Which would you take? Just a bit of fun...

[Theo Sulphate]

Nikon FM3a - only because I'm familiar with it and it can be used without batteries if need be.

 

[darinwc]

I'd go with the Nikon kit. The 55mmf2.8 focuses closer and 24mm is my preferred wide angle focal length. Though I have no idea which is the better lens between the Tamron and Nikon .

 

[Craig]

If it's a family trip, not a photos trip take whatever is easier to carry and will be the least obtrusive. Perhaps whatever one is quickest to use in case you have to do a fast shot when the family won't wait for you to take a photo.

 

[Arbitrarium]

The Olympus, but with the HP5 in

 

[Anon Ymous]

Nikon FM3a - only because I'm familiar with it and it can be used without batteries if need be.

So does the OM1.

 

[mrosenlof]

Flip a coin, then take the Olympus. Just because it's the underdog in the voting right now.

 

[OlyMan]

Olympus and a fresh zinc-air ZA675 hearing aid battery just to be sure the meter keeps working. The OM kit is lighter, and the few technical advantages the FM has (faster flash sync, faster top shutter speed) are unlikely to be of consequence shooting landscapes in Norfolk.

 

[xtolsniffer]

The OM-1n has had the SR44 modification done, so that's not an issue. It's interesting seeing how the voting has gone, I thought it would be more 50:50...

 

[OlyMan]

The OM-1n has had the SR44 modification done, so that's not an issue. It's interesting seeing how the voting has gone, I thought it would be more 50:50...

More people own and are familiar with Nikon. So they'll vote for the system they know. I'm just as guilty of that by voting for Olympus. For all I know, if I picked up an FM3 I'd go wow, what have I being doing with this Olympus cr-p for all these years. Though I doubt it, not because it's worse, but because I'm too used to using what I know. I was using my Olympus 35RC yesterday, I don't use it very often and it's one of the few Oly cameras with its shutter speed dial on top. At times I found that very frustrating, and I was like "Jeez! Who in the right mind uses a camera with its shutter speed dial in such a sh-t place!!", but for most people, that's normal.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

More people own and are familiar with Nikon. So they'll vote for the system they know. I'm just as guilty of that by voting for Olympus. For all I know, if I picked up an FM3 I'd go wow, what have I being doing with this Olympus cr-p for all these years. Though I doubt it, not because it's worse, but because I'm too used to using what I know. I was using my Olympus 35RC yesterday, I don't use it very often and it's one of the few Oly cameras with its shutter speed dial on top, at times I found it frustrating, and I was like "Jeez! Who in the right mind uses a camera with its shutter speed dial in such a sh-t place!!", but for most people, that's normal.

I've used Olympi (still have an OM3 and some lenses that were my father's), I now have and use two Nikkormats & can use the different shutter adjustments without difficulty. I've lately been thinking of grabbing an OM1, they're cheap and have some historical value.
If I needed a small kit for a trip such as the op's, I'd bring a Kiev 4 and 35-50-85, or a Canon IIb and 35-50-90 - most likely the Kiev, it has flash synch and a meter.

 

[TheRook]

Probably the Nikon kit.
But I'd replace the neck strap you have on the FM3a with something wider and more comfortable. In comparison, the one you have on the Olympus looks like something I wouldn't mind wearing all day.

 

[xtolsniffer]

The strap on the OM-1n is from a very dead 1982 Zenith TTL... and it's scratchy!

 

[cooltouch]

I've never used a Nikonn FM3a, although I am familiar with its reputation. I have used (and owned a few) the OM-1, OM-1MD, and OM-1n, and they are solid cameras. But to be honest, I've never cared for having the shutter speed ring concentric with the lens. Don't care all that much for Nikkormats for the same reason.

Having written that, though, I would choose the Nikon outfit for the lenses more than the camera. I own both. I find the 55mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor to be one of the sharpest lenses I've ever owned, if not the sharpest. The 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor (mine is an AI) is an excellent lens, although it is somewhat soft in the corners. And I so much prefer 24mm over 28mm. That extra 4mm makes a dramatic difference in what you can achieve.

 

[cooltouch]

I'd go with the Nikon kit. The 55mmf2.8 focuses closer and 24mm is my preferred wide angle focal length. Though I have no idea which is the better lens between the Tamron and Nikon .

A few years back, I tested the Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 against the Tamron 24mm f/2.5, using a crop-body Canon. So obviously corners were not part of the test. I found that the Nikkor was slightly better than the Tamron wide open, but that as soon as you started to stop down the lenses, the Tamron delivered noticeably sharper images. That Tamron is a real sleeper of an optic. I bought mine on the "bay" for $40.

 

[darinwc]

Yeah Tamron made some good glad. I have one of their 90mm macro lenses. The 52bb version I think. Though I had an earlier version that i detested.

 

[ac12]

Nikon, only because I've been a Nikon shooter from way back.

However, I don't know the weight of the FM3. I built an Olympus kit for the day when my back says "enough" to lugging the F2 around. I did not think much of the Olympus way back then, but now I really appreciate its lighter weight.

 

[Sirius Glass]

A few years back, I tested the Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 against the Tamron 24mm f/2.5, using a crop-body Canon. So obviously corners were not part of the test. I found that the Nikkor was slightly better than the Tamron wide open, but that as soon as you started to stop down the lenses, the Tamron delivered noticeably sharper images. That Tamron is a real sleeper of an optic. I bought mine on the "bay" for $40.

I have a Tameron 28mm to 300mm AF zoo lens and a Nikon 28mm to 200mm AF zoom lens. Other than the longer focal length their results are indistinguishable, both superb.

 

[narsuitus]

I received a 28-200mm Tamron as a gift from a colleague who was abandoning film for digital. The excellent performance of this lens changed my negative opinion of third-party lenses.



28-200mm Tamron by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Sirius Glass]

Enjoy!!

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I'm going down to Norfolk in a few weeks (for those not in the UK it's on the east coast, flat, but lots of wetlands, great sandy beaches, beautiful ancient woodlands and great skies). I'm just taking a small camera kit, mainly due to the family complaining about the size of my camera bag and the risk that I might stop somewhere and get the tripod out. Anyway, the choice is my old Olympus kit - bought mostly secondhand in the mid to late 1980's and now consisting of an Olympus OM-1n, a 50mm f3.5 macro, a Tamron Adaptall 28mm f2.5, green and orange filters and loaded with Tri-X vs a Nikon FM3a with 55mm f2.8 macro, a Nikkor 24mm f2.8, green and orange filters and loaded with HP5. What do you think? What would you take and why? It's just for fun, both are great systems and I'm really lucky to have the choice of both.
View attachment 191276

well, I'm Nikon all the way to the bones.

 

[carlostaiwan]

For weekend trips I take a FM2 with a 28mm and a 50mm, a tiny flash and a few rolls. Normally no "camera bag" just a small pouch in any messenger bag or backpack. The compact camera is for my girlfriend. My full kit include a domke F6 with a 135mm f2.8, a 24-120some filters and a Fuji Instax Wide. But is too heavy, and rarely carry everything.

I'm quite biased, I would go for the FM3a with the 24 and 55. only the orange filter and Tri-x pushed to 800!

 

[xtolsniffer]

I like the brown case the FM2 is in! Very stylish.

 

[tessar]

I'd take the Nikon with the Ilford film only because I've used the Nikon system for many years and shooting with it has become second nature. I also have a special fondness for the 24mm lens. Otherwise it's a difficult choice. I've used a friend's Olympus system from time to time and liked it too. Both the Nikon and the Olympus are excellent cameras with fine lenses.