Pros and cons of Olympus OM2

Hi

 

Can anyone suggests the pros and cons of Olympus OM2. I have seen that in one

shop its of about 90 USD with lens.

 

Looking forward,

 

Riz

The OM-2 is a classic camera. I still have the OM-1 I bought 15 years ago second-hand, and it has never let me down. The OM-2 adds just enough automation to make it a slightly faster camera to shoot with, without sacrificing the handling and durability that make the OM series so great.

 

That being said, there's quite a cult following for the Olympus SLRs of that era, and lenses for the OM system are often far more expensive than for other contemporary brands. If you're only going to want a couple of fairly standard lens focal lengths, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding them, but the more exotic lenses (like the wide-angle primes) can cost more than even the equivalents in a modern auto-focus SLR system.

Hi Lennon,

 

Thanks for the reply. Please advise are there known problems associated with OM-2? I have options to go for Minolta XG-1 (58 USD and Nikon FM2 (165 USD). FM2 is bit higher for my budget. What do you suggest, which would be better: XG-1 or OM2?

 

Thanks again,

 

Looking forward,

 

Riz

I used OM2 cameras for years, had several of them. Best auto-metering I ever used. Best ergonomics of any camera I ever used too. Lovely cameras. I then got Nikon FM2's.

 

Nowadays getting an OM2's electronics fixed might present more of a problem than getting an FM2 fixed.

 

Clincher for me in your position would be: buying into OM system is kind-of a dead-end compared to buying Nikon - vastly more lenses available for the Nikon and therefore much more options and cheaper than the OM lenses - some of which have got huge price tags. The FM2 is a tough and reliable camera - I still own a couple of them and they are quite remarkably durable.

 

Bottom line - FM2 for me in your position.

I shoot om2n, fm1 and xd7's so I can compare. the olympus is a little gem. beautifully made but lenses are quite pricey outside the 1.8/50 135 and 2.8/35 or 28mm. Nice camera to use though.

 

the fm is built of rock. good weapon if you get mugged. huge number of nikon lenses but not cheap.

 

the manual minoltas have huge number of lenses at very cheap prices so they're great. I probably wouldn't touch an xg1 but go for the best - the xd7/11 which is comparable to the om2.

I bought my OM2 new in 1976 and still shoot it. I had put it away for quite awhile as I got

into Nikon gear, but last year I came across my Olympus SLR gear case. I took out the

OM2 and flashed back to how solid and small it was. I started doing a lot more street

shooting with Leicas these days and found that the OM2 isn't much bigger than my M7.

There are a good supply of wonder prime lenses available a great prices, (check out KEH).

On a recent trip to San Francisco I was in a camera shop and picked up a beautiful 100mm

f/2.8 that is so small and wonderful to shoot quick portraits. Lately I have been grabbing

the OM2, 100mm, 50 f/1.4 and a 28 f/2.8 when I street shooting.

 

I've got a few OM1s but you need to either deal with the meter being off using modern

batteries (non-mercury) or get battery adpaters to step the voltage down. The OM2 uses

non-mercury batteries. As others have stated the metering system is quite nice and often

praised. Check out this link for a load of OM2 info. http://www.mir.com.my/rb/

photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/om2/index.htm

 

The only downside of the OM2 is that sometime (on rare occassions) the shutter will get

stuck open. There is a reset position on the shutter speed ring to resolve this problem.

It's not an issue of an old camera as this happened even when my OM2 was new.

 

As for the FM2 it's a nice camera. I've got the entire FM line (FM, FM2n, FM3a) and I like

them a great deal, especially the FM3a. However the Olympus OM2 is a different beast in

the way it handles and meters. The metering system certainly is on par with the modern

FM3a.

The OM2 is much better built than the XG1, they are not in the same league.

 

I have had OM2, OM2N and OM2S cameras for a couple of decades and have never heard of a shutter sticking open. The reset position on the shutter speed ring is to reset the camera after replacing the battery. Of course, the electronics can fail in any camera after 30 years; but the OM2 has no history of electronic unreliability that I have heard of.

 

As noted above, the FM2, while about equal to the OM2 in construction quality, is probably a bit safer choice due to its mechanical shutter - it's in the same class as the OM1, the OM2's mechanical twin. The OM cameras are a bit smoother and I like their handling better than the Nikons, but that's a personal preference thing: both are excellent.

I wonder how many folks realize that the meter will be barely off at all using newer batteries, and that all of this is based on the assumption that your meter was spot-on with the early generation batteries, which more than likely is not provable. Frankly, I use whatever battery now fits into the unit, and take pictures. Never a problem, whatever up or down-ness the meter needle does with a slightly different battery is more than likely not perceptible by your eyeball anyway.

OM-2 is a bargain now, it's using modern batteries, the meter is very accurate, and the viewfinder is something to be experienced. I used OM-2n regularly and never had the problem with the shutter being stuck as long as I have good batteries in.

 

The XG is a consumer-grade camera, comparable to OM-double digits series like OM-10. The OM-2 is a true professional camera, you should have no trouble telling the difference in build quality and operation between the 2 cameras.

 

As for the opinion that Olympus is a dead-end lens-selection-wise, I couldn't disagree more, there's a lot of alternative non-Zuiko lenses that are good to excellent selling for dirt cheap. And even the original OM Zuikos are not that expensive considering the quality that you get.

