Olympus OM-1 good buy?

Joshstedders

Joshstedders

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hi I am fairly new to film photography and am looking to purchase the Olympus OM-1. I am a little unsure how much I should pay for a camera like this in good condition. Don't want to get ripped off. But if this isn't a good option what else should I look for?
 
Joshstedders said:
hi I am fairly new to film photography and am looking to purchase the Olympus OM-1. I am a little unsure how much I should pay for a camera like this in good condition. Don't want to get ripped off. But if this isn't a good option what else should I look for?
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For a starter camera, it represents an excellent buy. It's an all manual camera, so although it has a light meter, you need to set both aperture and shutter speed manually.

For accurate pricing, used the 'Sold Listings' feature on eBay. A lot of people make the mistake of looking at current eBay auctions/buy it now listings to gauge price, but those typically are inflated and above market price. Bear in mind that cameras will come in every condition from mint all the way down to a camera only good for parts, and this is also reflected in second hand pricing.

Other popular "classic" looking starter cameras include:
Olympus - OM2, OM10, OM20, OM30, OM40
Nikon - FE, FM, FG
Canon - AE-1, AE-1 Program, AV-1, A-1
Pentax - ME Super, MX, K1000, MV

These are all cameras from the 70s and 80s that are relatively simple, and offer fully manual, shutter priority or aperture priority (or a mix of more than one). There are almost certainly other good recommendations for starter cameras; sometimes it depends on what kit you have now (if any), what brands you might have access to, or even just a nice looking camera that catches your eye (that's how I ended up with a Nikon FE).
 
Well I'm sure the experts will start posting for Olympus but I know that the OM1 uses the old mercury battery for the meter and maybe a hearing aid battery which is 1.4v would fit.
For the A range Canon cameras I would personally give them a miss and it's not because they are rubbish, but the only one I would buy would be the A-1 and have one...but beware of the Canon cough if buying one. If interested in the A-1 .check that it is not too complicated to use...but then if you have a digi camera then any film camera is simple ;)
 
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excalibur2 said:
Well I'm sure the experts will start posting but I know that the OM1 uses the old mercury battery for the meter and maybe a hearing aid battery which is 1.4v would fit
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It does indeed use a battery that doesn't exist anymore, but there are a number of well documented alternatives online. Using a "Wein Cell", which is a replacement for the old mercury batteries, is one such option. Another is that many OM-1s have been converted to accept modern batteries.
 
Thanks for the quick replies. I will be looking at your suggestions, I was looking for cameras like the Olympus om1 as I am already familiar with how it works. What would you say is a reasonable price for one? As regards to the battery I believe many are altered for a 1.5v as they are easier to get hold of.
 
Joshstedders said:
Thanks for the quick replies. I will be looking at your suggestions, I was looking for cameras like the Olympus om1 as I am already familiar with how it works. What would you say is a reasonable price for one? As regards to the battery I believe many are altered for a 1.5v as they are easier to get hold of.
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If you're familiar with them already, then it sounds like it's an obvious good purchase.
Difficult to say, I'm not in the market for one. Black, silver? With lens, without? Serviced, no recent service history? You can look on eBay - look at sold listings which are similar to the sort of camera *you* have in mind.
 
I would say 50-70£ with a normal 50mm f/1.8 lens. For good condition camera.
 
If only you had access to the classifieds... :0)

I probably should elaborate. I posted my OM1 MD with 50/1.8 lens in the classifieds yesterday. It's been serviced and had the battery conversion performed so the metering works using modern batteries (3 spares included).

I realise you don't have classifieds access yet but I assume your dad does if you want to see some pictures.

Cheers
Steve
 
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Think I'm going to do a little more research and have look at some similar cameras. Thanks for the help though, much appreciated.
 
killwilly said:
A great camera and still excellent value.


View attachment 39974
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Now your talking.......(y)(y)(y) In Canons haste to go EF they didn't bother to cure the sticky shutter problem otherwise it would be near perfect.
Mind you I don't know if the the sticky shutter was a problem at the time or happened 5, 10, 20 years etc after production stopped.
 
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One thing to check is the light seals. They are easy (but fiddly) to change, but it's worth knowing up front.

