Olympus OM1 for macro...standard cable release or use motor drive release?

[BetterSense]

I've been doing some macrophotography and since I don't have a rock solid optical bench, I've been concerned with camera/subject movement. I use the mirror lockup with my OM1 but I'm not sure the best way to release the shutter. I can use either a standard cable release, and air bulb release, I can use the mechanical self-timer, or I can use the electrical release on the motor drive. Which do you think is the lowest-vibration method?

 

[Shawn Rahman]

I say mirror lockup & self-timer combination, if the camera will let you. Good luck!

 

[Q.G.]

A standard cable release will be just fine.
Mirror lock up, and using the self timer both are too, but setting the thingies will push the camera out of alignment.

 

[MattKing]

I use the self-timer a lot on all of my cameras when I am trying to maximize sharpness, so I frequently recommend that to others.

For your situation, I do have a concern though. The self timer release for the OM-1 isn't particularly accessible. In a true macro environment, where distances are small, I think it is quite easy to bump or jar the camera when reaching for that release. That may not cause a problem with image sharpness due to shake, but it can play havoc with plane of focus and composition concerns, especially if you are using mirror lock-up.

For that reason I think I would prefer mirror lock-up plus good cable release or air bulb release.

Your experience with the self-timer release may be better than mine, especially if you are not left-handed (I am).

EDIT: I see that Q.G. and I are mostly in agreement. With respect to mirror lock-up, I find that I have more success operating it without causing the camera to move than I do with the self-timer.

Paradoxically, this is one of the reasons that the amateur oriented OM-G (OM-20) may be advantageous when compared to the OM-1 for some things. On that camera, the self-timer function stays engaged between shots, is activated using the normal shutter release, and causes the mirror to lock up (pre-release) at the beginning of the timer process.

 

[Rick A]

I have an OM-1 and found that if you use a standard cable release the winder wont advance the film, you must advance manually. If you have an electronic release plugged into the winder, then it will advance. I have a really hard time operating the MLU with winder 2 installed, everything is close quarters for my sausage sized fingers,and I end up bumping things out of whack. I lock my OM onto a Slick X-Y axis macro focus rail. Its a nice heavy unit and helps dampen vibration, especially when mounted on my Tiltall. An electronic release shouldn't be too hard to cobble together if you dont have one. Just haul your winder into the nearest Radio Shack and see which plug fits, some bell wire and push button to complete the rig and you are off to the races.

 

[John Koehrer]

There would be less pressure on the camera using the electric release, it's a switch, not a plunger.

 

[lxdude]

I have a really hard time operating the MLU with winder 2 installed, everything is close quarters for my sausage sized fingers,and I end up bumping things out of whack.

You need to make a tool for turning for your MLU lever. A wooden dowel or a piece of copper refrigeration tubing with a slot in the end, or something similar, will work.

 

[Q.G.]

The mirror of the OM-1 is very 'smooth'. You can get good results, without any problem and/or Heath Robinson solutions, using a plain cable release and no mirror lock up.

 

[BetterSense]

I have the camera in a device that is like a tripod head with a C-clamp which clamps it to my workshop table. My subject is light weight, round, and balanced on something tippy so even the slightest vibrations cause the subject to wobble. I might actually be better off putting the camera on a separated tripod rather than clamping it to the table.

Actually what I ended up doing, is I plugged my tungsten light into a momentary footswitch I used to use for my enlarger. Then in the dark I put the camera on B and pressed the foot switch for the required exposure, so the camera/subject wasn't disturbed at all. The problem with this was that for exposure times of less than 1 second, it was hard to be accurate with the exposure time because the tungsten lights take a second to come on and then fade away.