john_liu5

Why are the OM motor drives relatively uncommon and, in the case of the Motor 2, expensive

on the used market? Were these very poor sellers when new?

All my other SLRs have motor drives. While I'm not sure I'd want a drive on my OM1 full-

time, I'd like to have the option of one.

Is it worth paying the over 2X premium for the Motor 2? AFAIK, the only disadvantage of the

Motor 1 is lack of power rewind and a slightly slower frame rate.

I've been happily shooting my OM1n with 24, 50 and 100 on a month trip in France and

Spain. The 200 hasn't been used once, I should have listened to this forum and skipped it.

The table-top tripod has been used, but only in cathedrals and castles and then mostly to

stabilize the camera against my chest. I could have done without it and simply pushed film.

The body and the 24-50-100 lenses all fit around my neck and in one jacket pocket, and

doesn't weigh me down at all. If your OM2 body conks out, don't expect to find a

replacement in a used camera store, hardly any used Olympus to be seen here. I brought

about 30 rolls of film and am already running out of some varieties, while seldom using

others. Anyway, that's been my experience so far.

I'm not finding the lack of shutter speed / aperture information in the viewfinder to be a

problem, so far - of course my OM experience is extremely limited! - but I've used other

cameras that also don't have this information in the viewfinder (or maybe they have it, but

the display is so hard to read that I ignore it).

I usually preset the speed and aperture for the environment I'm in, so I start out knowing

that I'm at, say, 1/125 f8.0. As the subject moves in and out of the light, I know I need to

increase or decrease exposure by 1 or 2 f-stops. While doing that, I know that I'm still

roughly in the neighborhood of the originally preset shutter speed and aperture. Every

several shots I find time to reverify the speed and aperture. It's just how I'm used to

working with old cameras. As you guys know, in many kinds of photography you don't

walk around with your eye glued to the viewfinder anyway.

However, I am still trying to train my fingers to go to the right ring. I think it would have

been neat if the shutter speed and aperture rings were right next to each other, so that my

fingers could stay in the same place. Also, it would be neat if, by turning both rings

together, I could get all the speed/aperture combinations of the same exposure value.

Kind of like a Hasselblad.

Thanks everyone. All your advice makes sense, even when it differs.

I dropped by the SF Photo Swap this morning and amazingly a good vendor had the

100mm f2.8 and 24mm f2.8 in exc+ condition for a good bit lower than KEH prices. An

omen like that can't be ignored, so I came home with them.

This evening I handed my wife the OM-1 wth 100mm f2.8, and the F3/MD4 with 85mm

f1.4, and asked her how significant the difference was. I also lined up the OM-1 with

24mm 50mm 100mm 200mm and the F3/MD4 with 24mm 50mm 85mm 300mm, and

compared the bulk and weight. The differences are stunning. I know in some ways the

comparison is "not fair" because the Nikon system has the drive and the bigger faster

lenses. But for me, it "is fair", because this is what I own and shoot. I'm not going to go

buy a set of smaller slower Nikkors just to travel with.

I'm working on my first roll in the OM-1. I know I have to get at least 2 rolls through it,

and developed. Already I can see that I'm going to be restricted when indoors. Where I

could do, say, 1/60 with the 85mm f1.4 Nikkor, I have to push or pass up with the 100mm

f2.8 Zuiko. And I'm not getting the same isolating DOF, not surprisingly. But I think I can

live with that.

I'll make the decision in the next week. If I can make the OM-1 work, that's what I am

leaning toward.

Hello everyone. I'm taking the family on a 1 month trip in France (Paris, Marseille, other

Southern France) and Spain (Barcelona), starting in a few weeks. It's one of those trips

where photography is important, but not the central reason for going. I'm not going to

carry a Domke F-2 stuffed with gear, big flash, and a sturdy Manfrotto tripod. A small

satchel bag with a tabletop tripod is more like it. I shoot B&W, street photography and

urban landscapes.

I'm trying to decide what camera stuff to take. At home I shoot almost exclusively Nikon F

and F3. I could take my F3/MD4, 24mm f2.8 or 35mm f1.4, 50mm f1.2, 85mm f1.4,

300mm f4. I could probably just squeeze that into a Domke F-803 or F-802 Satchel. It

would be a heavy satchel.

But wait. A few months ago, someone gave me his Olympus OM-1, 50mm f1.8, 200mm

f4. The meter wasn't working so I sent it to Camtech for an overhaul. I recently got it

back. I've never shot a roll with it.

So, I was thinking, I could buy a Zuiko 24mm f2.8, and a 80mm f2 or 100mm f2.8. No

time to trawl eBay, I'd have to buy whatever KEH has. The OM-1 and 24mm 50mm 80mm

200mm would be much lighter and smaller than my Nikon alternative. In the same

satchel, I'd have more room for film. These Zuikos would be 2 stops slower than the

Nikkors at most focal lengths. I shoot almost all B&W and develop/print myself, so I could

push 1 stop if needed, without giving up much. I'm not familiar at all with the OM system,

while I'm very familiar w/ my Nikons. I'm used to having a motor drive with the Nikons,

but probably can't find one for the OM-1 quickly enough. If the OM-1 failed, it might be

harder to pick up a used Olympus body in a local used camera shop, than to find a used

Nikon body.