OM-1s are brill.
 
excalibur2 said:
Now your talking.......(y)(y)(y) In Canons haste to go EF they didn't bother to cure the sticky shutter problem otherwise it would be near perfect.
Mind you I don't know if the the sticky shutter was a problem at the time or happened 5, 10, 20 years etc after production stopped.
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If left unused for several months, mine still sticks. All I do is, hold down the button and give it a sharp whack on a carpeted floor, works every time.:eek:

I bought mine new in 1983 and it's still as good as new. I had thought of selling it, but they fetch virtually nothing today.
 
Have a look at the OM2 as well. It came out a couple of years after the OM1, and adds aperture priority automation and a more advanced metering system.

I shot Nikon in the 70s and 80s, and still have my F2 and FM, but always had a very high regard for Olympus.
 
killwilly said:
If left unused for several months, mine still sticks. All I do is, hold down the button and give it a sharp whack on a carpeted floor, works every time.:eek:

I bought mine new in 1983 and it's still as good as new. I had thought of selling it, but they fetch virtually nothing today.
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A camera that has to be bashed on the floor to make it work can't be described as "good as new". My T90 doesn't work anymore, like a huge proportion of them. The shutter is stuck and can't be freed with any of the suggested 'fixes'. The T90 camera has a serious design fault and should be avoided by anyone looking to enjoy 35mm photography.
 
One of the things I like about the T70 (and T90) is they don't have foam light seals to go gooey .........must be a reason why all the cameras before had them????
NickT said:
A camera that has to be bashed on the floor to make it work can't be described as "good as new". My T90 doesn't work anymore, like a huge proportion of them. The shutter is stuck and can't be freed with any of the suggested 'fixes'. The T90 camera has a serious design fault and should be avoided by anyone looking to enjoy 35mm photography.
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Well I disagree with you in different ways:-
Are these T90s that don't work the ones that were just slung in a cupboard unused when the owner went digital? Not many cameras like that.
Do you know anyone that was using one and it stopped working while shooting?
IIRC the two faults are the magnet operating the shutter is not being degaussed (and firing it about once a month cures it) and the other one is the material around the shutter becomes gooey (wherever it is) after time and the shutter sticks you have to be unlucky for this problem..... I've had mine for 4 years and no problem, so would say if you get one working it will just go on.
Anyway you spend £40-£60 on a night out in a restaurant so if you bought a T90 for the same amount and it does go wrong say after 3 years, the way you look at is:- you have used a top camera and all it has cost you is 33p\week.

And now for something different... just bought this and off now using the chainsaw attachment and if I saw my head off, wont be posting anymore :D
http://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttk587gdo-25cc-1-1hp-petrol-landscaping-multi-tool/48423
 
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RaglanSurf said:
You could have bought a very nice F100 for that sort of money.
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;)
Still looking at the bootie for the F100.......actually I'm looking for a Chinon CM-3 to play with, if anyone has got one for £4, I'll take it off your hands.


Chinon-Chinon-CM-3.jpg
 
I've just picked up a reasonable OM20 which has an auto mode for aperture priority and think that's a nice option to get started and reminding myself how manual all works. Maybe worth looking at given the cost you can get them for.
 
I was GIVEN an OM10 last week by a Lady who brought it up to Camera Club -- it had a mint f3.5 28mm Zuiko and a 50mm f1.4 Zuiko , winder, tripod so I gave the 28mm lens+ the winder to my boy for his OM2n that he was given by a widow lady years ago then gave the tripod away to a beginner at Club who didn't have one and gave the OM10 to a member who is starting 'Film Photography' -- if you go to your local 'Camera Club'/'Photographic Society' you can often get FREE film gear !
 
stevelmx5 said:
Not £4 but I don't reckon you'll have much competition with the auction Brian :0)

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=161736024084&globalID=EBAY-GB
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Thanks Steve........the lenses are quite good (typo on the Pentacon 50mm) and a good buy if it stayed at £10 and you needed the lenses....anybody wondering why would I (or anybody) want a CM3? Well i only have two old cameras that take M42 lenses and this camera was one of the latest (about 1976) before switching to bayonet mount and the metering should be better (LEDs) plus other goodies e.g. metal vertical shutter, X=1/100sec.....the other modern cameras I have, that take an adapter for M42, work well but the lens has to able to manually stop down so e.g.I can't use some lovely Fujinon EBC T lenses and others..
Anyway my Pentax S3 and Praktica TL5 do the job but the CM3 would be nice to play with if going cheap.
 
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