OM4Ti AE lock -- how should it work in centre-weighted mode?

[mike_nunan]

Hi all,

 

I may be losing my mind here, but I'm sure that my OM4Ti used to lock

the meter reading immediately in centre-weighted mode as well as spot

mode. Trying it now, when I actuate the Memo lever, the camera still

meters continuously until I fire the shot, whereupon it locks the

shutter speed value (based upon the OTF reading made at the time of

exposure).

 

In the past, I'm sure I've seen it lock the currently displayed

shutter speed as soon as I nudged the Memo lever, allowing me to

recompose the shot. Can anyone please confirm what the correct

behaviour should be? Is it me or my camera that's gone 'round the

twist? <g>

 

TIA

 

-= mike =-

 

PS. I've RTFM'd but it isn't exactly clear either way.

[robert_gries]

Mike:

 

I have mine in front of me and it is doing the exact same thing. When I set the memo lever in center-weighted mode I do get the MEMO indication, but the bar graph will still move. You may have to fire off a couple to see if it really holding the set exposure. One also sees similar behavior when this operation is done in the spot mode. The spot meter diamond will also move according to what the camera sees, but it will only use the MEMO recorded value.

 

Bob

[koichi_sekiyama2]

My OM-4Ti doesn't lock the shutter speed unless the shutter is activated once even if the memory switch has already been activated.

I believe this is the right move. In fact, I think this is a kind of side effect by the CPU software. (could be a bug.) I have heard from Olympus SS. long time ago regarding this, they said that it was not designed like this intentionally.

I wish the memory switch were available right after its activation in the center-weighted mode.

[robert_grasing]

>In the past, I'm sure I've seen it lock the currently displayed

shutter speed as soon as I nudged the Memo lever, allowing me to

recompose the shot.

 

Are you sure? I've got one OM4, one OM4Ti, and one OM4TiB, and none

of them have ever been able to do that. As you said, you have to

actually expose one frame in OTF mode with MEMO to lock in the

exposure.

[mike_nunan]

Cheers guys, for clearing that up. It was obviously inattentiveness mixed with wishful thinking on my part. I can understand (sorta) why Olympus have chosen to measure the exposure using their highly accurate OTF metering but perhaps it would be more useful if it locked as soon as you used the lever, since the main purpose of AE lock is to allow recomposition after metering. I guess it was a clue that in the manual the lock-recompose-shoot procedure is illustrated using spot metering only.

 

One last thing: Robert, what is an OM4TiB? I've never heard of that.

 

Best regards to all,

 

-= mike =-

[koichi_sekiyama2]

The OM4TiB is the black body model of the OM-4Ti.

[robert_grasing]

I agree. I often wish the OM4 series had an exposure lock. I also

wish (really wish) that it was possible to disable the display timer.

That is, you would only see the exposure information when you lightly

touched the shutter release. More often than not, I use my OM4 in

manual exposure mode, I usually don't need a reading. Yes, the OM3

would be better for me but they're far too expensive.

 

The OM4TiB is just Olympus's designation for the black model that

replaced the earlier silver. AFAIK, they're identical inside. But

there is one big difference: the OM4TiB is the only one Olympus will

make parts available for. They consider the first OM4Ti to be a

discontinued model, not just a different color, and now beyond the

ten year parts and service requirement for professional grade

cameras. They will clean my OM4Ti and adjust it, but that's all. The

next time it needs a part will be the end of it. My OM4 has been out

of service for years. This also affects the lenses. They may look the

same, but Olympus says there are different versions and they won't

make parts available for the older ones. Like my 15 year old MC 21/

3.5. Looks just like latest models but it can't be repaired.

 

So, take good care of your OM4Ti. And find a good, independent repair

shop.

[koichi_sekiyama2]

IMO, the OM-4TiB is the best one in the series of OM cameras.

Although the finder magnification is lower than the series of OM-1 and OM-2, finder information is much better and more accurate.

Needless to say, it has a spot metering function.

 

I am not exactly sure of the difference between the OM-4Ti and the OM-4TiB except for their color.

 

There are 2 version in OM-4.

The older OM-4 wastes battery very fast due to its logic circuit design. the newer OM-4 has the improved circuit for saving battery consumption.

