Olympus OM-PC Vs. the OM-2

<p>I and not a very OM knowledgeable person and I have a friend of mine with a OM-2 that needs repair. The frame advance lever is stuck and will not advance and obviously the shutter will not fire. I Am mainly a Minolta guy and i have taken apart and fixed my Minolta cameras before to replace the capacitors and such, but i hesitate to mess with the unknown OM. I took it someplace for my friend and they quoted me about a hundred or less, bucks to fix it. The recommend buying a new one off an auction site instead. there is an OM-PC selling for about 30 but i don't know if its a better camera or not. My friend is a novice Photographer taking A photo class with me and usu mostly digital . My friend uses a Digital camera for our Lighting class but wants to shoot more film. My friend got the camera over the summer and used it last semester for a B&W photo I class and loves the OM because of the controls seeming so simple and well placed. I don't know if the PC would be an upgrade . <br>

Can anyone help me with some advice? <br>

Too bad i cant fix the OM-2 myself, I would save my friend some money and headaches.</p>

<p>OM-2 is a professional camera. OM-PC is an amateur one. Lots of other differences also. It is like Nikon F2 and let say Nikon F65</p>

The OM-2 is better built than the OM-PC. You might find a used OM-2 for not much more than the PC.

<p>I've owned several examples of both. The OM-2 is what you want. With a lot of old cameras, it's best to bite the bullet, and get a CLA. John Hermanson/Camtech, who is on this list, is the man to go to.</p>

<p>I'm with Luis G on this. Sure, you could buy an OM-2 for less than a CLA, but then it might break down in a few months, too. I had a CLA done on an OM in 1998 (after it had been trouble-free for more than 25 years) and it's still going strong. If it's worth owning for many years it's worth a CLA.</p>

<p>I'm not sure this camera my friend has would be the best to have repaired. Besides the lever problem there's also the fact that it is missing the Flash shoe, having what looks like the old one been ripped out (i.e. mount holes bugered up) also the timer lever just spins and doesn't work and the body is dented up. The repair place told me the price didn't include a guarantee that anything other Thain the advance lever being replaced and the shutter being checked and cleaned and foam replaced. So the other problems might still remain. Oh yea i forgot , that the rewind knob/lever was apparently from another camera and sticks up allot when flipped back to the closed position. It appears too big for the hole to go back into. Soo many little things I think my friend would be better off with another camera. Seeing how they just bought the camera last summer and only has the one 35mm lens.<br>

So tell me just for my own edification, what OM would be a step up from the OM-2.<br>

Someone told me that the OM-2n is just a small step up with TTL flash shoe being the main thing, and that my friend should get an OM-10.<br>

But my friends only got around 50 bucks to play with, and tells me they just wont take another film class.</p>

The PC (a.k.a. OM 40) uses the same Zuiko lenses, and has a shutter and metering electronics that are as good as those in the single digit OMs. So if the price is right, why not?<br><br>The OM-2 was/is a groundbreaking camera, introducing autodynamic metering (it meters during the actual exposure, so should the light change it will know and react to it) into photography. And it introduced off-the-film through-the-lens flash metering too, yes.<br>That's quite a bit more than "just a small step up", compared to other cameras from that era. Not so big a deal compared to later OMs. But i do prefer it to an OM-10 anytime. The OM-PC is preferable over an OM-10 too.<br>There are few OMs that are an improvement over the OM-2. The OM-4 and OM-4T(i), if you want spotmetering and auto exposure. The OM-3 if you want spotmetering, but can do without auto exposure. The OM-2SP is an OM-2 with extra spotmetering and a program mode, and though it adds something the OM-2 does not have, i wouldn't call it a step up.

<p>Thank you Q.G.. That was most informative SO i am thinking an OM-4 or OM-3 is looking good for my friend, If i can find one in their price range, or have em get another OM-2 with the Hot shoe. If i find one with a 50mm lens they are set.<br>

Thank you all for your responses.</p>

<p>I had an OM-2n that wouldn't advance, nor fire the shutter. I cleaned the battery compartment and bought new batteries. the camera is fine although I did sell it and the new owner was delighted. As far as the shoe goes, it may be the model that has a removeable shoe and all that is needed is a replacement.</p>

<p>Hi Dan Mar,<br>

There seems to be quite a lot of information going round here, which my possibly be confusing you, so I'll try and set a few things straight.</p>

<p>The Olympus OM series cameras came in two district groupings, professional and amateur. The single digit cameras, OM 1, 2, 3 and 4 (N, SP and Ti versions), are the professional grade cameras. Whilst the double digit cameras, OM 10, 20, 30 and 40, are the amateur grade cameras.</p>

<p>It's already been said, but the OM PC is an OM 40, it was just marketed under a different name in the US.</p>

<p>As for the kind of budget your friend is operating on, there's not a chance you're going to be able to afford an OM 3 or OM 4 (including the Ti models) as these were the top of the range. You could quite easily expect to pay +$300 for an OM 4, +$400 for an OM4 Ti and +$500 for an OM 3. This is based on what they sell for here in the UK. The OM 3 is more expensive than the OM 4, that's because the OM 3 is entirely mechanical - it will operate without batteries on all shutter speeds. Batteries were only required for the metering system. The OM 4 uses an electromechanical shutter and only works on B and 1/60th without batteries, but goes up to 1/2000th sec with batteries.</p>

<p>Realistically you're friend should be looking at buying either an OM 1, 1N, 2N, 2SP, or OM10 with manual adapter. It should be fairly easy for find an OM10 for under $50, but possibly a bit harder to find one with a manual adapter. The OM10 is a pretty good amateur camera, the build quality on it is certainly better than any of the other double digit cameras. I have my father's one that he bought in 1981 and it's still going strong (but I mainly use my OM4). The OM 1 is the oldest camera of the bunch, and is considered a classic, so you may be able to get it for a reasonable price, but it may need a clean, lube and adjustment (CLA) to get it back in tip top condition. Personally I would suggest going for any of the OM2's or an OM10 with manual adapter.</p>

