Suggestions for a partner to my OM-1n

southernjessie

southernjessie

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I'm waiting to hear back from Michael Spencer on my OM-1n and hopefully it can be repaired. I haven't even had a chance to use it properly and am getting the urge to buy another film camera. The only other film cameras I have are an Olympus Trip 35 and Canon Sureshot Supreme.

I'm debating whether to just buy another OM body - maybe an OM-2n, or go for something else. Perhaps another SLR or even a rangefinder.

Although I love the idea of a Leica my budget wouldn't stretch to one at the moment.

I'm looking for the same level of image quality as an OM with Zuiko lens, plus the body shouldn't be too big.

Any suggestions? :)
 
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What's your budget?
 
If you fancy a rangefinder have a look at the Voigtlander range, you would probably get one with a very decent lens for under £300, possibly an L or a T. They are beautiful, well made and compact cameras and lenses and for a fraction of the cost of a Leica they are nearly as good (I don't suppose the Leica lovers will agree though :D).

Andy
 
Or the budget intro to rangefinders, the Yashica Electro range, cheap as chips and with the quality Yashinon 45mm f1.7 lens, it's not the smallest of cameras but you get a lot of camera for your money.
 
Another OM body means you can use the same lenses, something else means buying into another system so does your potential budget include the cost of at least one lens? The OM2SP and OM4Ti can be had for around £100-150 and both bodies are excellent, though the 2SP can be hungry on batteries.

For something different but similar to your OM, I've just picked up my Nikon FE2 again and it oozes quality with the 50mm f/1.4 lens. That combo would probably cost about £300 if you wanted to buy from a dealer with warranty.

With rangefinders, I'm not sure about budget but you might want to look for a Minolta CL or CLE. They're Leica M-mount cameras with a pretty good reputation. If you want to save some money and go fixed lens, the Yashica Electro 35 GX and CC (40mm and 35mm f/1.7 respectively) are much smaller than the other Electros and are capable of stunning images. I have the GX and it's my go-to camera when I want something small to throw in a bag, plus it takes 52mm filters so I can use the same ones on my Nikon.
 
Thanks Andy and Nick.

@Andy - do you mean the Bessa range? I've seen the R cameras not the ones you mentioned.

@Nick - would ebay be the only place to get these? Anything I should look out for?
 
Hi Dean - I've managed to get the 28mm f2.8 and 135mm f3.5 lenses to go with my OM-1n but haven't even managed to test them out since it's been in repair for a while now. I don't know anything about the OM3, 4 2SP at all.

I'm not adverse to getting a rangefinder though, maybe just for something different, but the IQ would have to be on par with the Olympus gear.
 
Hi Simon

As I said a bit higher up, I don't know anything about these models, compared with the OM-1n (I mean in terms of what they can do, reliability, build quality, etc).

simonblue said:
The OM4ti is a great little camera or the OM3 :)
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The build quality is great on both of theses better than OM1n,they were both at the top of Olympus range,OM4ti uses mulit spot metering and the OM3 was its manual partner :)
 
southernjessie said:
Hi Dean - I've managed to get the 28mm f2.8 and 135mm f3.5 lenses to go with my OM-1n but haven't even managed to test them out since it's been in repair for a while now. I don't know anything about the OM3, 4 2SP at all.
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I still have my 2SP and had a 4T for a while (US version of the 4Ti). Both are excellent cameras with spot meters, the 4Ti allows you to take up to 9 spot readings and gives an average value so you could see it as DIY matrix metering :) The Ti on the 4 refers to the top plate and base being made of titanium, though for some reason the 'chrome' version is a sort of naff champagne gold colour so I'd hold out for a black body if you can.

The 2SP can eat batteries, mine goes through a set in 3 months even if I'm not using it, despite setting the shutter speed to B and turning everything off that I can find. I think it was down to a batch of dodgy circuit boards and later ones are much better but I'm not sure how you identify a later one. I believe you can also swap in a circuit board from a 4Ti to cure it, though that strikes me as a rather extreme solution.

southernjessie said:
I'm not adverse to getting a rangefinder though, maybe just for something different, but the IQ would have to be on par with the Olympus gear.
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Best thing to do is search for different models on flickr and make your own judgement. I did that when I was looking for my Yash and decided against the CC as I don't like the way it renders out of focus areas. Another thing to consider is what functionality you want - I wanted a rangefinder that gave me aperture-priority and there are a lot fewer of them than you might think. Leicas are unmetered manual cameras until you get to the M5/M6 models and the cost reflects that. I'd be tempted to go for a screw-mount model such as a III for proper olde-worlde charm if you want to try them on a budget.
 