Hello all who have responded,

 

Yesterday I bought OM-2. And I am undoubtedly sure that its a wonderful piece of manufacturing. Compact, solid, and feels great in hands.

 

I observed one thing though; the exposure metering is not getting activated in Auto mode. Is there some fault or I am not doing the settings right.

 

Please guide me on this.

 

Looking forward,

 

Riz

Congratulation ! Show us some photo later.

You mean it works in the Manual mode but not in Auto mode?

 

In the Auto mode, you should see the shutter-speed scale replacing the simple +/- bracket (in the manual mode). If the meter is functional, you should see the hairline indicator moving up and down the scale.

 

Basic check: do you have a fresh battery in the camera? two SR44 or equivalent.

Great purchase! I'm sure you won't be dissapointed.

 

Incidently, I though I might add my 2c to the discussion.

 

I tried to set up a Nikon system on the same budget I spend on my OM gear, I ended up with budget lenses which were slow and not very sharp. Nikon lenses will be more expensive because they still work on modern Nikon cameras, meaning that people moving to modern SLRs or Digital will keep their Nikon lenses.

 

My Nikon F90 while looks nice and fancy and get's lots of looks, is really just a more expensive brick in my opinion and i've destined it exclusively for black and white work where i need 3,200 or 6,400 film speeds, or for when I need it's fast shutter speed of 1/8000. But what puts me off is that it lacks OTF metering so it won't adjust the shutter speed mid-exposure.

 

The OM's just perfect in my opinion, and while i'd like to have a play with an FM2 with some good lenses, the OM-2 does everything I need. Well, I have an OM-4 coming in the mail, can't wait to get my hands on it...multi-spot metering (another thing I don't have on my nikon, in fact i'll probably sell it off once I start using the OM4...)

Hi Will and all,

 

Here its I am seeing and I refered the manual and I believe there is no wrong with my body:

 

MANUAL: Only metering scale has been displayed and needle is serving that.

 

AUTO: Both metering and shutter speed scales are being displayed but there is only ONE needle that is serving for shutter speed identification.

 

The link is:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/om2/om2manual/index.htm

 

I thank you all for giving valuable advise and suggesting me to buy OM-2, its a great small thing and feels just superb in hands.

 

Regards,

 

Riz

What you described is correct. In auto you should see the shutter speed display and the +/-

display of the manual metering. There is only one needle. In the auto mode you set the

aperature and the shutter speed that automatically determined is indicated by the needle in

the viewfinder.

Thanks Paul for re-confirming. So in Auto mode, metering is not provided. Is that a drawback of OM-2?

 

Can anyone comment on this.

Sure it's metering. Select an aperature and the camera will select a shutter speed. It

manages this because it is metering. Rotate the aperature ring and you'll see the shutter

speed change. This is how all aperature perferred cameras operate.

I was just thinking you might be confused by the +/- display in the Auto mode. It's there

because it is actualy part of the plastic shutter speed display scale. In the manual mode this

plastic display is only partially extended into the viewfinder (just the tab with the +/- on it).

In Auto mode the entire plastic display is extended into the viewfinder. Just a simple bit of

engineering. If you want to adjust the exposure in the Auto mode you can use the exposure

compensation dial on top of camera for +/- 2EV.

The OM-2 is a lovely camera, especially the OM-2S which spot meters in manual. I've heard some negative things about the electonics due to age, but just a few. They are very popular cameras. The only one better, in my opinion is an OM-1. Took a long time to find a pristine black MD, but I was fortunate enough to do so. The battery is a non issue on the OM-1. A 1.3 volt hearing aid battery encompassed in a #9 faucet o-ring fits perfectly, is very inexpensive and gives the meter exactly the voltage it wants. I think I paid somthing like $7.00 for eight batteries and about $1.00 for six or so o-rings. Though they are zinc air batteries, they last a lot longer than has been publicized. Been six months and around 20 rolls of film so far. That battery fix also works with my Nikomat FTN.

Hi Paul, thank for confirming that, I also thought exactly the same but you know when you buy something that old you have doubts in mind. The only thing that I need to do is to get the shoe replaced and get the body serviced as the viewfinder etc. need to be cleaned.

 

I got that camera in 58 USD with an assurance of getting that returned any time. I am so glad that I got that in such a clean condition.

I've serviced LOTS of OM-2 bodies and have some suggestions. All OM-2N have ALL the factory improvements that ever went into the OM-2. So, if it's a 2N, that's best. If it's a plain 2, I'd avoid low serial numbers below 300,000 serial number. OM-2 production started at 100,000 and ran up to around (approx.) 600,000 at which point it became the 2N. Oldest OM-2 (from 100,000 to 300,000) generally are unreliable and need lots of work and updates. John, Olympus OM Service since 1977, http://www.zuiko.com

I just bought an Olympus OM-2(n). Looking through the viewfinder, I am wondering what the purpose of the +/- exposure indicator in the viewfinder is when in automatic exposure mode. Paul Emerson indicated on March 24 that this is because the +/- indicator it is part of the plastic display scale; in manual mode only this part of the scale appears, which makes sense. But does it really serve no purpose at all when in auto mode? The only thing I can think of, since the scale is centered at the 1/60 mark on the left when in auto mode, is that it is intended to remind the user to use at least a 1/60 second shutter speed, i.e. when hand holding with a normal lens. Is that a plausible explanation, or am I missing something?