Which Olympus OM to get?

Mike Kennedy · Apr 8, 2008

Any shooters? I've heard the OM-1 and OM-3 are preferred for an all manual camera.Your trusted opinions are most welcomed.

bluedog · Apr 8, 2008

I have an OM-1 and it is a very nice camera. Fully manual and the zuiko lenses are pretty good as well. However, I had an issue with the battery, the original battery is a 1.3V mercury which are now no longer available. It isn't as simple as just replacing it with a 1.5V, as exposures are affected. I ended up getting mine recalibrated for a 1.5V battery, but it is not perfect - OK in the middle of the range but can be out by up to two stops at each end.

My final solution was to get a second hand Gossen light meter. Note that this also had the same problem (1.3V mercury batteries original equipment) but a fix is available from Gossen to adapt 1.5V batteries. My adapter is on the way from Germany. Although this has been an expensive exercise, the OM-1 takes pretty good pictures and I prefer it to my OM-10. If the OM-3 runs on non-mercury batteries I would get that one and save yourself some grief.
Greg

Ulrich Drolshagen · Apr 8, 2008

I would prefer the OM3 over the OM1 but it is prohibitive expensive unfortunately. So I recomend you getting the second best, take the OM 1. Look for a late model OM1n though and see that the prism is not damaged by deteriorated lightseal material. Have it CLA'd soon as far as the seller didn't have done it lately. You will have to get the meter adjusted to 1.5V batteries anyway.

Ulrich

EDIT: I am perfectly happy with my early OM1 (without "n"). If I need automatic exposure, the winder or flash (very rare) I use my OM2n.

CraigH · Apr 8, 2008

Look at the OM-2n also. It uses silver batteries, has manual control. The one disadvantage is that it does not have mlu.

Craig

Uncle Bill · Apr 8, 2008

I own two OM-1's and I am really happy with them, at some point I might get an OM-2n.

dancqu · Apr 8, 2008

Zinc Air and the OM2000

Zinc Air batteries are an exact
substitute for the mercuries. My
Sekonic L228 works fine with those
installed.

The OM2000 was Oly's last OM series
Camera. I've that and an OM1n. Zinc Airs
installed. Lots of camera for the money
that OM 2000. Dan

Lee L · Apr 8, 2008

dancqu said:
The OM2000 was Oly's last OM series
Camera. I've that and an OM1n. Zinc Airs
installed. Lots of camera for the money
that OM 2000. Dan

The OM-2000 was not an Olympus built camera. It's a Cosina made body, essentially the same as the Nikon FM-10, Canon T-60, and several other "lower end" bodies for other brands, and the basis for the new Cosiina Voigtlander rangefinder line. I'm not making any quality judgements, just noting that it doesn't have the standard Olympus layout for shutter ring around the lens, etc. and isn't compatible with a lot of the standard OM accessories.

OM-3 would be my personal money-no-object choice of OM bodies because of metering capabilities, build, and I prefer an all manual camera.

Lee

Mark Fisher · Apr 8, 2008

OM1 is a great camera (had one since 1978). The OM3 or OM4 are tempting for the spot metering, though. If you go with an OM1, consider having it CLAed by Camtech (www.zuiko.com).

Pinholemaster · Apr 8, 2008

Don't forget to only buy the Olympus lenses with whatever camera you get (the OM-1 is a fabulous camera), because the glass is fantastic. Better then 3rd party lenses by a mile.

mgb74 · Apr 8, 2008

Make sure that the OM body you purchase has the hotshoe with it. Sometimes they get split up.

John Hermanson · Apr 8, 2008

1N or 2N Good Choice

I suggest either a 1N or 2N. These 2 models have all the improvements that ever went into the original models. 1N is a mechanical body, shutter works without batteries. OM-2N uses (2) MS76 type batteries has aperture preferred auto and match needle manual mode. Body also does off-the-film flash exposure control. John, www.zuiko.com

Toffle · Apr 8, 2008

Don't forget, you can also use your OM-1 to hammer nails.

Anscojohn · Apr 8, 2008

I had an Ollie OM1 with the 1.4 Zuiko and loved it. Traded it towards a Nikon F2 which I regretted always. Hated the F2.

John, Mount Vernon, Virginia USA

Konical · Apr 8, 2008

Good Afternoon,

As noted in a previous post, the OM-2000 is not a real Olympus. It does, however, accept Olympus lenses and, assuming good condition, is likely to be highly satisfactory for most purposes. It also has the advantages of 1)being newer and less likely to need new seals and 2)using a vertically-moving shutter (Copal Square??) which allows flash sync at 1/125 compared to the 1/60 on the also-excellent OM-1.

Konical

Allan Swindles · Apr 8, 2008

This is worth checking out.

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/messageboard/olympusom1n2/index.php

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/index.htm

MattKing · Apr 8, 2008

I'm probably the wrong one to ask, given that I have 6 OM bodies, spread over 5 different types

I've installed voltage adapters in my OM-1 and OM-1n that permit use of modern 1.5 volt silver oxide batteries. They cost about $40.00 per adapter, but they can be used in any equipment that formerly required the 625 mercury cells.

