RonS wrote:
Nice things about my tale.
Ta! I've tried very hard to keep my sense of humour about this, but it's
been a struggle at times!
Simon E wrote:
>>I suspect you were unlucky, unless perhaps Glasweigan Oly owners are
harder
>on their OM4s than elsewhere. Trade prices most places are grim. Ace might
>give you twice as much for a 35 f2, but they'll also ask almost twice as
>much. They are my "top whack" guide price for Olympus gear, the max price a
>lens in exc-to-mint condition is likely to go for. I'm sure they're
>reputable, but they certainly are expensive. I suspect that OM4s, which
must
>be 15+ years old, are likely to have a number of such faults. If they have
>been serviced and looked after the owner would be less likely to part with
>them. I'd suggest you get a sweet-sounding OM1n or OM2n and a handheld
>lightmeter, but I'm likely to get flamed to oblivion on this ;-)<<
I'm beginning to think I agree with you.
The current state of play in this thrilling adventure is that the 4th body
was also, believe it or not, a faulty one. The memory clear / memo lever
was no longer spring loaded, and flopped about around the shutter release.
It meant that the spot meter button only occassionally worked. It was also
very very tatty, not at all well looked after. And its not just us
Glaswegians who murder our gear. The three follow up bodies I've seen were
from Leciester, Manchester and Birmingham.
I've now asked Jessops HQ to put right this disaster by fixing the original
OM4 which is still in the repair shop. The quote from Oly for a new board
runs to three figures, and I'm not surprised that they aren't keen on
forking that out. But, it serves them right. If there is any justice,
they'll apologise, give me £1,000,000 in unmarked fivers, and employ me as
director of crap cameras at £1,000,000 a year. Oh dear I seem to be
babbling again.....
As they aren't likely to do this, I'm going to get my cash back and look for
a mint OM2SP of which there seem to be millions at the moment. They have a
perfect 2n with an undamaged shoe 4 in the branch at the moment, but I'd
like a spot meter without having to carry an extra bit of gear.
Mountaineering pictures, you see. I carry enough weight around my gut
without adding extras.
As far as prices go, I have started to notice a premium on "late circuit"
OM4's appearing in the photorags. One dealear (I've forgotten which, but I
think it was Ace) said that they will no longer take older OM4's unless for
peanuts when I was speaking to them about this recently.
Jessops aren't that much cheaper than Ace or others for 2nd hand stock, and
in some areas they seem more expensive (100/2.8 for £159, 50/1.4 for £90,
50/1.8 for £229...oops sorry thats the ridiculous new price. But you get my
drift.) There are some amazing variations in prices scanning the back of
AP. I've seen 135/2.8's at £59 and £195 in the same issue from different
dealers. Quiggs in Glasgow offer a 100/2.8 for £169...I've seen it, it's an
ugly, very dusty silver nosed SC version. MXV want £89 for the same lens,
and £120 odds for an MC version. Thats what attracted me to the OM4 in
Jessops...it looked like a beautiful example, late model 11xxxxx serial no
chrome drive and battery caps, very very clean, no dust in viewfinder, paint
in very goos nick etc etc, for a very good price. Knowing what I know now,
I wouldn't of got it because of the broken buzzer alone, because I now know
what this is likely to signify.
Anyway, cheers for now
Dave
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