Earl Dunbar said:
DON'T use an alkaline battery for any OM.
Alkaline batteries don't work well in OMs. Their discharge curve is such that as it weakens, you will get erroneous metering even though the battery check indicator tells you the battery is "OK". The SR44 discharge curve is flat until it drops completely.
Earl
Earl:
It's been my experience that the Alkaline batteries seem to work acceptably in the OMG, but not in other models that I have used (OM2S, and OM2N). They aren't my first choice, given their relatively small capacity, but their wider availability makes them a reasonable source of emergency backup.
I wonder if the metering circuits in the OMG are fundamentally different, or if the battery check is different, or if I have just been lucky.
By the way, I am not sure whether having an OM-1(n) is the entry into Zuikoholism, or just proof that we are full blown Zuikoholics.
Bob:
Sorry that the battery issue is such a downside for you. I wouldn't give up on the "G" yet though, because it really does complement the OM1 or OM1(n) nicely. If it's any consolation, before helping lure you into the fold, I nearly bought the camera you bought myself, although admittedly, mainly because of the lens (I don't have that lens, but I already have two OMG bodies). You could easily have paid more than you did for the lens alone.
If you are looking for a manual body, the OM1(n) is preferable, because it's newer, but functionally an OM1 MD is very similar. If you use hotshoe flash, be sure to look for one with the appropriate accessory hotshoe. The OM1 MD takes one type (shoe 1), while the OM1(n) takes another (shoe 4) and they are not interchangeable. It is very hard to find new OM hotshoes (particularly shoe 4), because they are not being made any more, and because they are susceptible to cracking (people tended to either put flashes on them that are too big, or to tighten them too tight, or both).