Thinking about switching to Olympus OM system, need some guidance...

mopar_guy

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lxdude said:
BTW, just how thin is the depth of field of that 250mm f2 wide open?
Click to expand...

That one is a by-product of a recent spending binge so I haven't really had a lot of time with it yet (a couple of rolls of slide film). One problem is bright/sunny conditions. The fastest shutter speed of the OM-4T is 1/2000 sec. With 100 ISO film the Sunny 16 rule tells us that f16 @ 1/100 sec. = f4 @ 1/1600 sec. and I've run out of shutter speeds by the time I get to f4. I have some Efke 25 and a roll of Panatomic-X in the camera right now. I will shoot this film today.

I have projected some of the slides and my first impression is that the lens is scary sharp and the DOF at the wider apertures is less than one foot at 50 feet. I don't really have any B&W paper bigger than 8x10 at the moment so I will probably crop some images to check sharpness.
 

2F/2F

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You can also overexpose negative film and it won't suffer all that much. Especially color neg film. You can always use ND as well.
 

mopar_guy

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The filters for this are a special 46mm rear filter with an extremely thin flange to mount in the filter holder and Olympus did not make any ND filters. The lens will also accept a 128mm filter in front of the lens, but the only commonly available option is a Pentax made UV filter for their medium format telephotos.
 

Newt_on_Swings

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I love my olympus, the Zukio lenses are just awesome. I need to get more but prices are ridiculous on ebay for comparable nikkor. Its amazing how much tech they could cram into a small body, and how they kept most lenses with filter sizes of just 49mms.

Also knurled focus rings, ah so pretty. the multicoating is awesome as well.

btw there is an OM3 for sale on ebay now... what a rare beast, its around $1000 bucks right now at auction. its the same as an OM4 but with a mechanical shutter.
 

erikg

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My first OM was an OM-3 bought new in 1984. I was a student and I had saved a long time for that. That was a special day. I've since had -1n's, 2n's, a -4,-4t, and a -2s, that was the only one to fail on me, shutter jammed. I still have some, others either stolen or traded away. Amazing meter in the -3 and -4's, love these things.
 

philosomatographer

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lxdude said:
BTW, just how thin is the depth of field of that 250mm f2 wide open?
Click to expand...

If I may interject here: Very, very thin I love using mine (B&W film only, these were printed in the darkroom):










​

I cannot recommend the OM system to the OP enough, if 35mm is your thing. I can also unequivocally state that the OM-1n / OM-2n have a nicer, smoother "feel" to them (and they look prettier) than the OM-3Ti / OM-4Ti - although the latter, with a 2-series lumi-micron-matte focusing screen, offer a viewfinder experience absolutely second to none.
 

Nicholas Lindan

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I have both systems: A pair of OM-2n's and an assortment of Nikons with too many lenses for each system. I also have Leica's, 'Blads, Rolleis, Mamiyas, and the odd Sinar or two.

My observations:
  • The OM's have a rather delightful feel to them, a bit like a Leica M3. The finish is impeccable.
  • The lenses of either system leave little to be desired. But the same is true of Pentax, Minolta, Canon and every other major brand. The whole lens thing is a non issue.
  • Olympus cameras have a certain fragility to them - I like to take things apart, being an Engineer, and the OM's get their small size by having rather small, thin parts inside. But comparing an Olympus to a Nikon F2 isn't really fair: sort of Honda Vs. Caterpillar.
  • The information display in the OM finder is poor - no aperture, no shutter speed in manual mode.
  • The OM meter needs to be turned off with a separate lever - if you forget the batteries do drain away quickly. Carry lots of spare batteries. The metering electronics are quite bizarre and can malfunction in very strange ways - the shutter speed in the viewfinder may, or may not, be the shutter speed the camera uses.
  • The FE uses the winding lever to turn the meter on. If you are left eyed you will be poking yourself if the right eye with the cocked winding lever.
  • I am sure your Nikon can be returned to full function - try a better repair service. "CLA" can mean anything and too often means nothing.
  • You can get any accessory you want for a Nikon - easily and at a reasonable price. You can easily rent exotic lenses for a weekend if you want to have some fun with a 400mm f2.8 VR or a 6mm fisheye.

If I had to limit myself to one system I would stick to the Nikons. But I would miss the ability to sling a light OM camera around my neck, put a few compact lenses in my jacket pocket and go off for a walk with the dog.

I can not say "get the Ultix 23dx, you can't go wrong", because you will indeed go wrong and waste money and time if it is not the camera for you. You need to rent an OM (and a working FE/FE2) and see how you like them. Only then can you make an informed decision that will keep you happy.
 
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Rol_Lei Nut

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philosomatographer said:
OM-3Ti / OM-4Ti - although the latter, with a 2-series lumi-micron-matte focusing screen, offer a viewfinder experience absolutely second to none.
Click to expand...

When I hear absolutist statements like "second to none", my mouth begins to foam....

In my experience, their viewfinders, albeit among the best, are soundly beaten by my favorite SLRs. But since my favorites are nearly the twice the size & weight of the OMs, they probably aren't what the OP is looking for....

I could agree that the better OM viewfinders are probably the best for their size.
 

philosomatographer

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My apologies if my statement was not precise enough! Let me correct it:

"An OM-3Ti/OM-4Ti with a 2-series lumi-micron-matte screen offers a viewfinder experience superior to any other 35mm camera in existence"

Better? My Mamiya RB67 has a much bigger viewfinder, and my Linhof Technika - outfitted with a Maxwell Optics Precision screen - an even bigger and brighter finder, but - in 35mm - there is no competition. A Leica R9 comes close, and a Leica M3 comes close, but neither can hold a candle to the Olympus.

The 3/4 viewfinder does lend itself to absolutist statements, I am afraid.
 

Nicholas Lindan

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Whichever you get, be sure to get return / swap privileges. I find myself making detailed lists of features and making a fully informed rational decision only to find out a week later I made just the wrong decision because I listened to my head rather than my heart. It's a touchy-feely decision that you need to make. All the advice here isn't necessarily going to help you pick the best camera for you.
 

Pumalite

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I applaud you. The head is good for teaching, writing a book, writing a check, etc. But when it comes to choosing a woman, buying your house, choosing a vacation, choosing a style of life, choosing a camera; only the heart can help you.
 

mopar_guy

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The OM viewfinders are very good. When I compare one of my OM-4T's with a 1-13 focusing screen to my OM-3Ti with it's 2-13 focusing screen, the difference is like watching a movie on an old TV with a VCR tape as opposed to watching the same movie on Blue Ray with an HDTV.

 

philosomatographer

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I agree! What I find funny, is that, switching from a top-of-the-line DSLR (say, a Canon 1Ds MkII) to an OM-1, is like switching from VCR+OldTV to BlueRay+HD. Then, switching from an OM-1 to an OM-3Ti + 2-series screen is like switching from CR+OldTV to BlueRay+HD! Have we run out of analogies??
 

erikg

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I find it sad that the cameras I'm compelled to use these days for commercial work (you know what I'm talking about) have such poor viewfinders compared to something 30 years older. I love the viewfinder of the OM-1n, and the OM-4t is pretty great too. Progress isn't always forward.
 
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Dr.Pain-MD

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Thanks for the replies, everyone! I've been extremely busy the past few days and wasn't able to reply earlier, but this thread did help set myself straight. I did a bunch of research a few days back, read the MIR website as well as a bunch of other stuff. I then also played around with my Nikon some more and realized how much I love it and also realized that it is the better choice for me now, so I'm going to try and find another FE body. However, I really like the OM series and would still love to pick up either of the OM-1 or OM-2 series cameras because they can be found for really cheap with the common focal length Zuikos. I might keep an eye out for a cheap OM-2 in the meantime while I look for another FE.

Funny story, a few days ago, after posting this thread, I was walking to a cafe to play a gig with a band I am sessioning in and I walked by a guy on the street that had a blanket laid out with a few things that he was selling. Among them were two cameras, a Konica C35 and an Oly OM, what looked like an OM-1 from the quick glance that I took. I got really excited to randomly see this, walked two blocks to the cafe to leave my gear there and went back to find out how much the guy wanted for it. Well, by the time I got back to the spot he was gone and I missed out on what could have very well been a great deal. I guess that was something trying to tell me to stick with NIkon for now, eh?
 

Austinite

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I like my Olympus OM1 and OM2n a lot and they get my recommendation but as far as holding value I'd just like to say you can almost not give (most) Oly equipment on the big auction site, Trust me on this one.
 
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Dr.Pain-MD

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Ha, funny to see my thread back from the dead. Although I'm always tempted by Olympus' tiny and well designed bodies, my two Nikon bodies are working well right now after some servicing. I shoot more medium format anyways, so 35mm is kind of in the back seat (especially since I have way too many 35mm cameras!). Thanks again for the insights though!
 

danfogel

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I have been shooting the same OM-1n since 1979. I sent it to John Hermanson, zuiko.com for CLA/overhaul and it is still amazing. I can't imagine using another camera. My hands are so used to handling this camera. The bodies do go cheaply at auction and camera shows. The lenses, not so much. I would love a 28/2 and 85/2 and the prices seem to hold at just north of $300. Might try a KEH bargain on one to see what I get.
 

Newt_on_Swings

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Olympus lens princes are inflated lately, and many of the digi shooters are snapping them up to use as well. It seemed olympus sold a huge amount of OM bodies and kits with the 50mm 1.8, but not too much of anything else. Most lenses, or accessory items, are always in short supply and quite expensive. Oh I wish it was possible to mount nikon lenses on OM bodies, it would be perfect.
 

tomalophicon

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apart from that fact that it's Nikon glass, of course
 
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