Besides being newer and tweaked slightly as compared to the OM-1, the OM-1n with flash shoe 4 adds a flash ready confirmation in the viewfinder, if you are using a dedicated flash.

The OM-2 or OM-2n offer OTF flash or ambient metering, which can be very useful. For this to work with your flash, however, you must have the right flash shoe and flash. Because the camera uses OTF metering, it is great for long time exposures (up to 60 sec, IIRC).

The OM-1 and OM-2 and OM-2n all have removable flash shoes. Some of those shoes are haed to find (shoe 4, for instance) and many of the used ones out there are cracked. The OM-2s, OM-3 and OM-4 cameras have their shoes built in, as do some of the amateur oriented models, like the OM-G.

The OM-2s (aka OM-2 Spot) offers a built in flash shoe and a simplified spot meter function and OTF metering, but tends to show wear, and to consume batteries (MS76). The maximum length of automatic time exposures is shorter than for the OM-2n.

There are other, more amateur oriented models as well. They don't have the same build standard as the 1, 2, 3 or 4, and may lack some of the system camera features like interchangeable viewing screens, but they are quite functional, will mount essentially all the lenses, and are lighter (and cheaper) as well. I am quite fond of the OM-G (aka OM-20), which makes a great backup body. In fact, I have two of them!

Matt

P.S. Olympus also tried to bring out an auto-focus SLR line as well (OM-77???). It did not succeed, and the lenses are not compatible. Most likely it would be best to avoid those cameras.

dancqu · Apr 8, 2008

MattKing said:
I've installed voltage adapters in my OM-1 and OM-1n that
permit use of modern 1.5 volt silver oxide batteries. They cost
about $40.00 per adapter, but they can be used in any equipment
that formerly required the 625 mercury cells.

What's the point? $40! The Zinc AIR batteries are THE mercury
replacements. Wein Zinc AIR to fit a lot of fine older photo
and other gear. Dan

thuggins · Apr 8, 2008

Any single digit OM will be the right choice. The 1 and 3 are only manual, and the 3 doesn't have a self timer (very strange omission!). The 2 and 4 offer Aperture Priority along with Manual. Both of these have the ingenious OTF (Off The Film) metering, that allows perfect exposures up to 2 minutes with the OM-2 and 4 minutes with the OM-4 (as memory serves).

The mercury cell "problem" with the OM-1 is a complete non-issue! The MR-9 adapter is the perfect solution. The zinc-air hearing aid batteries can be used in a pinch, but this should not be the "long term" solution. The life of these cells is limited, and they are too small (both diameter and thickness) to properly fit the battery compartment.

dancqu · Apr 9, 2008

thuggins said:
The mercury cell "problem" with the OM-1 is a complete non-issue!
The zinc-air ... and they are too small (both diameter and thickness)
to properly fit the battery compartment.

Buy the correct Zinc Air. My last order came from
Freestyle. B&H is also a source. Fit perfect. Both
my OM1n and Sekonic L228 are equipped.
Non-issue no doubt. Dan

Robint · Apr 9, 2008

I have both a 1n & 2n. They are both great. I use the 2n if using flash, the OTF flash control is great. I also prefer to keep the flash unit off the camera & use a TTL connector 4 and cord. For an all manual camera you can't beat the 1n. I bought mine of ekbay. had it CLA'd by John Hermanson (includes modifying camera to take a 1.5v battery). So I basically have a camera which will last me for years, even without a battery.

John Koehrer · Apr 9, 2008

dancqu said:
Buy the correct Zinc Air. My last order came from
Freestyle. B&H is also a source. Fit perfect. Both
my OM1n and Sekonic L228 are equipped.
Non-issue no doubt. Dan

You're only buying around 8 batteries for that $40. That's equalized pretty quickly with the money saved by using the silver oxides, even with a bit higher cost for the silver.

Shiny · Apr 10, 2008

I use an OM-2n and an OM-1n (with Zinc Air batteries) both are excellent. The OM-2n is a little heavier, which i think i prefer. The OM-2n is also very good for auto long exposures.

You can't really go wrong, but i'd go for the newer 'n' versions.

Jim

Ade-oh · Apr 10, 2008

Over the years I've owned OM-1's, 2's, 3's and 4's and I still have an OM-1 (the first 'serious' camera I ever bought, 30 years ago) and an OM-1n. They are all good cameras but my preference is for the OM-1 and the OM-4 (best to get the later Ti version as the earlier OM-4's had an issue with battery drain). I owned an OM-3 but never really liked it: it shared the battery drain issue with the early OM-4's and the multi-spot metering was a bit over the top for a manual exposure camera. The OM Zuiko lenses are generally excellent and usually very cheap these days.

Subversive Mk II · Apr 10, 2008

If I may add to the chorus:
I've had a couple of OM-1s and still have the last one I bought 20 years ago. Both have given me faultless service and the last one was bought in preference to any form of automated camera available at the time. Many times I was glad of its mechanical reliability, in conditions that many battery-dependent cameras would have died in.
In short, with an OM-1, you can't go wrong.

snegron · Apr 10, 2008

It seems that most votes here are for the OM 1 or OM 2. Anyone have any comments or opinions on the OM4?

Which Olympus OM to get?

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency