Olympus Om System - How are they holding up

[CMoore]

i have the OM3.
Is the Ti just a difference in the material of the body, or is there a lot more than that.?
Thanks

 

[MattKing]

i have the OM3.
Is the Ti just a difference in the material of the body, or is there a lot more than that.?
Thanks

The Ti/T (depending on market) versions tended to have updated circuitry that resulted in better battery life.
And there are enhanced flash capabilities.
Here is a good synopsis: http://omesif.moosemystic.net/om-sif/bodygroup/om3ti.htm

 

[abruzzi]

The OM3ti is the holy grail of the OM range imo. Alas the collectors have driven the prices so high that it doesn't make financial sense to have it do anything but sit on a shelf. Then again, of what importance is financial sense when it comes to boys and their toys?

I do hope that you get one and spend lots of time trying to wear it out. Not something I can afford to do, so you'll have to do it for me.

the OM-3 non-Ti has also climbed up to prohibitive prices (by my yardstick). eBay lists them from $500-$800. At the low end, that almost twice what I paid for my most expensive 35mm camera. At the high end, it’s what I paid for a Pentax 67.

 

[btaylor]

But really, other than a “modern” metering system, how different is OM3 be from the OM1n? Other than bragging rights of course. Are there big differences? The OM’s weren’t built to be the tanks that the pro Nikons and Canon F1’s were but they have the major (to me) advantage of being small, relatively quiet and lightweight.

 

[foc]

I shot professionally with the OM4ti for 10 years from the mid-1980s and never has a problem with the camera or battery drain.
Although I did have a problem with a winter wedding in temperature of -3C. The bride & groom emerged from the church to the white winterland and of course wanted some shots in the snow.
Guess what? The cold killed the set of LR44 batteries. So I changed batteries and the second set only lasted a few minutes even with putting the camera inside my coat. Luckly I had another backup set. In the meantime I put the other two sets into my jacket's inside pocket and thankfully they revived a little by the time we arrived at the hotel.
By that stage the light had dropped a lot and the couple were happy to stay inside.

 

[dugrant153]

I had an OM4 and it was pretty decent.
I liked my OM1 but found that for some reason that it wasn't super accurate at very thin depths of field, despite the high magnification of the viewfinder. This was noticeable with the 50mm lens but also noticeable with a 28mm. I found that despite accurate in my focusing, the results would be slightly off. This applied to two OM1's that I worked on and found another user who ran into the problem. There must be something off with the prism, mirror or something but it was, unfortunately, quite disconcerting and meant I had to abandon the OM1 cameras for critical focusing work.

 

[MattKing]

But really, other than a “modern” metering system, how different is OM3 be from the OM1n? Other than bragging rights of course. Are there big differences? The OM’s weren’t built to be the tanks that the pro Nikons and Canon F1’s were but they have the major (to me) advantage of being small, relatively quiet and lightweight.

The metering system, including the very well featured spot metering system.
Uses modern, easily located batteries.
The LED meter display and viewfinder illumination.
Built in hotshoe.
Dedicated cord interface that works with many of the Olympus T series flashes.

 

[btaylor]

Thanks, Matt. We all have our own way of using equipment, and that makes a difference in what we need. In my case, if I feel I need sophisticated metering beyond the the averaging meter on the OM1 I pull out a spot meter. I had the modification to use regular batteries performed, and I almost never use flash (occasionally the trusty Vivitar 283). I have an OM4 (beautiful camera) but really don’t use it for the above reasons. Thanks for the heads up. Maybe I am just too old for these new-fangled devices!

 

[MattKing]

FWIW, although I started with one of the earliest OM-1s - pre OM-1 MD in fact - and later used and enjoyed an OM-1n, a majority of my OM time has been spent with my OM-2s. The OM-3 and OM-4 probably are more similar to that camera than to an OM-1.

 

[Les Sarile]

I had an OM4 and it was pretty decent.
I liked my OM1 but found that for some reason that it wasn't super accurate at very thin depths of field, despite the high magnification of the viewfinder. This was noticeable with the 50mm lens but also noticeable with a 28mm. I found that despite accurate in my focusing, the results would be slightly off. This applied to two OM1's that I worked on and found another user who ran into the problem. There must be something off with the prism, mirror or something but it was, unfortunately, quite disconcerting and meant I had to abandon the OM1 cameras for critical focusing work.

