buying an OM-4

[carlos_borges]

Hello to you all.

I'm thinking of buying (on-line) a second hand OM-4 and I never

got one

in my hands.

For you who have experience with this camera, what ware the likes

and

don't like about this camera. What is the shutter sounds like? Is

it

quiet, says, like the Leicas or the OM-2n? Do the meter works like

the

one in the OM-2n model (OTF)? What are the others types of meter

readings

besides spot-meter? Do the spot-meter works on aperture-priority?

How to

compare it in size with the OM-2n. I like my OM-2n very much but I

want a

more performance camera. I do have a lot of experience with Leica

M and

I'm thinking of switching my OM system for a reflex Leica system

but

after some practical tests (with lens) I really don't find any

usable

differences between Olympus and Leica lens (besides the price).

Thank you all in advance.

Regards.

[george_shihanian]

Most questions can be answered by a link on this page:

 

http://brashear.phys.appstate.edu/lhawkins/photo/photo.shtml

 

Main point to consider is the condition of the camera. Make sure you can return it if it is not up to par. OM-4 circuit boards are no longer available. If bad, they would have to be replaced with the (better) OM-4T board, but that cost is $300

 

Personally, I would not buy an OM-4 unless it is in outstanding condition. I'd go for an OM-4T. With either body, check to see if it has an updated circuit. The older bodies used a set of batteries a month, just lying around. To check: with fresh batteries installed, turn the battery check on and leave it on. If it shuts itself off after 30 seconds, the circuit is a newer one. If it goes on and on, it is the older "battery eater" circuit.

[mark_bouquet1]

Circuit reliability is the central issue. And as the previous poster stated, replacement OM-4 circuits are not available. However, contrary to his advice, OM-4T circuits cannot be installed in the original OM-4 (At least John Hermanson at Camtech won't do it regardless of what you're willing to pay). So if the circuit fails, and I admit that I don't know what the statistical probability of that is, your camera is reduced to an expensive paperweight. Given that fact. I personally wouldn't buy an original OM-4 unless the price was rock bottom low.

 

I own a OM-2n and an OM-3. The OM-2n is much smoother in the winding stroke than the OM-3. The spring tension was increased in the OM-3's and OM-4's in order to enable the 1/2000th second fast shutter speed. This resulted in the rougher wind on. On the other hand, the release might be just a bit quieter in me OM-3.

 

The light meter in OM-3's and OM-4's is he best meter anyone ever put in a camera, in my opinion. (Of course the OM-3 is manual only.) In addition to center weighted averaging, it allows you to spot meter up to eight regions in your subject, while recording the readings and displaying them on a bar graph. The OM-4 does meter off the film plane during TTL auto exposure, like the OM-2n, but it also meters off the shutter curtain in manual mode, unlike the OM-2n. All OM automatic cameras are aperture priority only. There are no shutter priority models in the line.

 

The bottom line is that I have to agree with the previous poster. OM-4's are lovely cameras, but the repairability issue makes later OM-4T's the only ones I would consider.

[kieran_hamill]

Another benefit of the 4Ti over the 4 is the ability to use high speed flash sync with the F280 flash, although the range is limited.

 

Shutters are on the quiet side for an SLR, as are all OM's, but it's unfair to compare to Leica's because they have no mirror slap, which is the main culprit. Compare it to a Hasselblad instead, in which case it's practically silent.

 

Yes the exposure is OTF - and you wont find a better or more sensitive meter in any camera anywhere ever. It's one of the best things about this camera, as is it's user interface. The multispot metering and analogue display are pure genius. (Does the 4 do multispot averageing like the 4Ti?)

 

The alternative to spotmetering is the centreweighted metering as per your OM2.

 

And yes, the auto mode is aperture priority. Spot metering works on both auto and manual modes, only the viewfinder display changes.

