Olympus OM1MD serial numbers ( Camera Body)

The 01MD has a production run from 1974-9. Can anyone relate the serial numbers on the Casmeras body to the date

of Manufacture and would thre Chrome and Black Camera bodies have different seial numbers too ?

One problem with OM camera and lens serial numbers is that they are not strictly related to the date of manufacturing. My theory is that -in case of the cameras- a batch of bottom plates WITH serial numbers was produced at one time, which was later mounted to the various bodies in sort of a random order. For example, the black OM-1MD 396902 was produced (finished?) in 09/1974, whereas the OM-1 no. 293262 was produced in 10/1974. All the M-1 cameras were originally non-MD design, but could be modified in the various Olympus service centers to a MD version; the same holds for the early OM-1's. The OM non-MD's were produced from spring 1973 to 09/1974, but the (large scale) MD production started already in 03/1974 and ended in spring 1979 followed by the OM-1N.

 

Most OM-1's with sn < 277,500 were non-MD, but there are quite a number of non-MD OM-1's in the sn 314,000 to 540,000 range. Also the OM-1 to OM-1N transition covers a very broad serial number range from 1,395,xxx to 1,638,xxx, and a couple of OM-1's with even higher serial number are known. Some of these, however, I think might result from (home made?) repairs where an ugly base plate from an OM-1N was replaced with that of a broken OM-1 (and vice versa).

 

The chrome and black bodies have different numbers in the sense that there are no chrome and black bodies with the same serial number. I assume that the base plates including serial number were produced before the final finish was applied: some have gotten a chrome one, others (the minority) a black one, thus the serial numbers of black bodies are just interspersed within those of chrome bodies. However, it seems that there were some number blocks, where the majority of cameras were black, but some in between chrome. E.g. 1043704, 1046691, 1051286, 1053465, 1053564 are black, but 1050815 is chrome.

My OM1 MD SN is 1547789 and I have a silver nosed 50mm F1.8 Lens SN 526545. I got the older Lens to try to have as original equipment as possible. I would love my Model to have been made in 1974, it would authenicate its lineage perfectly.

A chrome OM-1 serial number 1210000 was made 1/77, a black body of a similar serial number was made in 10/77. As an OM technician, I started a small database consisting of chrome or black, serial number, production date. OM-1N chrome production starts around 1630000, manufactured early 1979, according to numbers found either in film chamber or on back of pressure plate. John, www.zuiko.com

Antony, I am guessing that your OM-1MD 1547789 has been produced in the 3rd quarter of 1978.

Hi, again. I have a friend also with an OM1 Md. His serial number is 1496501. Any idea of the manufacture date . Thanks

154xxxx OM-1 chrome was made anywhere from 7/78 through 9/78 . 149xxxx was made 6/78. What's good about those serial numbers in particular (and all plain OM-1 above approx. 1110000 ) is that they were built minus prism foam. John, www.zuiko.com

John hermanson, i recently bought a olympus om1 with no MD

marking and the ASA dial doesn't have a yellowish number.Its

all black and white. On the film plate it says s72 5. Serial

number is 1068770. Can you help me with history on this?

Thanks

This is the ASA dial of my OM1<div></div>

Film plate<div></div>