Hello, Richard. I'll chime in here with some answers of my own. If
they're different from others you can weigh the preponderance of the
evidence.
----------------
1. When might one want to lock up the mirror on an OM1, OM2, and OM2n?
And how is this done?
----------------
You lock up the mirror to eliminate one of the three sources of
vibration... mirror, shutter and diaphragm. In the OM line only the
OM-1 and its variants (M-1 and OM-1n) have mirror lockup. The mirror is
locked up by turning the small lever behind the lens mount located
between the self-timer lever and rewind lever. If you don't have a
user's manual you can download one here:
<http://www.olympusamerica.com/innards/download_manuals.asp>
Using the mirror lock is only practical when the camera is on a tripod
and the subject is stationary. The OM-2 incorporates a special damper
to minimize mirror vibration but it is probably not as effective as
locking the mirror. Some of the later cameras (OM-2s, OM-4 and its
variants, OM-PC/40(???)) do something a bit better. When used in
self-timer mode they pre-fire the mirror and aperture about 2 seconds
before the shutter which give these vibrations a chance to settle down.
The problem here is that the self-timer duration isn't variable and
you always have to wait about 12 seconds for the shutter to go off.
Former list member and now just sometimes contributor Gary Reese in Las
Vegas demonstrated quite conclusively that the diaphragm stop-down
mechanism was a serious source of vibration. Gary performed extensive
lens tests using an OM-1 with mirror lockup and then redid many of them
after discovering that an OM-4 with both mirror and diaphragm prefire
using the self-timer gave notably better performance. See his lens test
site here: <http://members.aol.com/olympusom/lenstests/default.htm>
The effect of vibration is shutter speed dependent as someone else has
already noted and worst in the middle range. A very fast exposure will
tend to freeze the motion. A very slow exposure will experience
vibration only during part of the exposure. For tripod use, Olympus has
always recommended pressing down on the camera with your hand during
exposure to absorb vibrations. The weight and flesh of your hand makes
a good vibration damper. There are other tricks too such as hanging
weights on your tripod.
-------------
2. I see ads for lenses that claim absolutely no oil on the blades, or
the diaphragm is oil free. What is the nature and cause of this
problem that many Ebay sellers (especially) say they don't have?
-------------
Aperture blades are driven by tiny springs and are supposed to be dry
with a "snappy" action... no sluggishness allowed. Occasionally,
(especially if exposed to high temperatures) oil/grease from the zoom
mechanism or focusing helicoid will migrate onto the aperture blades.
The spring does not have enough power to overcome the surface tension
of oil. The automatic diaphragm mechanism doesn't work properly anymore
and the lens is effectively useless. The oil can be cleaned off but
requires at least partially disassembling the lens. An otherwise
excellent 50mm f/1.8 Zuiko that might fetch $20-30 is essentially
worthless if facing a $50 cleaning bill. Some of the later, better
performing 50mm f/1.8's are particularly prone to oil on the diaphragm.
To add insult to injury, some have been assembled with glue on the
threads and it's impossible to open them up and clean them.
-----------
3. I know it depends, but should I buy a T32 or a T20?
-----------
Depends. If it's for the OM-1 which does not do TTL flash (where camera
controls exposure) I'd get a Vivitar or Sunpak or other third party auto
flash (where flash controls exposure) with built-in tilt and swivel. If
you want to use that flash with the OM-2 as well then you can also get
one that has dedicated OM TTL function as well as auto mode.
Assuming it has to be Olympus for TTL, by all means a T-32 and
preferably a BG-2 to go along with it. The BG-2 will get the flash off
the camera and provide swivel motion to go with the T-32's built-in
tilt. However, the BG-2's swivel motion won't be usable in flash
controlled auto mode with the non-TTL OM-1. When the T-32 flash is used
in its auto mode the body of the flash (containing the sensor) must be
pointing at the subject.
A third party flash with built-in tilt and swivel will allow you to keep
the flash on the OM-1 with the sensor pointing at the subject while the
flash head points to a convenient wall/ceiling for bounce. The Sunpak
422-D is one relatively inexpensive solution which is available
dedicated for Olympus OM TTL and has tilt and swivel along with variable
power control in manual mode. There are others. John Lind of this list
is particularly knowledgeable on third party flashes for OM.