What do you think? Any other pros and cons I haven't thought of?

Another alternative would be to be really minimalist and bring just the Olympus XA.

Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and information.

It seems a used D1X could be anywhere from 5 y/o to 1 y/o. What serial number range should I look for, to get a later date of manufacture? Other than the buffer upgrade, what other upgrades should I look for?

I'm seeing used D1X bodies for $1,000 now. I think this will drop further when the D200 is widely available, so the price is starting to get "right" for me.

Okay, I am actually thinking about getting a DSLR.

The main use will be to shoot things where people want pictures quick-like, and I'm not

that motivated to drop everything and go to the darkroom. The kids' school outings and

so on. Also for color which I'm not equipped to develop myself.

Since I have a fair number of manual focus Nikon lenses, I'd like a body that will work with

AI and AI-S lenses. But I'm not interested in dropping the coin for a new D2-series or

even $2,000 for a D200. For that kind of money, I start thinking about lenses - or Leicas .

. .

So my question is: what do the DSLR users here think about a used D1X? `

I'll be more specific:

- Should there be many years of service left in a 5 y/o D2X, like there would be in a 5 y/o

F5?

- If something does go wrong, are these cameras repairable at reasonable cost (like film

cameras are) or are parts etc unaffordable?

- Is there any significant problem with the image quality? I'm not digital-savvy enough to

know exactly what to ask for, but I'm thinking mostly about noise in available-light

situations, and dynamic range in really contrasty outdoor sports shots.

- Does the D1X in fact work well with MF AI/AI-S lenses?

Thanks for the advice.

I just pulled the MD4 off my wife's F3. The rewind functions, the battery check LEDs

illuminate when I press the button to the left of the LEDs, but the film advance does not

function.

Well, that's it then. I'm sending the OM-1 to zuiko.com for an overhaul.

I found that I could slip the OM-1 / 50mm into my pants pocket, and my wife started

commenting on what a nice camera it is.

I see that for not much money I could get the most compact versions of the Zuiko 24mm

and 100mm for a pretty complete setup that will fit into the smallest Domke satchel.

I've been playing with this OM-1 a bit more. What a compact, interesting little camera.

Hard to believe it is a contemporary of my Nikon F, which looks so big and clunky in

comparison.

The shutter speed ring around the lens mount is interesting. I really wish the designer

had put the lens aperture ring at the back of the lens, right next to the shutter speed ring.

The two rings could have been designed so they could be grasped and rotated together.

Then the detents could have been spaced equally.

The result would have been that rotating the two rings together would give you all the

reciprocals of a given exposure value. Kind of like on a Hasselblad. That would have been

really cool.

Well, it's a pretty cool camera as it is. I do hope it can be repaired economically.

I was given a black OM-1 MD and Zuiko 50mm f1.8 and 200mm f4.0 lenses. The body is

in nice condition, with no brassing, only minor scuffs. His name is engraved in the bottom

plate but that's not something that bothers me.

The body appears to work properly in all respects - all shutter speeds, MLU, self-timer,

etc. However, the meter does not work.

Whether the switch is "on" or "off", and even with a fresh battery, the needle stays at the

bottom of its range (regardless of the brightness of the scene) unless I set the shutter

speed to an absurdly long time (like 1 sec) and the aperture wide-open, then the needle

will move to the middle or top of the range (regardless of the brightness of the scene).

Does this sound like a camera that is worth repairing? I gather these cameras are not

worth much, but I've always thought the OM-1 was a neat little camera so I wouldn't mind

having a working one.

If I don't end up using it (I mostly use Nikons) I would like to give the kit to a friend who is

getting re-interested in photography and currently has only a rather junky Pentax ME

setup with battered no-name lenses.

Also, can anyone recommend a good and reasonably-priced place to get this fixed?

Woo hoo, received another lens in the mail.

I have now assembled my core set of fast prime MF Nikkors.

55mm f1.2 (I posted about this earlier, thanks for the responses), 35mm f1.4 (latest),

85mm f1.4 (actually my wife's but who's counting).

Along with these we have 24mm f2.8 and 300mm f4.5 (the old fat one, to be replaced with

a f2.8 if I can ever afford one). And 35-105mm (to be sold off, as I never use it) and a

couple of 50mm f1.4's.

Someday I'd like a wider Nikkor lens, like the 17mm f4 I have in Canon FD (another

candidate for selling off). There does seem to be a big gap between 85mm and 300mm,

and with 180mm f2.8's pretty cheap and reasonably fast that lens seems tempting.

These are all used on my F and F/F36, and my wife's F3/MD4 I'm going to sell off the FG

(another never-used item) and pick up a FM2 as a spare body.

I'm going to stop there. I'm not a lens collector (honest).

No, there's not really a point to this post, I'm just rambling.