It is too bad that Olympus changed the 0.92X magnification of the OM1&2 down to 0.84X magnification of the OM3&4. However, the OM3&4 do have diopter control built-in.
I have been conducting resolution tests on my lenses - since all of them were acquired used, and critical focus testing on my camera bodies and fortunately I have not seen any fail.

 

[CMoore]

The Ti/T (depending on market) versions tended to have updated circuitry that resulted in better battery life.
And there are enhanced flash capabilities.
Here is a good synopsis: http://omesif.moosemystic.net/om-sif/bodygroup/om3ti.htm

I meant to ask The Forum....... from the website "the electronics has been improved to reduce the battery drain that was clearly too high in the OM-3"
Was the battery just hit hard during metering, or was it a situation where the battery was drained whenever it was in camera.?
Thank You

 

[faberryman]

I meant to ask The Forum....... from the website "the electronics has been improved to reduce the battery drain that was clearly too high in the OM-3"
Was the battery just hit hard during metering, or was it a situation where the battery was drained whenever it was in camera.?
Thank You

The batteries in my OM4 last 4-6 months, my 4Ti 12 months. Batteries are cheap so it is not really a big deal.

 

[MattKing]

Was the battery just hit hard during metering, or was it a situation where the battery was drained whenever it was in camera.?
Thank You

When the battery is in the camera.
Most likely a consequence of the circuitry that will give you automatic exposure even if you forget to turn the meter on before releasing the shutter.

 

[CMoore]

When the battery is in the camera.
Most likely a consequence of the circuitry that will give you automatic exposure even if you forget to turn the meter on before releasing the shutter.

Oh... OK.
I was wondering how the meter could be so aggressive.....just a consequence of the circuit i guess. Or poor design.?

 

[MattKing]

IIRC, Maitani's design philosophy for the OM system valued highly the ability to respond rapidly to a photographic opportunity. Thus the inclusion of a metering circuit that would turn itself on and set the exposure instantly when one needed to quickly catch a photographic opportunity.
An instant on circuit will use more battery power.

 

[CMoore]

OK. So probably just a consequence of the circuit.....although, the info says that the problem was fixed on the later model. Maybe it was a matter of advances in electronics Parts/Designs.
Anyway..... i have the older OM3. I have not used it enough (hardly at all) to know how fast the battery snaps.
I love my OM1n..... fabulous little cameras.
Per Usual... thanks for the info.!

 

[foc]

IIRC, Maitani's design philosophy for the OM system valued highly the ability to respond rapidly to a photographic opportunity. Thus the inclusion of a metering circuit that would turn itself on and set the exposure instantly when one needed to quickly catch a photographic opportunity.
An instant on circuit will use more battery power.

The instant start was activated by touching the collar around the shutter button on some models (like the OM10) or by half pressing the shutter button, even if you had the camera turned off.

When I used my OM4ti, I rarely had it turned on. As I focused, I would gently press the shutter button and the camera was activated before I had the subject in focus.
I found it a very hand feature of the camera,

 

[Rob Skeoch]

Ok, so let me give you an update on my conversion to the Olympus system, I started this thread.
I purchased the OM4Ti and four lenses 50mm f1.4, 28mm f2.8, 35mm f2 and the 135mm f2.8.
All were listed as mint and for the most part they are. The camera was in like new shape however the spot metering function did not work so I've had to send the body back.
if they can't get the metering to work properly, I'll purchase again. Still like the OM3 but likely over priced.
I'll keep you posted.

 

[wiltw]

It is too bad that Olympus changed the 0.92X magnification of the OM1&2 down to 0.84X magnification of the OM3&4. However, the OM3&4 do have diopter control built-in.

Olympus merely followed the path set for all SLR models...include much MORE INFORMATION in the viewfinder, forcing the magnification to be LOWERED in order to still see the focusing screen AND all the information displayed around the edges!