<p>I hope that helps.</p>

<p>Chris</p>

<p>I have an OM-1, OM-10, and OM-PC. All work great, and while the OM-10 gets maligned by some, it's the one that I end up using the most. It has a manual adapter, which I sometimes, but rarely use. OM-10s routinely go for less than $40 on ebay, and there is always KEH.com.</p>

<p>I have owned multiple examples of every OM body, been using the Olympus OM system for 30 years. My advice is to stay away from The OM-PC and the OM-10. The OM-10 has a lot of internal plastic that is OK for very light use, and many of the OM-PCs have not held up thru the years electronically.</p>

<p>Just this week I picked up mint examples of an OM-1n and OM-2n off ebay for $39 and $63. They are like new. Read the auctions carefully. Don't buy one from someone who says "it seems to be working", "I don't know much about cameras but it seems to be in very good condition", or the old familiar- "the camera was working the last time I used it"... THAT usually means he's had it stored tightly in a fungusy leather everready case stuffed into a camera bag on the top shelf of a closet for the past 20 years.</p>

<p>Your friend's camera may be unstuck by simply removing the baseplate. Sometimes the bottom most gear inline directly under the advance lever gets in an "overwound" condition. It probably needs lubrication too, that's one reason they get stuck. A tiny speck of dirt or a piece of film that broke off is going to fall to the lowest point and that's all it takes to jam up the works. You can squirt some lighter fluid on the gear, hold the camera upright to allow the fluid to fall right out. Sounds like your friend's camera isn't in that nice condition so you may as well give it a look. If it works, keep it as a spare, but get another one as a main user.</p>

<p>There's an OM for every budget. OM4t/ti and OM3t/ti are at the top of the budget chain.</p>

<p>I actually like OM10's a lot. If you treat them well they will last a long time and deliver great photos. You just need to be gentle winding the film.</p>

<p>I currently have 4 OM10's and have just prepared 2 as gifts. I've given 6 away to friends and family over the past couple of years. These people each shoot maybe 2 rolls a year, so anything more exotic than an OM10 would be wasted.</p>

<p>But all that said, I think your friend would be best off staying in the OM2 family.</p>

 

<p>I have used an OM40 (same as PC) to learn photography. If you are starting out it is a more than capable outfit and the ESP metering system worked for me without failure. Equipped with a Sigma 28mm 2.8 lens I started to produce some wonderful black and white images of my cat and the local bay area within my 10th roll of film. It is the best of the double digit consumer grade OM cameras and much lighter than the single digit professional bodies. After using the OM40 for almost a year I thought I wanted a camera with spot metering ability. A 'beater' OM4 was acquired for 3 times the price of my OM40. The OM2 would be roughly the same weight as your OM2, however, it has wonderfully advanced metering system that has produced very good results for me using slide film. It is heavier than OM40 but very slightly smaller. My version can only be reliably used in aperture priority mode as the shutter ring had jammed once. It seems to work fine for the moment but I prefer aperture priority and the only movement the shutter ring sees is between the fully mechanical 1/60 and 1 sec to switch the power off.<br>

One word of caution. My OM40 battery lasted quite a bit longer than the OM4. I believe the OM2 bodies had same battery drain problems. If you are starting out and can acquire an OM40 for UK pounds 30-35 that is indeed a very good buy.</p>

 

The OM-2SP, which has more in common with the OM-4, has a reputation for devouring batteries. The "original" OM-2(n) is pretty

light on batteries.

<p>I and not a very OM knowledgeable person and I have a friend of mine with a OM-2 that needs repair. The frame advance lever is stuck and will not advance and obviously the shutter will not fire. I Am mainly a Minolta guy and i have taken apart and fixed my Minolta cameras before to replace the capacitors and such, but i hesitate to mess with the unknown OM. I took it someplace for my friend and they quoted me about a hundred or less, bucks to fix it. The recommend buying a new one off an auction site instead. there is an OM-PC selling for about 30 but i don't know if its a better camera or not. My friend is a novice Photographer taking A photo class with me and usu mostly digital . My friend uses a Digital camera for our Lighting class but wants to shoot more film. My friend got the camera over the summer and used it last semester for a B&W photo I class and loves the OM because of the controls seeming so simple and well placed. I don't know if the PC would be an upgrade . <br>

Can anyone help me with some advice? <br>

Too bad i cant fix the OM-2 myself, I would save my friend some money and headaches.</p>

 

Hi rdm, I have been wrestling with my OM-2. I have found out some thing that might help. Remove the front lens, Look at the camera from the front, on the right side, turn the camera over,there is a little button on the bottom. Pressing that button, rotate the shutter speed to B. (It won't go there without pressing that button) Try advancing the the frame advance. It should advance in that position, if not check the batteries. Top of the camera,looking down, you will see a multiple switch, push it all the way up and a light should come on, just below the switch, if it doesn't, you need a new set of batteries. I hope I made this clear. Good luck!

Hi rdm, I have been wrestling with my OM-2. I have found out some thing that might help. Remove the front lens, Look at the camera from the front, on the right side, turn the camera over,there is a little button on the bottom. Pressing that button, rotate the shutter speed to B. (It won't go there without pressing that button) Try advancing the the frame advance. It should advance in that position, if not check the batteries. Top of the camera,looking down, you will see a multiple switch, push it all the way up and a light should come on, just below the switch, if it doesn't, you need a new set of batteries. I hope I made this clear. Good luck!

 

Just to note, this thread is over 8 years old...and the OP hasn't been active here for two years.