Joel the Wilcox wrote:
> Maybe I can help, Nicholas. Make it easier, that is.
>
LOL, you call that help?
> The 3T and 4T metering system is really good for shooting slide film.
> It's good for any film, of course, but exposure metering for slide is
> more critical. If you shoot mainly print film, your current cameras
> are accurate enough.
>
Now, see, this is where I have exactly the opposite take. The OM-2S is, in
my humble opinion, about the most perfect camera for slide-film, but the
metering system in the 3Ti and 4Ti is as perfect for B&W photography as ever
was made.
With slide-film, what is really the most important aspect is making sure
your mid-tone is placed precisely in the right spot. Highlights and shadows
don't matter if you mid-tone is skewed. The OM-2 bodies (OM-2md, OM-2n,
OM-2S) all have metering systems and exposure control layouts that just make
slide-film shooting as enjoyable as can be. Obviously, slot-canyons do
present a little bit of operational nuance to the argument, though. The
OM-2S is the only (real) OM body with live, no-touch spot-metering in
manual-exposure mode. The 3/4 metering system requires you to press the spot
button to get a single spot reading and then you get a floating dot for
additional readings. The positioning of the exposure-offset control allows
for adjustment without removing the camera from the eye.
Now, let's talk B&W....
In manual exposure mode, the 3/4 series metering system is a thing of
beauty. Take a small handful of spot readings--high values, low values and
a couple mid-tones. Then adjust the exposure until all the dots land within
the +/- exposure range of the film. That's all folks. Zone-System is alive
and well.
A while back, I wrote about receiving the OM-4T. My feelings haven't changed
one iota since then and if anything they've gotten stronger.
http://zone-10.com/cmsm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=156&Itemid=1
and
http://zone-10.com/cmsm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=141&Itemid=1
also
http://zone-10.com/cmsm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=164&Itemid=1
I wrote about the OM-3Ti and illustrate the metering system.
http://zone-10.com/cmsm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=374&Itemid=1
The OM system is very much active in my kit--and with the OM-3Ti, OM-4T as
well as my old OM-2S, I feel that I can attack nearly any photograph with
confidence. Shooting digital is just so "utilitarian" in comparison. I feel
that I take great pictures with digital, but my film pictures are just so
much more rewarding.
Each OM body is unique. The OM-2(md, n) and OM-1(md, n) got the ball rolling
and represent the best that the '70s and early '80s could offer. But then
Olympus jumped into another tier with the development of the OM-3/4 series
of cameras. These cameras represent the finality of design. The OM-3Ti was
the last camera developed to reach the market. Expensive? Yup, you betcha.
Worth it? Well, not to everybody, but it's kinda like the difference between
sleeping on the floor and a nice mattress. Both get you rested, but your
ribs don't hurt in the morning.
I wanted an OM-4T(Ti) for so long that when it arrived, I was giddy for
months. It's a camera that fulfills a dream. I use it, appreciate it and
enjoy it more than I could imagine. It has reopened photographic doors that
hadn't been open for years.
Then when the OM-3Ti arrived, to say that I was in total shock is an
understatement. My hands trembled and I'm not so proud as to say that I
balled like a baby. That was a camera that I never ever expected to see much
less use in my lifetime. Without a doubt, it is the most beautiful OM body
made. That finish is just spectacular. As I've tried to explain, it feels
different, sounds different and just seems to handle different. Blind-folded
you know which camera it is. Does it take better pictures? Nah, not really.
Does it do anything other OM bodies don't? Except for how it handles TTL-OTF
flash, no. In fact, it's downright limited as compared to most bodies. It
doesn't even have a self-timer!
These are cameras that I use every chance I get. I rarely let an opportunity
slip that I don't select the OM system instead of a digital alternative. The
cameras work the way I want them to work and I use them to promote the film
medium as well as the OM system as much as I can. I can honestly say that
EVERY piece of OM gear I have has been used repeatably in the past year. Not
one item has sat unused for more than two months--and that's even the most
obscure item.
It's funny, because I have my favorite configurations, but each favorite
configuration is unique to a style of shooting or the subject being shot.
The OM system is so convertable and selectable, it's kinda like legos--what
do you want to build today? It is the ultimate in "mood rings". Sometimes
I'm in the mood for big and scary, so it's an OM-4T with MD2, 35-80 and the
T45 flash. Other times, it's the OM-2S or OM-3Ti with just a simple 35/2.8.
As a professional photographer, I use my equipment in ways that the average
hobbiest wouldn't, but as a professional photographer in the digital age, I
regret not being able to use the equipment all the time. Next month is my
big mammoth annual event shoot. I've informed them that they must pay for
the wad of Portra 400nc that I'm going to shoot this year. Digital is only
going to be used for selected stuff (maybe a thousand shots or so), but
primarily this is OM territory. The OM-4T will win out on most of the
photography because of various reasons, but the OM-3Ti will be used too. I
do appreciate that both cameras handle the same in manual mode. As this is a
live event with extensive stage lighting, having the dynamic range of Portra
400nc really transforms the images as the depth is so much more than what
can be accomplished with digital. (throughout the year, around 200 images
are published, printed or used in promotional materials from this event).
The only thing I've never really been able to get my head wrapped around is
why there is an exposure compensation dial on the OM-3Ti. :)
As a friend of mine explains: I'm kinda like that cool uncle with the
classic cars. While everybody else is tooting around in their rice-rockets,
I show up with a '71 Cuda. The OM-3Ti is the Hemi equipped '71 Cuda of the
OM line.
AG Schnozz
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