Even the current Canon 5D MkIV dSLR has viewfinder magnification = 0.71X
and the high end Canon 1Dx MkII dSLR has viewfinder magnification = 0.76X

 

[CMoore]

Ok, so let me give you an update on my conversion to the Olympus system, I started this thread.
I purchased the OM4Ti and four lenses 50mm f1.4, 28mm f2.8, 35mm f2 and the 135mm f2.8.
All were listed as mint and for the most part they are. The camera was in like new shape however the spot metering function did not work so I've had to send the body back.
if they can't get the metering to work properly, I'll purchase again. Still like the OM3 but likely over priced.
I'll keep you posted.

Would you be offended if i quoted a SMALL Portion of text from your website.?
I was duly impressed (with all of it)..... I think most of our members would really enjoy it.
If this is not proper, let me know and i will delete it of course.


"The first photographer I ever knew was Paul Wodehouse. He worked at the weekly Burlington Gazette newspaper where I recorded high school football scores. I think he was 27 at the time, while I was 17 and still in high school. Paul would burn through Tri-X and women at a neck wrenching pace. He was likely the coolest person alive. Rock star cool.

He used brand new Nikon F2 cameras, and they had motor drives. He bought batteries by the carton. A carton of AA batteries! And he kept them in the film fridge to keep them fresh. It was unheard of, unbelievable. I remember him buying a Nikon 135mm f2 lens from a mail order house in Hong Kong, what, Hong Kong, I had to look on a map to see where that was.

I worked part-time for the sports department, a bunch of old heavy weights that smoked cheap cigars in the tiny press box at the local arena. The smell was worse than the hockey gloves. Their wives were ugly. Paul was dating models and there were always women around. I bought a Nikon camera.

Photographers were cool. Not just Paul but the other News guys as well. They bought fast lenses, drove fast cars and dated fast women. They were a cool bunch, not the tech nerds you see taking pictures now who strap their gear around their waist with camera gear support belts, shit they look like jihad suicide bombers with that stuff strapped to them."

 

[Rob Skeoch]

i didn't know that was on my website. It was part of my thesis for my MFA. I got into photography because of Paul.

 

[CMoore]

i didn't know that was on my website. It was part of my thesis for my MFA. I got into photography because of Paul.

It was well written.
This part made me laugh..... i could totally relate, and Hear/Sense your admiration for the "older" guy.

"Paul would burn through Tri-X and women at a neck wrenching pace. He was likely the coolest person alive. Rock star cool."

 

[Les Sarile]

Olympus merely followed the path set for all SLR models...include much MORE INFORMATION in the viewfinder, forcing the magnification to be LOWERED in order to still see the focusing screen AND all the information displayed around the edges!

Even the current Canon 5D MkIV dSLR has viewfinder magnification = 0.71X
and the high end Canon 1Dx MkII dSLR has viewfinder magnification = 0.76X

All OMs - 1, 2, 3 & 4 cameras don't even have aperture showing in the VF so really there isn't much info that will take up much screen real estate. My guess is they went the way of all the others - except for select Pentax models, with the smaller magnification in the 3 & 4.

Of course all DSLRs are auto focus cameras and they all have tiny viewfinders as they pretty much abandoned manual focusing just like all the other AF film cameras before them.

 

[wiltw]

All OMs - 1, 2, 3 & 4 cameras don't even have aperture showing in the VF so really there isn't much info that will take up much screen real estate. My guess is they went the way of all the others - except for select Pentax models, with the smaller magnification in the 3 & 4.

Of course all DSLRs are auto focus cameras and they all have tiny viewfinders as they pretty much abandoned manual focusing just like all the other AF film cameras before them.

you see the full range of shutter speeds, the selected shutter speed, (yeah, it is not as efficient as using segment display technology to show a single (selected) speed, you have indicators for Shadow/Highlight meter readings as well as all of the individual spot meterings that comprise the Average. The ENTIRE width below the focus screen edge was consumed! Mechanical lenses can't display aperture selected, no electrical contacts passing that information (I know, some cameras had optical view of the selected aperture).

Even the Nikon EM (vintage 1979) had viewfinder magnfication = 0.86X

 

[Les Sarile]

Mechanical lenses can't display aperture selected, no electrical contacts passing that information (I know, some cameras had optical view of the selected aperture).

For that era, no electrical contacts on lenses just yet. Some used aperture window (Judas window) and some used mechanical linkages like the Canon New F-1 and Yashica FR.