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Re: [OM] OM shutters

Subject: Re: [OM] OM shutters
From: Joel Wilcox <jowilcox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 19:04:40 -0500
Hi Lama,

At 03:15 PM 5/25/2002 -0400, you wrote:
In my experience with an OM-1, OM-2, OM-PC, and OM-4, the 2 has far and away
the quietest and silkiest mirror/shutter sound.
The original question was not about the sound but the performance of the 
shutters.  In other words, among the critical stops from 1/2 to 1/30, which 
is likely to be the smoothest.  Sound probably doesn't have anything to do 
with it.
 If I recall though, it's
impossible to lock up the 2 mirror.  It has a mechanical timer but I don't
remember if it prefires anything.
Right.

The PC and 4 each have a secondary mirror, so they have a less sexy,
"slub-swish" kind of sound.
The PC and the 2S are quite similar.  To me, the 4 seems more a throwback 
to the 2N sound (I don't have a 2 to judge if it is a different sound from 
the 2N).  As to the appeal of the sound, that's very much a "ear of the 
beholder" thing.  The 2S has a thin-sheet-of-ice-breaking sound some of us 
love. :)
>The 1 lets you LOCK the mirror though and the resulting shutter-only sound
is relatively quiet.  The mechanical timer makes a bzzzzzzzzzzt.  You can
fire the shutter when YOU want but some here have said that a cable release
can add shake. (!)  My opinion right now is that you're better off using the
timer if it's appropriate.
I don't think the mirror lock up makes any difference in vibration 
reduction (and it is something I've tested).  The aperture stopdown 
mechanism gives the camera a jolt either way.  I think the best method is 
probably to use the left hand to hold the lens and the right gently to 
squeeze the shutter button.  The timer unfortunately doesn't stop down the 
aperture at the beginning of the timer run, so that the stop down of the 
aperture occurs at the same time relative to the shutter firing whether you 
use the timer, a cable release, or your finger.
Joel W.


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