New to me OM 4

[GRHazelton]

Hi -

My Om 4 is my second Oly, my first is an OM 10 with f1.8 and everready case I scored for $27.50 at a second hand shop which didn't know that without batteries nothing works. Works fine for me, I added the Winder 1 the Manual adapter, and the T32 flash. Nice little outfit. The other day I bought the 4 with a 28mm f2.8 with a stuck filter (the 28 was "free") in clean user condition - no dents, only a few scratches and a little worn paint. The 28mm looks just fine, snappy diaphragm, no scratches, etc. Gotta get that filter off!

The 4 is I think the early version since the battery check runs and runs and.... I've bought the instruction book and a f3.5 135mm, sadly it has to go back since the lens latch won't latch. Alas!

Any suggestions or cautions based on user experiences? Battery life? I've found no mention of mirror lockup, a surprising omission. New seals from Jon Goodman should arrive soon, and I'll be up and running.

 

[wblynch]

Take the batteries out between uses and use silver oxide, not the cheaper alkaline batteries.

 

[thuggins]

You can use alkaline cells with no problem on the OM4. It has a bridge circuit to compensate for the voltage drop from discharge. Oddly enough, my 135f3.5 (a silver nose) also has a broken lens latch. This has never been a problem as the lens fits tightly enough. I would certainly not send it back if it is otherwise clean and in good condition.

You will likely find the OM4 a much better choice than the 10. The weighted spot metering still ranks among the best systems ever made; you shouldn't need it often, but when you do it is a life saver. Batteries are cheap and readily available. Keep a couple of extra sets in the camera bag and you should never have a problem.

 

[M6F6E6]

Is it the 4 or 4Ti? Definitely a great camera to keep and use. A friend of mine here in Australia bought up all of the 4Ti circuit boards in stock a while back so there are no more available down here. Look after it!! Yes definitely take out the batteries when not in use. Absolutely beautiful camera to use. The spot and hi lo functions are so easy to use. not llike so many modern cameras that require u to take your eye from the viewfinder so often to check buttons. I love the single purpose buttons on the 4Ti. Multipurpose buttons are a giant step backwards.