OK, so I'll check out an OM3, OM4Ti for SLR, and Yashica Electro and Minolta CL for RF. I don't know what a screw mount model is btw!

Sorry, I know I'm a dumb a$$ but I'm a complete beginner when it comes to film cameras! Happy to learn each day from you kind folks though :D
 
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Yes, the Bessas, I think it goes L, T, R, R2, R3, R4. I had an R3a with the Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f1.4, a stunning combination but probably a bit above your budget. I originally had the Jupiter 8 lens with mine which was pretty good for the price and not a bad way to go if you can't immediately afford both the Bessa camera and Voigtlander lens.
 
There seems to be a big difference in price between the L and R.

I've seen a Minolta CL with 40mm f2 lens for just over £500. A bit outside my budget but would this be better than a lower-order Bessa with lens?

Evil bay also has the Yashica Electro GT, GN etc for around the £100 mark.
 
southernjessie said:
I don't know what a screw mount model is btw!
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Your OM lenses mount with a bayonet fitting, where you put them in the body and twist through a quarter or third turn. Screw-mount lenses have a screw thread, which ... erm ... screws into the body. Leica (and some Russian clones such as Zorki and FED) have a 39mm thread (L39) and some SLRs come with a 42mm thread mount (M42). :)
 
A decent OM3 will cost an arm and a leg! I think there were relatively small quantities made so the collectors push their price way up.

I'd go for the OM-2N, not the most glamorous choice but will work with your existing lenses, similar handling to your OM-1N takes sensible batteries and lots around so not too pricey.
 
southernjessie said:
There seems to be a big difference in price between the L and R.
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I think the L has no rangefinder or even a viewfinder. I always assumed it was for use with the very wide lenses that use separate viewfinders that slot into the hotshoe.
 
Yep, ^^^^, does push the price up as you need a viewfinder that fits on the hotshoe but means a very neat and light package.
 
Well I'm not an OM fan but unless I missing something the answer is obvious:- Just get a OM2 or OM2n body for about £25 then use the OM lenses you have and enjoy taking shots and if you want to try something different in the future then all you have spent is the cost of the OM2 body.
 
Andysnap said:
Yep, ^^^^, does push the price up as you need a viewfinder that fits on the hotshoe but means a very neat and light package.
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Yep and restricts you to zone focusing. :(

I used to have a Bessa R2, lovely camera and great wee lenses.
 
It would be the natural thing to do (although I've not seen any for £25 - mostly around £60-£80) and I might pick one up anyway but I was thinking of a RF as something different.


excalibur2 said:
Well I'm not an OM fan but unless I missing something the answer is obvious:- Just get a OM2 or OM2n body for about £25 then use the OM lenses you have and enjoy taking shots and if you want to try something different in the future then all you have spent is the cost of the OM2 body.
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southernjessie said:
It would be the natural thing to do (although I've not seen any for £25 - mostly around £60-£80) and I might pick one up anyway but I was thinking of a RF as something different.
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Well I can loan you a OM20 for about 5 years to use in the meantime if you want to pay £2.80 postage...works perfectly on auto but the manual speeds don't work.
 
If you go for a OM-4 (not ti) make sure it's a later one or had the electronics updated otherwise you will be constantly buying batteries.

There is a check for OM4s with updated electronics - something to do with battery check time out, but I cant remember the exact method.

The OM-4tis are lovely cameras though - superb metering system.
 
If you're coming to the beer meet on Monday I can bring an Electro GT for you to have a look at and a Bessa R4 which is roughly the same size as an R.
 
OM2, uses the same lenses, isn't as expensive as a 4. You'll be lucky to get one for less than £50 but it's a good camera and handles almost exactly the same as the 1. Swapping between systems can get a little confusing if you never get comfortable with one.
 
Thanks Brian - that's also very kind of you. I'll give that some thought as well.

excalibur2 said:
Well I can loan you a OM20 for about 5 years to use in the meantime if you want to pay £2.80 postage...works perfectly on auto but the manual speeds don't work.
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Unfortunately I cannot make Monday now but I will hopefully make the next one.

What do you think of the Yashica, Nick? I've seen them on the 'bay for around £100 or less. How's the RF patch - clear and bright or would I have to get it serviced somewhere?

The Bessa is probably in a different league, isn't it? It should be since it's so much more expensive and can take the best lenses like Leica.

RaglanSurf said:
If you're coming to the beer meet on Monday I can bring an Electro GT for you to have a look at and a Bessa R4 which is roughly the same size as an R.
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The R3a and 40mm was the only camera I really regret selling, just a superb package.

