My OM-4Ti is my most used camera body, I really love the spot meter! Was
shooting a high school drama production last weekend, and the spot meter made
life so easy and saved my butt! Imagine a basic set, minimal props with black
curtains as the primary backdrop. A lot of lighting changes, depending on the
particular scene but minimal lighting overall, just spots on the main characters
and action. Of course no flash allowed. Very challenging! Between the spot meter
and negative film I was able to get good images.
I use either Betty screens or the 2-4 screen in the 4. Most of the time I don't
care for split images or microprisms. I have not had a lot of problem with glare
and the Beattie screens myself. The Beattie screen was great for the stage
production! I have noticed the same as you, that the 2-4 does seem to have a
more even 'lighting' to it. The difference has not been that big or
objectionable to me though. I may just be less sensitive or observant.
Jim Couch
Adi Soon wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I just got my OM4Ti from a fellow list member and I must say that my
> impressions of the camera have been a roller coaster of positives and
> negatives.
>
> First some history, I shoot mainly street scenes with a Leica M6. The OM2n
> which is the only other OM I have gets use some of them time. It would have
> been more save for the Beattie screen which I got installed in it. Its
> better than the original 1-13 that came with the camera overall, but I
> haven't learnt to live with it well enough. Its great in low light that
> much I can say. I can literally see in the dark with the Beattie. In
> day-light however, its a different story. The screen doesn't handle glare
> well, creating wash outs tones in the viewfinder. Colors are flat and the
> DOF is unclear. In short, looking through the Beattie in the daytime, I
> cannot have a sense of how the final picture will turn out.
>
> The OM4 Ti however was a different experience. With my first look through
> its viewfinder, I was disappointed to see that the screen was dark and had
> a greenish tone. I was wondering what was wrong. However it took about 20
> minutes or so, and then my eyes gradually adjusted. After that there was
> none of the green tone anymore, instead the colors were rendered
> beautifully and true to life. Low-light performance was a smidgen lousier
> than the Beattie but commendable all the same. In terms of evenness across
> the field and tonality, the 2-13 wins hands down. Now here was a viewfinder
> that I knew I would be very happy with. In fact, just walking around
> looking at things with the camera glued to my face is a pleasurable pastime.
>
> Compared to the OM2n. the OM4Ti seems to have a bulkier pentaprism making
> the control interface somewhat claustrophobic. The 2n is by far the more
> elegant of the two in terms of design. Putting both side by side, I could
> not help but admire the shiny enamelish(?) finish, and the uncluttered
> triangular prism of the 2n. In a beauty contest, my vote would go to the
> 2n. Also the 2n seems to have a smoother feel to the winding mechanism. The
> 4Ti's feels more ratchety. I had my reservations on this but after starting
> shooting with the 4Ti, the ratchety sound actually feels more right. I
> don't know if this sounds silly, but there is a more "I've got the shot
> feeling" about the sound of the winding mechanism of the 4Ti.
>
> Another thing I am beginning to love about the 4Ti is the spot meter. Saw a
> difficult dappled light situation that I would have had less confidence
> with with the 2n. No problems with the 4Ti. I initially thought that I
> wouldn't be using the spot meter at all when I first got it, but I found
> myself instinctively going for the button and metering. Halfway through
> this process I suddenly realized that I was using the spot meter!
> It was such a weird feeling.
>
> Reminds me of the time when I first got my 2n, flipped the camera to manual
> and actually started to use the spot meter( I didn't know there wasn't
> one). Only when I got the washed out pics did I realize my mistake. Any way
> says something about the reputation Olympus has for spot metering.
>
> Well, in conclusion, I love my 4ti! Will fill out my collection with a 35
> and a 300, and then I'm set!
>
> --Adi
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