On Mon, 21 Dec 1998 18:56:09 -0600, JOEL BLACKWOOD
<JOEL-BLACKWOOD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> jammed all night, and by sunrise was
overheard remarking:
> Now here's my question.
>
> I'm considering an Olympus SLR. I've read all the Oly faqs I can get my
> hands on, but I'm still left wondering a few things. I've picked up on the
> idea that OM-1,2,3,4 cameras seem to be more robust/solid than the
> OMF-F/G/etc. but I can't seem to find out why.
The OM1..4 were designed as professional/prosumer market cameras, the
others as consumer market cameras. In fact, when the OM1 came out, there
really wasn't a consumer market for SLRs, only pros and advanced
hobbiests (eg, prosumers) used them.
The OM-10, 20/G, 30/F, and 40/PC are the primary consumer cameras, very
much a part of the OM system and able to use most of the other
accessories. The OM77AF (OM707) and OM88 (OM101) are somewhat odd
consumer cameras that introduces a consumery line of autofocus lenses
that don't fit the manual focus line (though manual focus lenses do fit
these, they don't couple electronically, so the viewfinder's information
is basically gone).
> Isn't the OM-G (or is it F) the camera with the semi-autofocus (focus
> indicator)?
The OM-F (OM-30) has that feature, but apparently, it's easy to break,
and didn't work too well in the first place. The OM-G (OM-20) is just a
fairly basic model, aperature-priority automatic or manual. The OM-10 is
a similar camera, but manual operation is available only as an option.
The OM-PC (OM-40) is the nicest one, offering both a programmed exposure
mode (you set your lens to the smallest aperature, the camera sets
aperature and shutter speed according to its program), aperature
priority, and real off-the-filmplane exposure like an OM-2 or OM-4, so
you get TLL flash metering. It actually has two-zone metering, so on
auto or programmed mode, it can make better decisions about high
contrast scenes. It's also the first OM camera to read DX film speed
encoding off the film can, though it's optional.
> Or do you think I should try an OM-1 or 2 (3's and 4's
> are out of my price range)?
I don't have the OM-F. The OM-G is a fine camera; mine is actually in
better condition than my OMs, as I bought it used from a guy who
apparently barely touched it. As a starter, I would recommend it, though
if you're experienced in photography and looking for a more rugged or
capable camera, go for the OM-1 or OM-2.
There are four "1" models out there, basically. The original "M-1" is a
collector piece (Leica forced Olympus to change the name very early on),
probably selling for $600 or more. The original OM-1 came out before
motor drives, so it won't take a winder or motor drive, but it works
with all the other accessories. The OM-1 MD added motor drive capability,
and the OM-1n added a flash-ready indicator in the viewfinder. That's
>from memory... Anyway, the one thing to watch out for is that the
original batteries for the OM-1, some sort of mercury battery, are not
available anymore. There's an off-voltage replacement that affects
metering accuracy, and some sort of battery conversion. So if you see
"battery conversion" mentioned on a used OM-1, that's what it's for. I
don't know all the details -- my OM-1 MD was stolen in '84, back when
the batteries were still available.
The are at least three different models of the OM-2. The original OM-2
was an MD model, and has the "MD" plate, like the OM-1 MD, but it's not
usually called "OM-2 MD". This was upgraded to OM-2n, which added the
viewfinder ready light, and then OM-2sp, which includes a spot metering
option. Some look at this as the forerunner of the OM-4's spot metering
system. The OM-2sp will command a higher price.
Anyway, that's my core dump on the OM models.
--
Dave Haynie | V.P. Technology, Met@box Infonet, AG | http://www.metabox.de
Be Dev #2024 | NB851 Powered! | Amiga 2000, 3000, 4000, PIOS One
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