This one was with the Jupiter 12 lens

Gilbert by andysnapper1, on Flickr

and this on the Voigtlander 40mm

Meall-nan-Dearcag by andysnapper1, on Flickr

They are a bit more expensive but tbh I think in the long run worth it.

Andy
 
southernjessie said:
Unfortunately I cannot make Monday now but I will hopefully make the next one.

What do you think of the Yashica, Nick? I've seen them on the 'bay for around £100 or less. How's the RF patch - clear and bright or would I have to get it serviced somewhere?

The Bessa is probably in a different league, isn't it? It should be since it's so much more expensive and can take the best lenses like Leica.
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The Bessa 3 & 4 are a more expensive versions but are similar in size as the basic R, so they would give you an idea of whether it would work for you. I think the Yashicas are great value, the RF patches like a lot of rangefinders can be variable in quality, something you won't really know til you look through the viewfinder, but if you find a good one they are cracking cameras.
 
Thanks guys - hopefully I'll make the next London GTG and can check the Bessa and Yashica out.

Andy - love the landscape pic above!
 
Andysnap said:
The R3a and 40mm was the only camera I really regret selling, just a superb package.

This one was with the Jupiter 12 lens

Gilbert by andysnapper1, on Flickr

and this on the Voigtlander 40mm

Meall-nan-Dearcag by andysnapper1, on Flickr

They are a bit more expensive but tbh I think in the long run worth it.

Andy
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OH please stop it.:) you can have it back if you like as sold,but, with the Leica 90mm,the Jupiter 50mm and the Voigtlander 21mm with viewfinder,what a great complete and brilliant kit.:canon::nikon::olympus:,but, Voightlander more. :)
 
southernjessie said:
What do you think of the Yashica, Nick? I've seen them on the 'bay for around £100 or less. How's the RF patch - clear and bright or would I have to get it serviced somewhere?
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I've also got an Electro 35GT and can give you my opinions and recommendations.

The Electro 35s are fine cameras, well constructed, with an excellent lens and are superb for hand held and tripod mounted low light photography. The prices seem to be very volatile and are high at the moment. This is probably because they appear to have developed a minor cult status and have become a retro-chic fashion accessory with urban hipsters. Having said that, I would still buy one but I think £100 is too much, as you can get better value with other makes. I think I'd run to £70 for a good one.

I also have a spare parts 35GT, an MG-1 (it's less capable sibling) and an OM1. The rangefinder patches have always been well defined on my models and focusing is therefore quick. For a rangefinder, it's a big heavy camera, equal in size to many SLRs and less transportable than the OM1, as you can't put the lens and body in separate coat pockets.

It has two common defects that I know of. Firstly they often seem to have suffered from corrosion due to battery leakage. This is probably due to the fact that the original mercury battery was rather large and presumably capable of leaking copious amounts of gunk. The corrosion often attacks the top terminal and eats away the main power wire. This is a relatively easy repair, requiring only the removal of the top cover and a small re-soldering job.

The other problem is what someone over dramatically named the 'pad of death' and the name stuck; I'd just call it the' rotten rubber pad'. This stops the interaction between the metering and the shutter timings working correctly. You can Google for the details and Yashica Guy describes how to fix it. This repair requires a major disassembly - tedious but not intrinsically difficult if you take it slowly. Some folks say you can fix it by just removing the top but I say that you can't do a proper job that way. The majority opinion, which I share, is that if the camera clunks when you advance the film, then the POD is OK. Certainly my 35GT and MG1 both clunk and exposure is fine.

Finally, you see many listed on e-bay as 'excellent working order but I haven't tested it with a battery' which I would interpret as 'I have tested it with a battery and the shutter clicks but the electrics are shot'. You need to know that the both the under and over lights operate when the camera's pointed at an appropriately lit subject.

Here are links to a few low-light shots taken with my 35GT, the first two are hand held.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47119506@N03/10208392504/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47119506@N03/5731659341/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47119506@N03/4532401928/

Good luck with whatever you go for.
 
Hi Nick

Thanks very much for your detailed opinion on the 35GT. It seems that if I did buy one off ebay I'd probably need to send it for some sort of service, but I guess that applies to many film cameras. Prices on ebay are steeper than £70 and apart from the outside appearance, there's no accurate way of telling how well it works.

Your pics are really nice, btw!
 
Be careful with OM cameras after the OM-1 because Olympus changed the full mechanical speed assembly with a string based one, take a look to the following picture:

IMG_3557_3.jpg


IMO, if you already have OM system lenses, stick with OM-1 bodies (not OM-1n), the only problem you will have is the old 1.35v battery for the light meter, but there are adapters available that allows you to use a LR44 battery instead. And avoid any electronics. :)
 
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