but the same method see #54 my alternative would be 1/60 @f8.
I'm pretty sure all of those millions of snapshots taken from the teens to the fifties never turned out. Did they?
Unless you wanted to play with adjusting the camera, any box had 1/30 and f8 ish combinations.

What are these "gentlemen" you're speaking of?

Help with camera choice to get back into photography

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