To distinguish between the older one and the newer one, just activate the clear lever when the exposure meter is turned off.

If the exposure meter wakes up by this, it is definitely the newer model. If not, it's the older one.

 

As Robert says, the OM-3Ti is the most expensive model in the series of OM cameras. It has the 8bits CPU inside. (The OM-4TiB has the 4bits CPU.) It's not hard to see the difference when the spot metering button is activated. Entering the spot metering mode is faster than the OM-4TiB. The OM-4TiB has a slight time for beeping and changing the finder info then.

And there is no self timer function in the OM-3Ti. I like it. Because it's much simpler and can avoid any mechanical trouble in the future too. the self timer lever of the OM-4TiB is not really good. It wastes battery a lot since it's not mechanical. the top cap of the self timer indicator is easily taken out. I glued it on the body.

Thus, it sounds the OM-3Ti is much better than the OM-4TiB except for auto exposure mode; however, there is a big disadvantage in the OM-3Ti. Shutter shock of the OM-3Ti is much bigger than the OM-4TiB.

The electrical shutter of the OM-4TiB is much softer and sounds smaller. This is really critical to me.

I don't know why. Somebody says because the shutter of the OM-3Ti is mechanical; however, the OM-1 has also mechanical shutter and its shock is really gentle.

 

Anyway, the OM-4TiB has been my primary OM for a long time and it will be from now on too.

[robert_grasing]

Seiichi, thanks for the information on the OM3Ti. I didn't know it

had a different CPU. I'm surprised and disappointed to learn the

OM3Ti has greater mirror shock than the OM4. I read Olympus made some

improvements in that area in the OM4 over the OM1 and expected they

would extend to the OM3 as well. Actually, I bought a used (of

course) OM1 a few months ago and it's great. Seems quieter than the

OM4 and the wind lever is so much smoother. So maybe it was the right

decision not to buy an OM3Ti (I did come close, but those prices!)

 

I once asked Olympus if they could shorten the OM4 self-timer

interval from 10 seconds to about 2. Impossible. In theory, it is

very easy but all the timing components are sealed in an IC chip.

[robert_grasing]

Koichi, I apologize. I got your name wrong. (But who is Seiichi?)

 

Rob G

[koichi_sekiyama2]

Hi Rob,

 

WOW! It's a small world.

I have ever thought about the improvement of the OM-4TiB self-timer as well.:)

Although the switch interface is really sucks, mirror lockup is a good point for avoiding mirror shock when self-timer goes off.

I have payed attention one thing that the shutter is immediately fired when the self-timer is canceled on the way. So if we can contol this cancellation at will with not using current self-timer switch, I guess this self-timer function becomes much useful, for example, instead of using release cable.

Unfortunately, I haven't got any solution yet. :(

Probably I need to get the junk body of OM-4 and learn the mechanical and electical things.

 

Although I haven't ever used the OM-3, I have heard an interesting article in a Japanese photo magazine regaring the OM-3Ti before.

 

Olympus shipped the OM-3 as the next generation model of OM-1 series; however, it wasn't sold so many. Thus, Olympus discontinued the OM-3 relatively soon.

But it makes 2nd hand market price of the OM-3 raise a lot. Actually the the price of the 2nd hand OM-3 got much more expensive than its original price.

After a while, Olympus cannot but ignore such a thing and shipped the OM-3Ti. But they can't find out the OM-3 schematic anywhere in the company because they lost it. Thus, they bought a 2nd hand OM-3 at the market and disassembled it for the sample of the OM-3Ti design.

I know it sounds crazy, but I have read such an article before.

 

The reason why the feeling of the film advance lever of the OM-3 and the OM-4 is not as good as the OM-1/OM-2 is the shutter that can fire 1/2000 speed. Thus, it gets more solid feeling during film forwarding.

[frank_oddsocks]

*My* OM-3 exhibits the same low level of vibration unsharpness, with

no mirror lock-up, as *my* OM-4 with mirror prefired. Neither is as

good as *my* OM-2SP (which has a longer shutter lag) and both are

vastly better than my tired OM-1 and OM-2N. Those two cameras actually

got worse after their overhaul, and I sold them.

