harris_goldstein2

<p>Given the number of OM1s I run across without the cap, I'm convinced that Olympus made far fewer motor drive caps than cameras. :)<br> As mentioned above, there was a place in the drive to store a cap, but drive and body often get separated over the years. And I'm sure many ended up in drawers.<br> My solution (to use the term broadly) is wide electrical tape of good quality (not the cheap junk). <br> IIRC, all the caps were silver, even on the black cameras. But I'm not positive on this.<br> If buying a parts camera, make sure it does, in fact, have that cap. <br> Also, early OM1s had an issue with the foam around the prism. You may want to search to a) see if yours is affected and b) educate yourself on the issue.</p>

<p>Nothing wrong with sticking with Tri-X. But, IME, there is a significant price difference between Kentmere 400 and Tri-X, even in single rolls. But "significant" depends on whether you're buying 2 rolls or 20.</p>

<p>As a very general rule of thumb, you use a 50mm lens for 35mm negs, a 75 or 80 for 6x6 and 6x7, and a 90 to 105 for 6x9. You can generally use a longer lens for a specific film size than listed above, but not shorter.<br> A shorter lens will generally not give you the proper negative coverage (light fall off at the edges); a longer lens will limit your print size (though not necessarily a problem if only printing up to 11x14).<br> <br />In 50mm, I would suggest a 50mm f2.8 El-Nikkor. They are plentiful, cheap, and good. A great balance of price and performance. The Rodenstock Omegaron lenses seem to be overlooked and cheap for their quality.<br> With many lenses, you have to pay close attention to the name. For example, the Rodenstock Omegar is a very inexpensive 3 element lens. The Rodenstock Omegaron is a more expensive (though still relatively inexpensive) 4-element lens. A Schneider Componon is a different (and better) lens than the Schneider Componar.</p> <p> </p>