-------------
4. Ever hear of reversing a 50mm lens on my OM1 and using it for close
up shots? Why in the world should this work?
-------------
The optical design of a normal lens is such that it performs best when
the subject to lens distance is greater than the lens to film distance.
In extreme close ups this relationship gets turned upside down so the
lens can be reversed to better maintain the relationship of subject and
film plane distances. It's not something you should obsess over. It
probably doesn't matter very much and there are better ways to take
closeups. Using the lens reversed also raises issues of loss of auto
diaphragm control and exposing the protruding rear element to accidental
collisions with the subject.
--------------
5. I am drawn to stark, contrasty, sharp black and white photos. What
film should I use, Tri-X or Tmax? Or maybe something else?
--------------
I'll let somebody else address this. It's been 35 years since I used
much black and white. No doubt you'll get recommendations on Ilford and
Scala.
--------------
6. The Photoworks lab does OK with color, but doesn't develop and scan
black and white film. Is there someone around who does this well and
for a reasonable price?
--------------
Somebody on the list does. I wish I could remember who.
--------------
7. Do you think there is a quality difference between the Om1 and Om2n,
or are they all the same high quality?
--------------
The single digit OM bodies are all professional quality cameras. The
double digit and letter bodies (OM-10, 20, 30, 40, G, F, PC, etc) are
consumer grade. Good cameras but not designed to stand up to heavy
usage in tough environments. For the OM-1 and OM-2 the "n" designation
nominally gives you a flash ready indication in the viewfinder but also
means that this is a later built camera. It *may* have less wear than
an earlier camera but also benefits from various engineering
improvements that Olympus incorporated over the years.
--------------
8. Does Olympus still sell anything for the OM cameras?
--------------
The OM line was officially discontinued on March 31, 2003. All
manufacturing ceased a long time ago. Various distributors have, I
believe, bought all of Olympus's remaining stocks.
--------------
9. What is the best way to clean a lens without damaging it?
--------------
Blow or lightly brush off any dust or abrasive particles. Use a lens
cleaning fluid on a non-abrasive, relatively lint-free absorbent cloth
or paper. Apply the cleaning liquid to the cloth first so that liquid
cleaner does not run across the lens and run under the retaining ring.
I personally use a method similar to one recommended by Thomas Tomosy in
his camera repair books. After blowing away surface dust I take a small
piece of facial tissue and roll it into a cylinder about 35mm long and
10mm in diameter. I wet the end of the cylinder with Windex window
cleaner and swirl it in a circular pattern around the surface of the
lens working from the center to the edge. I may do this several times
if necessary and also use the other end of the cylinder. I finish with
a light polishing using a dry end of the cylinder and blow away any
remaining dust with compressed gas.
Some people are horrified at the thought of using Windex on lens
coatings since it contains ammonia. However, I have done this for years
and my lens coatings are in perfectly fine shape. It will take much
more than ammonia to ruin them and ammonia is a fine glass cleaner.
Facial tissue also seems to be free of abrasive particles.
-------------
10. Why is a 135mm/2.8 a telephoto lens, whereas a 135mm 4.5 is a macro
lens?
-------------
Everything to do with the optical design of the lens and nothing to do
with its aperture. The macro lens is designed to perform well at close
distances. It is also designed for flatness of field. A flat field is
important if you are copying flat objects like the cover of a book. In
a more normal lens the plane of best focus would actually be slightly
curved. In the macro lens the plane of best focus is flat to
accommodate a flat object. The 135mm macro is preferred by some people
over other Olympus macro lenses because the longer focal length allows
greater working distance from skittish (or even dangerous) critters.
--------------
11. If Ebay is any measure, are prices for Olympus OM cameras, lenses,
and accessories skyrocketing? Is this something we can expect to continue?
--------------
Things that are relatively rare and/or are in new or like new condition
will probably see their prices rise as they continue to be taken up by
collectors. I personally think that the price of very common items will
slowly fall as more of us move on to digital over the next several years.
Chuck Norcutt
Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|