User_502260 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I would like to find an OM2000 in good condition because it was the last manual focus OM mount camera made. I know it was really made by Cosina. Then I would like an OM-1. As I understand it the meter mechanisms on broken OM-1 cameras can't be repaired but I would at least have a camera which could be used without batteries and with a mechanical shutter. I like using a grid type or plain matte type focusng screen for macro work so an OM body with interchangeable screens would be nice. For now if I need cameras with different screens I can use my Canon F-1 cameras, my Minolta X-700 cameras or two Konica cameras which were modified so they contain Nikon E screens. My ideal OM mount body would be made like a Nikkormat FT2 or FT3 but have a grid screen built in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_hahn Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Ondrej: Is there any trick to cleaning this resistor/taking off the mount? My OM-1 meters a little weird and it probably is related. The meter is more than 1/2 stop different if I match needle using shutter speed if it comes from over or under. also, my meter is a little low, I've been compensating by ISO (320 for 400), but I'd rather just adjust it if it was easy... thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnielsen Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 Mark: Why not go Nikon or Canon?? Well, I like the image quality of Zuiko glass, plus I'm trying to do this on the cheap. Canon AF gear certainly ain't cheap and the only way to get manual focus Canon gear is to get FD, which I don't really want to do. Oh, and I had the same 50mm 1.8 as you have until recently when I dropped it three feet onto the floor and it exploded - turns out there's only some tiny little plastic hooks holding the front element on. Not good!! The Nikon 50mm 1.8 looks much better made, and then of course my Zuiko 50 1.8 looks like a swiss watch compared to the plasticky Canon! Some time ago I acquired a Nikon 35mm SLR and it makes my Canon digital SLR feel second rate, so combined with my unhappiness with my fairly expensive Canon lenses (only 1 step down from L and I'm definitely not happy with the image quality). I have to decide if I want to go Nikon or Olympus, that is the choice. After seeing what Zuiko lenses are worth second hand, the new AF Nikkors seem jolly expensive, so I'm left with Zuiko vs Nikon MF ( I don't use AF 90% of the time anyway). I think the answer is - at the prices I've seen, why not have one of each!!!! I can quite imagine me with an OM4 in one hand and a F4 in the other - that's if I pump some weights first of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_hahn Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Chris, I'm sorry if I came off argumentative or something... didn't mean to. All I know is that when I was comparing some of the Zuiko lenses that *I* was interested in the Canon AF equivalents weren't *that* much more. (Currently there is a Zuiko 100/2 for $500+ with 6 days to go while a $400 new EF 100/2 is a very good Canon lens). For your worries I might consider going Nikon... if nothing else, I'm sure the gear will hold its value better... and there are plenty of good MF lenses to chose from. For trying to "do it on the cheap," have you considered Pentax? Some of the Pentax lenses are very good and usually much less expensive. I don't like FD Canon much. As for "why not have one of each!!!!" that's more how I feel about it. :) (of course, since I mainly only care about 50mm lenses I can get one of almost everything... and even Leicas won't break the bank) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_grasing Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Chris, you asked about the OM2 vs the OM4. Look for an OM2N. Extremely reliable camera. And still repairable. Prices are generally very reasonable. The OM4 had problems, which were resolved in the OM4T. I've got 1 OM4, and 2 OM4T's. The OM4 was nothing but problems and spent most of its life at the Olympus Service Center in Tokyo. (My experience. Some have had good results). The OM4T's have been fine, but the earlier chrome version can no longer be repaired, leaving me with one body. I bought my OM2N in January 1981. Still works perfectly. Has been stolen and brutalized. Was once spun by its strap and smashed onto a parking lot by a young relative: a big dent, but it still worked fine. Perhaps the most reliable machine of any kind I have ever had. I have no experience with either NIkon or Canon lenses. But fwiw, I'll pass on something I've heard from Japanese professionals for 30 years: Canon lenses have better shadow contrast and smoother 'boke' than Nikon. True or not, Canon is what they use here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnielsen Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 Mark: What? No, I didn't think you were being argumentative :) Those prices are interesting.. I didn't realise the super fast Zuiko's are so expensive! Ouch!!! Just having a look now and I see a 28mm f/2 with a buy now price of $450.. Ouch again!!! After all, if this chap fixes the OM10 (sounds like a bit of crud is mucking up the viewfinder readings) then I'll have an OM1, OM10 and a very ugly OM40 to play with while I save up for a OM4, and I don't have to feel bad because I can go Nikon MF lens shopping at the same time :0) Cheers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnielsen Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 Robert: Thanks for that, it seems to confirm to me why a OM4 is $200 and a OM4TI is $600... I will also seriously look at getting an OM2.. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondrejp_spyderman Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 mark: OM-1 and OM-10 are completely different cameras! OM-10 uses variable resistor, but OM-1 uses strings to physically rotate the meter coil body. The dirty variable resistor is a common fault of OM-10 and OM-20 (G) - I've had both and cleaning the resistor solved the problem. Robert: IMO OM-2(N) are quite complicated to repair. There might be broken circuit boards which must be replaced, calibration of auto-speeds is very difficult, calibration of meter is possible only by changing physical resistors (no Variable resistors for this unfortunately...). OM-2S, 3(Ti) and 4(Ti) are the worst in this regard: printed flexi circuit boards everywhere, osciloscope as a necessary tool for diagnostics... no discrete components - you must change whole circuit board if anything is wrong... I would vote for OM-1N as the most repairable camera of OM series. Plain mechanics, which every skilled local repairman can repair. Shutter speeds governed by mechanical clockwork... A true classic like a Leica M3. Chris: is it really that bad with OM-4(Ti) prices ? My 4Ti cost me EUR 200 and it's flawless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnielsen Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 Ondrej: Thanks for that info.. I am reluctant to start putting liquid inside my camera!!! So I will send it back and he can bust it instead of me :) I only know about the prices for OM4TI on places like Adorama - once you go from a Very Good to an Excellent you more than double the price (US $200 to $400), but is there any reason not to buy a Very Good ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondrejp_spyderman Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 "I am reluctant to start putting liquid inside my camera!!! " Use cotton sticks. One or two drops of Rosonol on the cotton and then rub the variable resistor. After some 2-3 spent sticks it's clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_grasing Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Ondrej, I meant that the OM2N can still be repaired by a professional. More or less. As you say, the OM2SP and OM4 series require replacing the entire circuit board. Good luck finding one of those! Olympus, if they still have any in inventory, will only sell OM4 parts for the final OM4TiBlack version. With the OM2, the repairman has a fighting chance of fixing it. Also agree the OM1 or OM1N is the easiest to repair and keep running. Repairmen here have told me they can almost always fix them: simple and tough. But if you want auto-exposure, I think the OM2N is the one to get. When my last OM4T dies, I won't bother trying to get it repaired, I'll just use the OM2N and the OM1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_hahn Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Thanks, I guess the cables are just a little loose or something in my OM-1... exposures are coming out fine so I'll *try* not to worry about it for now (at least my camera is pretty enough that I wouldn't feel bad about getting it repaired if it needs it later). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew_newton Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I wouldn't entirely rely on the Ebay buy it now prices or KEH prices. Don't get me wrong, I would happily give KEH my business and it is quite nice that I know they will stand behind what they sell me, but I have been able to aquire things on Ebay much cheaper then KEH or buy it now prices on Ebay. KEH currently has a black OM-1n for $245 in Ex condition, I would consider my OM-1n in about the same condition give or take a small amount (mechanically LN and cosmetically border line between BGN and EX, its got some brassing on a couple of places and needed new light seals, but otherwise great) and I managed to get it for $55 shipped. That being said I would expect that through Ebay you may find lens and body prices on average to be about 40-75% what you will find on KEH, but going through KEH allows you to return the product if it is not in the condition described. Ebay, not so much. That being said of the 7 or 8 camera/lens buys I have made on Ebay only 1 of them was not as described (vignetting/cuttoff at all aperatures and focal lengths on a non-zuiko 28-90mm f/3.5 zoom). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnielsen Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 Matthew: That sounds good - I've had some recent disappointments locally buying stuff of Tradme (the NZ version of ebay), a bit reluctant to buy from overseas on ebay, possibly even more risk, but it's certainly worth me looking on there, I can also get stuff I don't see on KEH / Adorama... I think I'll start looking at ebay as well.. Cheers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew_newton Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 My advice with Ebay is just steer away from anything that looks like it could be questionable (gut check) and then ask lots of questions about the item (especially a camera body). Most times the seller will be as informative as they can about what they are selling (or at least answer your questions), those who aren't either are trying to sell a product in a condition less then described or are possibly just a not particularly nice person. Either way I look at it I would rather avoid them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnielsen Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 There's also the small problem that a good number of sellers don't seem to want to ship outside the US and I'm about 12000 miles from the US :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliver_smith1 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Chris, try Ffordes at https://secure.ffordes.com/index.htm They're in Scotland, but they ship worldwide. I'm sure they're second hand gear comes with six month warranty. The OM4Ti I've just bought did anyway. Reasonably priced, friendly and knowledgable staff, much better than eBay! Oliver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnielsen Posted January 27, 2008 Author Share Posted January 27, 2008 Oliver: Thanks for the link, I'll check them out. Right, time for an update - I sent the OM10 back at the seller's insistence, and within a few days had it back to me fixed. I now have a 9+ condition OM10 plus a 8 condition OM40 I picked up cheap and they're both awesome! This will tide me over until I can pick up an OM-4ti. Cheers guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harold_gough Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Some lenses from decades ago, including OM Zuiko lenses, will give higher contrast than more recent lenses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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