 

Both the OM-3 and OM-4 make a tinny ringing sound, and the OM-3 feels

worse, but that's probably the second curtain, because sharpness isn't

affected.

 

The OM-4's is, in my opinion, a textbook case of how not to design a

user interface. The idiocy of the exposure lock having 3 modes plus a

second function on the one lever is just one of its problems. I use

the camera under sufferance.

 

The unsmooth feel of the wind-on in the later cameras might just be

the result of using harder metal in the guts.

[george_shihanian]

Koichi, That's very interesting, I didn't know about the clear lever/meter wake-up test to check if it has the newer circuit.

 

The way I know to check is to activate the battery check, and if it turns itself off in 30 seconds, it is the newer OM-4T circuit. If it just stays on, it's the older battery draining circuit.

[mike_nunan]

Hi,

 

Thanks for all the interesting responses and related postings on this subject. Robert, thanks for clarifying the 4Ti-vs-4TiB distinction. I have a TiB then, as mine is still mostly black ;o)

 

Koichi, I agree completely with your comment about the self-timer. Another irritating "feature" is that you can't cancel the timer without exposing a frame of film, so if you make the easy mistake of leaving the self-timer enabled after a macro session, you will experience frustration the next time you use the camera. Usually you both miss the shot you were going for, and end up taking a picture of something completely worthless that happened 10 seconds later! I also appear to be completely unable to remember which direction of the switch enables the self-timer and which one disables the beeper, and I have a similar problem with the memo/clear switch too. Then there's the lack of a shutter release lock, the clunky (IMO) meter on/off switching method, plus what kind of lunatic came up with THAT method of setting the ISO? And don't even get me started about the battery compartment cover...

 

Despite this litany of complaints I still have a warm liking for the camera, and I'm prepared to learn to work around its little annoyances for now at least. Frank, I can understand why you say that you use the camera under sufferance, but for some reason it still satisfies enough of my top priorities that I don't feel that way about it myself. The compact dimensions, good viewfinder, ultra-sensitive meter and (last but not least) the f/2 21mm and macro lenses will keep me using it as my "second fiddle" MF SLR, although my ultimate benchmark for SLR handling -- the Contax RTS II -- will never be totally replaced by the Olympus upstart. Put it this way though, I think I'm going to be keeping it for long enough to justify a full service for it.

 

Anyway, thanks for all the input, and happy shooting everybody...

 

TTFN

 

-= mike =-

 

PS. For those who don't like the self-timer, how about using one of those clockwork jobs that screw into the shutter release, like the Leica M guys have to use? I know, no mirror lockup, but you get a shorter delay if you want one.

[robert_grasing]

There seems to be consensus about what everyone would like to see on

an OM4TiBn (not a new model, just my conjecture), regarding the self-

timer, ISO dial, exposure lock, etc. With all the OM equipment that

was made, I wonder if there's a market for an OM renovation service.

A company that would take your OM4 and rebuild it with certain

changes and replacements. I know in the Tokyo area there is an

independent repair shop which will rebuild the old Pen SLR cameras,

even making new parts available. Of course it would be expensive. But

a modified OM4Ti might be the ideal 35mm SLR.

 

Regarding OM3 vibration. In Pop Photo's review of the OM3 by Norman

Goldberg he recorded a vibration level only slightly lower than his

10 year average of all SLR cameras, which is in line with Koichi's

comments, although this might have changed with the apparently

reversed engineered OM3Ti. The noise level for the OM3, however, was

much lower than the average.

 

Regarding OM body toughness: my vote goes to the OM2N. Mine was once

stolen and horribly tortured, but still worked perfectly. I once saw

it spun around on its neckstrap by a young relative and smashed into

a parking lot. Only damage was cosmetic; Olympus found nothing wrong

inside. Nothing has ever gone wrong with that body. On the other

hand, my OM4 spent most of its life at the Olympus service center. It

let me down countless times, in a variety of ways. My OM4Ti was

reliable the first 6 or 7 years, but now has�@become a little cranky.

My OM4TiB was repaired twice its first year, and several times since

then. I never travel without at least 2 bodies.