Any Olympus OM-1 Fans out there?

[unclebill]

Against my better judgement I am thinking of jumping into Zuiko world next year. Anyone have experiences with the build quality? I know the optics are really nice.

Bill

[vintageslrs]

Hey Bill

I have 2 Olympus OM-1 ....
One I bought new in about 1978...still works beautifully.
And I picked one up just a little while ago, came with a zoom lens.
IMHO they are good small SLRs and do have nice optics.


Good Luck
Bob

[craigh]

I borrowed one years ago for an afternoon. I remember it was very comfortable but a bit too small for my hands.

Craig

[unclebill]

I got a chance to handle one at my camera tech's yesterday, it felt really nice in my hands compared to the Nikon FM, especially after "dry shooting" a couple of frames. The size is perfect for me, the reason why I am considering an OM-1 is I want an SLR for my briefcase so I don't need to lug around camera and meter, the weight adds up when you throw in a Filofax, notebook(paper) and some files. I am going to wait until the new year when I have some money and do the camera show circuit.

Bill

[kiev4a]

Had an Olympus OM-1 in the late '70s.The seperate on/off switch was a problem for me -- always forgetting and running down the battery. Didn't like the Nikkormat-like shutter speeds around the lens mount either. Didn't seem like the lenses were up to the sharpness of Nikkors of the same period. On the other hand, a friend of mine recently purchased an OM-1 and has turned out beautiful work with it.

[Just Plain Curt]

I handled both an OM1 and an OM2 at a pawn shop in Laughlin, Nevada last month. Only reason I didn't buy the OM1 was the guy was a jerk. He had an OM1 with a Vivitar 75-150 (I believe) but the rewind knob had been off the camera and installed backwards so the handle wouldn't fold flush. Showed him the screw head messed up and handle backwards. As it had no battery so I couldn't be sure it even worked and I didn't want the Vivitar, I asked how much for the body only. He said ,"Whadda ya think this is Walmart?" No deal for the OM1. Then asked about the OM2, but didn't want the ravaged 50mm on the camera. Same roll the eyes stare. "We can't sell either for any less and when these go we won't be buying any more". Then I asked about the approx. 24 lenses on two shelves marked "All lenses on this shelf $30. Asked to see some since none were marked which brand, focal length, mount etc. He says "They're mostly Minolta". I can see three Olympus mounts, 2 M42, etc. but he can't be bothered to take them off the shelf or let me behind the counter. After a bit of hemming and hawing I told him to have a nice day and keep his cameras. A true salesman. If he wanted to get rid of anything I'd have bought both Oly's and at least 4 or 5 lenses but now I hope he chokes on them.
As it is I have an OMG and OM10 but I'd always wanted an OM1. There's always evilbay I guess.

[mayokevin]

One point in favor of the OM2 is the M76 battery. The OM1 is a great camera if you like compact bodies but it uses the old mercury batteries. I had a OM2n for about 10 years and loved it but ended up changing to Nikon

[doubs43]

mayokevin said:

One point in favor of the OM2 is the M76 battery. The OM1 is a great camera if you like compact bodies but it uses the old mercury batteries. I had a OM2n for about 10 years and loved it but ended up changing to Nikon

I bought my first OM-1 (non-MD model with no provision for a winder or motor drive in the baseplate) in December of 1973 from a military BX while in Korea. It used the S76 silver oxide batteries. The meter began acting up so I traded the body on a new OM-1n MD in late 1976 while on Okinawa. I still have it and it also uses the S76 batteries as does the OM-2n I bought in 1977 and still have.

The first OM-1 I bought came with a 50mm f/1.4 lens and I kept it because it is quite sharp. All of the Olympus lenses I have from 21mm ~ 200mm are sharp and the 100mm f/2.8 is exceptional.

One caution when looking at older OM-1 cameras. The foam rubber they used under the top plate will deteriorate and eat at the finish of the pentaprism. Check the viewfinder carefully for signs of etching. If it checks good and all else is well, buy it and have the foam rubber replaced ASAP.

Walker

[unclebill]

Update,
I purchased my OM-1 from a fellow photographer here in Greater Toronto and I am quite happy with it. It is the early non motor drive version and I find it tiny compared to my Nikons and even my Pentax's but in a good way as this camera will travel in my briefcase sometimes.