[neild]

Hi Carlos, I agree with the others that the OM-4, along with its variants, the OM-4T and OM-4Ti, is an excellent camera. But, as an OM-1 and OM-2 user before I ever got my OM-4T, I would like to give my opinion on a minor difference that I personally find inconvenient: it is the lack of a simple on/off switch. As you know, on the OM-2 there is a switch: 'auto' - 'off' - 'manual'. I love this switch - when I don't want the camera to use battery power, I switch to 'off'. However, on my OM-4T there is no 'off' position on this switch! I need to move the shutter speed dial to 'B' to ensure no battery drain, and this requires the simultaneous pressing of the 'B Lock' button - which for me requires some hand-gymnastics! I will say that the battery doesn't seem to drain if I store the camera like this... but I would have preferred an 'off' position that was easily accessible, like on the OM-1 and OM-2. This doesn't in any way make the camera less than fantastic (I love my OM-4T, but I just prefer the practical style of the OM-2). No doubt others will disagree with my views, but if this could also irritate you, I suggest getting a feel for the camera (ie. in your hands) before buying...

[frank_oddsocks]

Now if you follow the brashear link above, you will find more than you

could sanely want to know about OM cameras.

 

In particular, *not* all OM-4's have the battery drain problem. There

is a simple test to determine whether a particular camera is bad,

requiring a multimeter. Which is not to say that it won't go bad,

but it hasn't happened to my OM-4, and it seems unlikely to now the

camera is getting up to 20 years old. The difference in behaviour

of the battery test mentioned above tells you whether it's an OM-4

or OM-4Ti, but except for the very few OM-4's which had their

main circuit board replaced by OM-4Ti ones you could more easily

read the front of the camera...

 

I agree that what it needs is an "off" switch.

 

The OM-4 is noisier than the OM-2 and has a less smooth rewind

action, but a better finder (LCD, lower magnification) and IMO

is *more* reliable. There is only one meter, not two, and assuming

the electronics stay OK there's less to go wrong. The OM-4 is

the same size as the OM-2 but has a fixed hotshoe that doesn't

crack every few months.

[leon_smith2]

I bought a used OM-4 a year ago from a camera shop in town, excellent condition (apparently) for A$800 with the 85-250/f5 lens (barely used). Later I went back for the 35-70/f3.6 from the same trade-in (very used, lots of light scratches on front glass) for only A$200. I'm very happy with it all - though i sometimes dream of autofocus. I knew of the battery issue in advance - though perhaps not the extent of it. Mine will eat a pair of SR44 batteries in a month or two - regular use of the self-timer kills them much quicker though. Given that I can buy SR44/G13 silver oxide batteries (~50% more capacity than LR44/A76 alkalines) for ~A$1.20 each at the right shop, and that i will put three or four films through my camera in the time it takes to eat one set - costing say A$100 for film and printing (just Fuji Superia at a reputable Fuji Frontier-running lab), I don't rate the battery cost as terribly significant. But i like the tip about turning the shutter speed dial to B (or 60manual?) as a way to save the batteries. I've thought about tinkering a switch into the system but it would be ugly no doubt. If only it was as clever as the Trip 35 with its Selenium solar cell around the lens that powers the light meter!

I agree that the shutter is not quiet - don't compare it to something like an EOS5 or you'll be horrified - but its a sound i love to hear. Does tend to startle the wildlife at close range. For a casual photographer like me the ability to spot meter is fantastic when shooting a subject against a bright background or when wanting something light coloured (a baby's face for example) properly exposed.

I'm still tempted by the EOS cameras but I think we all know you'll pay a lot more to get canon lenses as good as the zuikos. They do autofocus though - if you want that.

If you can get a 4T for the right price - go for it. If you can get a 4 much cheaper, you probably won't be disappointed.<div></div>

[ant_nio_ferreira]

I had two, I had to replace the circuit board for the Tis. I had it done ten years ago, after batteries got to dry after a week or so. Very expensive though (about 400 dollars each), but are still great! I had flash contacts changed and everything! I don't know if the parts are still available.

[origami1]

Maybe this test might be useful to future buyers of OM 4Ti

 

http://brashear.phys.appstate.edu/lhawkins/photo/crash-test.txt

 

IMO it says a lot. The shutter noise is still unanswered: I would like to see a dB test with Leicas, Olys, etc.