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Re: [OM] New Guy - Old Questions

Subject: Re: [OM] New Guy - Old Questions
From: Volkhart Baumgaertner <kyu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 14:00:44 +0200
Yo,

on Tue, 4 Apr 2000 12:37:33 -0400, Craig Roberts wrote:

>Hey y'all (as we say here in Boston) -

...and I thought only us Southerners did that :-)

>I'm a new list subscriber on the very verge of becoming an Olympite.  It

Welcome!

>1) Are the cameras comparable in quality and ruggedness of build?  (I do not
>abuse equipment...in fact, I baby it...but durability is important to me).

I'd say both OMs are at least as durable as the Nikkormat. I remember
stories being told on this list of what people had happen to their OMs
without damage - incredible.

>2)  How do the Nikkor and Zuiko optical qualities compare?  (I find Nikkor
>less than thrilling...but that's because I owned Leicas for years until a
>family illness forced the sale of my modest collection).

There are at least a few lenses in the Olympus/Zuiko lineup that come close
to or maybe even surpass Leica optics. I used to know a local Leica user
who, after looking at a couple of shots taken with my 85mm/f2, went right
out and got himself an OM-2 body and this very lens.

>3) Given equal condition, which Olympus is preferable, the OM-2 or OM-2S
>Program?

IMHO, the only advantage the 2S offers is spot metering in manual mode,
which is nice to have but is countered by the disadvantages of no off-switch
(some 2Ss are quite heavy battery eaters) and, more importantly, though
generally being very reliable, not being repairable _if_ electronics failure
occurs for lack of spare parts.
The OM-2, on the other hand, still offers much better repairability, does
have an off-switch, and - the most important advantage in my book - offers
long time exposure capability in auto mode for (depending on film
sensitivity) up to about 17 minutes. With nighttime photography being a
special passion of mine I have found this feature to be invaluable, and to
me it far outweighs any other advantages of the 2S. Also, I find that the
winding mechanism feels much smoother on the OM-1, 1n, 2, and 2n than on the
2Ss and 4s.

Just my 2 cents.


MtFbwy,
Volkhart

--
Volkhart Baumgaertner     email: kyu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                                 MausNet: @MGN

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