I just bought a Nikkor 55mm f1.2 in pretty decent condition. I feel a little silly, since it's only

1/2 stop faster than the Ai'd 50mm f1.4s that are practically free. Does anyone else have

this lens? Do you find it useful, or something that should be used to help fund a different

lens?

I have an original F-1, and was thinking about adding the Motor Drive MF. Does anyone have

this accessory? What are its faults and highlights? Does the camera need any modification to

install the drive? Are used drives typically robust or are there weak points that typically need

fixing? I see they are fairly affordable on the big auction site.

I have used some other motor drive SLRs - Canon A1/MA before, now Nikon F3/MD4 and

Nikon F/F36.

I am confused. What is the relationship of AgfaPhoto Gmbh with AgfaPhoto UK? The article

says the former is bankrupt, the latter is not. Who makes the Agfa products we use in the

US? Is there a need for me to go out and buy multiple gallons of Rodinal?

That is a really great story, Manel. In your shoes, what I would do: get a Vietnam-era photo

taken by Mr. Harrington (even printing one off the web), frame it, and hang the picture on the

shelf where the camera lives. Bound to start a conversation.

Lots of F users here - that's great!

By the way, will the Photomic from the F2 work on a F? For some reason I thought it would.

I just returned from a long weekend in the mountains around Yosemite where I shot five

rolls with my Nikon F Photomic.

I've had this camera for several months, most of the time it has been a shelf queen, but I

just felt liking taking the old F this time.

What a pleasant experience. Winding with my thumb, centering a needle, turning dials,

using my head instead of a computer metering algorithm. Really fit the serene

atmosphere in the mountains.

Does anyone else here regularly use a Nikon F? Or is there an alternative forum better-

suited to this subject?

Thanks all. I will try the naptha and WD40. The mirror foam is deteriorating and perhaps

that could have gummed up the pin. I'll probably clean out the old foam first, then try to

dislodge the pin, and finally re-foam the camera.

I admit that I can get by without the frame counter, but it's just nice to have things working

right.

National Camera - I bought a whole box of camera repair magazines which were, I think, by

that company. These were from the 70s and 80s. Very interesting reading.

Our Nikon F3HP's frame counter is stuck at 40, and won't reset when the film back is

opened.

The PIM page http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf3ver2/

f3technical/counter.htm says there is a pin in the camera body groove, just below the

small "n" in the "Nikon" logo, that is pressed by a protruding tab in the camera back edge.

Oddly, my camera is different. There is no pin under the "Nikon" logo. There is a round

silver pin in the groove about 1/2" to the right of the logo, under the frame counter

window. There is no protruding tab in the camera back edge. There is a worn spot in the

camera back edge where it has been pressing on the pin.

Anyway, the silver pin does not move when I open the camera back or even when I prod it

with a sharp straight pin. It is either solidly stuck or maybe it doesn't actually move and I

am misinterpreting its function.

Any suggestions on what I can do, short of spending $100 at the repairman? Is this a DIY

fix? Is this a common F3 problem? And, most important, am I damaging my camera by

continuing to shoot?

Matt, are there any tricks involved in replacing the drive? Or is it simply a matter of open the case, remove old drive, insert new drive, and away you go? How about firmware or software, was the new HDD recognized?

I have a 117GB LaCie and am thinking about swapping in a larger HDD.

Just thought I'd share this experience.

This week I spent about 3 hours photographing in significant rain (alternating between a

drizzle and a driving rain) with the F3HP w/ motor and 85mm f1.4. In preparation, I used

plastic trash bag material and protected the camera and lens as well as I know how. Used

a deep lens hood, taped the plastic around the hood, made holes for the strap, cut a small

hole with a covering flap for the viewfinder, reached up into this protective bag to operate

the camera. Worked well for about 2.5 hours, but the viewfinder opening, wet hands and

four film changes finally got enough moisture on the camera that the internals of the

viewfinder fogged up and the space between the lens front element and the filter fogged

up, and I was unable to continue shooting. Got everything dried out quite quickly

(blowdryer on "warm") and no harm done.

(My friend, who was photographing with a similarly protected Nikon Coolpix digital

camera, actually had to shut his camera down and dry it out overnight as it began to act

erratically, showing signs of water inside the circuitry.)

So, things worked out this time, but then next time I'm going to be photographing in the

rain I'm not going to be so confident. I might bring a second body, or go looking for a

F3P or F4 which I gather had more weatherproofing.

I'm sorry, I was referring to hypo-clear when I said "hypo".

As for the fixer, I did some math on the instructions on the packages of powder D76 and

power fixer, and it turns out that by the time I have processed enough 35mm rolls to use

up a gallon of D76 diluted 1:1, the gallon of fixer is getting close to its capacity - close

enough anyway.

I am looking for a simply rule of thumb on how often to replace my hypo.

I currently use D76. I mix up a gallon of it from powder, and at the same time I mix a

gallon of fixer from powder. When the D76 is all gone (I use it 1:1) then I replace the fixer

too. OK, simple enough.

But I'm not sure when I should replace the gallon of hypo? At the same time as I replace

the D76? Or every other time?