Olympus OM2

[Vonder]

Just won one on ebay. Comes with all-Zuiko lenses, 28, 50, 75-150, which I hope live up to the legendary quality I hear they have...

But no hot shoe. This accessory shoe 4 is available, but goes for nearly as much as a used body! Anyone know a cheaper source than KEH or other stores? $40 is a bit pricey.

Assuming it will need a CLA, who's "the guy" for Olympus CLA's?

 

[dentkimterry]

Never was into Olympus much but the man I heard about, from those that were, is www.zuiko.com

 

[mopar_guy]

For any service needs look at Camtech Photo Services (John Hermanson).

www.zuiko.com

 

[MattKing]

A shoe 4 won't fit an OM2, but will fit an OM2n, so you need to check which camera you're getting.

The shoe 4 can be hard to find, especially if you need one without a crack in it. The 3 I have are all servicable, but cracked.

John Hermanson is, indeed, "the man", and he posts here regularly as well.

There are other competent people around who know Olympus, but no one else I know of specializes in Olympus.

Matt

 

[nsurit]

John is the man at Zuiko.com. Figure out which camera you have (which shoe you need) and then send me a PM. Bill Barber

 

[Mark Fisher]

You'll really enjoy the OM cameras. I've had one since 1978 and it still works great. I'm not sure if their lenses are that much better than everyone else's, but they sure a pleasure to use. I think you'll especially enjoy the primes. The size of the lenses and the ergonomics make the camera a serious pleasure....and John Hermanson is the man to fix all things Olympus. I've never actually used a flash on my OM1. If I did, I'd probably put it on a bracket to get it away from the lens plus the shoes are a bit fragile.

 

[BetterSense]

I have an OM2n and shoe 4. The shoe was cracked, so I 'fixed' it with epoxy. It mars the camera where in screws on, makes it ugly, and it doesn't seem very strong, so when I use flash (not often) I use a PC cable. I like this camera a lot lot.

 

[Galah]

Just won one on ebay. Comes with all-Zuiko lenses, 28, 50, 75-150, which I hope live up to the legendary quality I hear they have...

But no hot shoe. This accessory shoe 4 is available, but goes for nearly as much as a used body! Anyone know a cheaper source than KEH or other stores? $40 is a bit pricey.

Assuming it will need a CLA, who's "the guy" for Olympus CLA's?

I have several OM-mount Olympus cameras (complete with the relevant hot-shoes, currently removed and safely stored), but I never ever use a flash with these: preferring to use only available light.

If I ever do need to use a flash, I go to one of my other cameras (Such as the Olympus iS1000).

 

[MattKing]

At various times, I've used flash a lot with my OMs. In particular, I use them regularly with my T32, or one of my T20s, mounted on top of the camera. Even the cracked shoes seem to function fine.

Matt

 

[mopar_guy]

I have owned and used Olympus' Power Bounce Grip 2 with a T-32 flash since the mid 1980's. This is a great way to use flash with my OM-4T. The advantages: really quick recycle times (extra power from 4 C-batteries), my photos don't have that flat electronic flash look, works well with the motor drive, I have a really secure hold on the camera. Even the OM-2S, and OM-4T the flash shoe is a little weak, so I don't have to worry about anything with the bounce grip.

For your OM-2 you will need the TTL cord adapter that goes on instead of the flash shoe. You will also need a OM TTL flash cord.

 

[mgb74]

One thing I've noticed is that the Olympus (T-20, T-32) flashes, with their "horizontal" orientation, seem to feel better on the small Olympus SLRs. I would think that they put less strain on the mount compared to a more tradition shaped bounce flash such as the Vivitar 283. Not as easy though to use a bounce card.

 

[mopar_guy]

The Olympus Power Bounce Grip 1 and 2 are handle type units that attach to the bottom of the camera via the tripod socket. The flash mounts at the top of the handle, NOT the camera hot shoe. The flash head pivots down 20 degrees, up 90 degrees and will rotate 300 degrees. The OM2 or OM2n should provide off-the-film TTL Auto use of the flash.

 

[mgb74]

The Olympus Power Bounce Grip 1 and 2 are handle type units that attach to the bottom of the camera via the tripod socket. The flash mounts at the top of the handle, NOT the camera hot shoe. The flash head pivots down 20 degrees, up 90 degrees and will rotate 300 degrees. The OM2 or OM2n should provide off-the-film TTL Auto use of the flash.

Yes, but my comments regarding the Olympus T flashes were with respect to using the hot shoe, not the grip.