Bill

[kamera]

Curt,

Unfortunately you had an encounter with the modern day salesperson...take it or leave it attitude and no concern at all for customer service! Far too frequent an occurence today.

For some reason I find those persons more in pawn shops...they have no idea what they have taken in most times and seemingly could care less if they sell their items. Maybe they are getting a big tax break by claiming no profitable business. For whatever reason, if I encounter such...I never return.

I have been most fortunate over the years...have a very reputable camera shop where I buy all my new stuff just because of the way they treat me. And it has paid off for them and me.
I have spent thousands of dollars there, and sometimes my favorite sales person will even look deep into the equipment archives to find a piece I need and then not even charge me for it.

Used -wise, I have two stores from where I buy...Cameta Camera in Amityville, NY and Northwest Camera Collector in Seattle, WA. They both are customer oriented, have good reputations, competive prices and stand behind what they sell. Have on occasion used KEH in Atlanta, GA, but their prices are higher and you do not get to deal with the owners themselves.

So far...knock on wood...I have had good luck also on Evil Bay.

Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI

[doubs43]

kamera said:

<Snip> Have on occasion used KEH in Atlanta, GA, but their prices are higher and you do not get to deal with the owners themselves. Ron Head Kalamazoo, MI

Ron, I called KEH last week to inquire about a lens. I live in GA and my first question was would they ship by USPS as $12.95 for 100 miles is too much, especially for a small lens. The salesman asked what I was interested in so I told him and that the price was $56. His tone immediately changed and he replied "We have a policy to only ship UPS!". I said "Thank you" and then, in a very flippant tone - close to rude - he said "Sorry about that!"

I'll have to give some hard thought to ever dealing with KEH after that attitude came through. If the store policy is to only ship UPS then what I was buying should not have been a factor. Not good business IMO.

Walker

[unclebill]

doubs43,
I look at KEH as a means to price camera gear, aside from the fact as someone living in Canada I have go through extra hoops with credit card payment which I do not have to worry about with other American Camera Retailers/brokers. Secondly UPS with cross border shipments is not user friendly and it gets expensive. As for their policy of using UPS as their carrier of record is perplexing as other retailers offer different shipping options is a relative of the owers a UPS account manager?
The attitude over the phone is not excusible, being in retail myself at present, I would be written up with such behavior, I would complain about that. Remember they are not the only game on the planet. You can find other vendors that can sell you the same lens with much better service.

Bill

[doubs43]

unclebill said:

doubs43, <Snip> The attitude over the phone is not excusible, being in retail myself at present, I would be written up with such behavior, I would complain about that. Remember they are not the only game on the planet. You can find other vendors that can sell you the same lens with much better service. Bill

Bill, I agree that the attitude was uncalled for but I heard the same (irritating) "Sorry about that" from a clerk in a store two days ago when the item I wanted to buy was out of stock. I don't know how things are in Canada but sales people in the States seem to have developed a uniformly bad attitude and management doesn't seem to care. As the population increases and more people become strangers, the tendency seems to be a lack of manners and common courtesy. That's sad.

Walker

[mickeyobe]

I think that sales clerks in Canada, many of whom used to be rather surly, have learned, in order to be competitive, a great deal about civility from the incursion of the big American retail chains into our country. The great majority of the clerks are now very pleasant and helpful and, most importantly, knowledgable.
Sometimes, particularly in restaurants, that pleasantness can become a little too saccharine. "Hi there! My name is Egbert. I am your server for tonight" always smacks of obsequiousness. But I admit it is much better than "Waddya want?.

Mickey

[PeterW]

Hi Mickey,

I don't think the public relations people that write the staff training courses look on that approach as obsequiousness (what a splendid word!). I think they regard it as striking a pleasant but not over-friendly balance between the offhand Waddyawant or WacanIgetcha and the Victorian servile, well-trained butler, third-party and slightly aloof approach of Good evening Sir, Madam. What do Sir and Madam fancy this evening? UGH!! We fancy having a human being to serve us, not a well-trained doormat.

Peter