 

[John Hermanson]

When Shoe 4 was in stock, easy to get, new in box, price was $40. When you find a used one now it is probably cracked. When I have new ones, the going rate is $40. People complain about the shoe breaking off, but think of it this way. If you had a choice, would you rather replace the shoe when you drop the camera or have to replace the entire top cover because the permanently attached all metal shoe was so well attached that the entire top bent and pulled up during the impact. For plain OM-2 use with T flash, you'll need Shoe 3 / TTL Connector 3. For 2N you need Shoe 4 / TTL Connector 4. John

 

[Vonder]

Not dropped...

When Shoe 4 was in stock, easy to get, new in box, price was $40. When you find a used one now it is probably cracked. When I have new ones, the going rate is $40. People complain about the shoe breaking off, but think of it this way. If you had a choice, would you rather replace the shoe when you drop the camera or have to replace the entire top cover because the permanently attached all metal shoe was so well attached that the entire top bent and pulled up during the impact. For plain OM-2 use with T flash, you'll need Shoe 3 / TTL Connector 3. For 2N you need Shoe 4 / TTL Connector 4. John

Thanks John, for the info. I may be wrong, but I think what people complain about is that the shoe tends to crack even when the camera isn't dropped! It looks to me like there's some sort of screwdown mechanism that attaches it to the camera, correct? I think people saw them crack when they were tightening the screw, sometimes (I'm guessing) even when they weren't screwed down all that hard..

 

[Ulrich Drolshagen]

They even get cracked when stowed away (mine for example). The plastic is simply deteriorating. I am pretty sure that you won't even find only one without cracks.

Ulrich

 

[Galah]

Just won one on ebay. Comes with all-Zuiko lenses, 28, 50, 75-150, which I hope live up to the legendary quality I hear they have...

I also have the above lenses: a useful spread.

Which of the 50mm lenses do you have? My 50/1.4 is realy excellent. It is also very useable with extension tubes for close-up work (although I do have the 50/3.5 Macro anyway). Just make sure you get "auto" tubes, if you go that way, as the Olympus tubes are not automatic as regards the diaphragm -i.e. not open diaphragm metering- and focusing/framing is a pain.

I have only recently acquired the 28/3.5 and have yet to develop an opinion on it.

The 75-150 is very good IMO.

(In addition, I have a growing collection of other Olympus OM (Zuiko) lenses and third-party OM mount lenses)

 

[John Hermanson]

Yes it is normal for the shoe to crack and you really can't do anything about it. If the shoe works, it doesn't really matter (at least it never did to me). John

 

[timk]

a handle grip of some description is a good idea. If you want to use TTL flash with T20 or T32 and the power bounce grips then you need to use the TTL cable to communicate with the flash so you would need to buy a TTL Connector 3 (probably more expensive than a shoe 3).

I use a sunpak flash that has the bracket and use a PC-sync cord, that works best for me, it eliminates the need for a shoe and you don't need a special adaptor to plug it into the camera (you don't get TTL auto but no big loss)

 

[Vonder]

Thanks to all who replied!

Camera should be here soon, but I do hope to use the flash with hotshoe... and here goes nothing... would it be a huge crime to simply glue it on? I know it screws on, and in theory, off, but one of the reasons it cracks is that you basically have a metal wedge (top of the prism) being pushed into the plastic "V" of the hotshoe, right? If one were to glue the hotshoe on you'd have a stronger surface-area relationship, wouldn't you? And thereby reduce the stress and likelihood of cracking?

 

[MattKing]

Thanks to all who replied!

Camera should be here soon, but I do hope to use the flash with hotshoe... and here goes nothing... would it be a huge crime to simply glue it on? I know it screws on, and in theory, off, but one of the reasons it cracks is that you basically have a metal wedge (top of the prism) being pushed into the plastic "V" of the hotshoe, right? If one were to glue the hotshoe on you'd have a stronger surface-area relationship, wouldn't you? And thereby reduce the stress and likelihood of cracking?

Don't do it!

All of my cracked hot-shoe adapters work fine with my T32.

If you glue the hot-shoe adapter on, and bump the flash, you are more likely to damage the camera, than the adapter.

Matt

 

[mgb74]

Personally, before I glued the shoe to the prism (which might not be easily reversible) I'd first glue the crack in the shoe. Then glue a piece of plastic over the crack to reinforce it.

Assuming that it's not usable as is.

 

[BetterSense]

Please don't glue it to the camera. I slatherd mine with epoxy and wrapped a plastic cable tie around it for reinforcement. It looks ugly but at least I didn't glue it to the camera.

 

[John Hermanson]

If it works, don't glue it. You're just askin' for trouble. If the camera ever has to come apart for service, the shoe will have to be ripped off and will probably become unusable. All the shoes crack eventually, if it works, just use it. John

 

[John Hermanson]

if the shoe doesn't work, filling it with glue won't fix it, it'll just become funny. John