Another Olympus OM-1

20 comments on Another Olympus OM-1
5 minutes

I’m happiest when I follow my nose, just doing whatever feels right at the moment. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that I finally shot this Olympus OM-1 after owning it for four years: it felt like it was finally time.

This OM-1 is the backup body to a silver-topped OM-1 that my friend Alice gave me. I shot that other OM-1 almost immediately upon receiving it. In those days, my aim was to collect rangefinder cameras. This OM-1 donation changed my course: I discovered that I was born to shoot 35mm SLRs. I bought more and more of them; I lost count long ago of how many I own. I wondered how I’d experience the OM-1 now, as a fairly experienced 35mm SLR shooter. So I got out this black body and loaded some Fujicolor 200 to find out.

Olympus OM-1

It’s hard to overestimate what an impression this camera made upon its 1972 introduction. 35mm SLRs had always been big and heavy. Olympus decided to shrink the SLR, and the OM-1 was the result. It set the industry on its ear, and soon every other major SLR manufacturer introduced bodies as compact as the OM-1. Olympus milked its good thing for as long as it could, making OM-series cameras for 30 years.

The OM-1’s specs go toe to toe with any SLR of that time. Its shutter operates from 1 to 1/1000 second. The camera takes film from ISO 25 to 1600. Its center-weighted average light meter is coupled to a needle in the viewfinder; when it’s horizontal, perfectly between the + and – symbols, you’ve nailed exposure. There’s a self timer; there’s flash sync. There isn’t, however, a built-in flash shoe. You had to buy one separately.

Olympus OM-1

The OM-1 is all mechanical except for a coupled, battery-powered light meter. Unfortunately, that meter takes the dreaded, banned 625 mercury battery. I substituted an alkaline 625A cell despite its slightly higher voltage. People keep saying that this throws off exposure. I suppose it could. But I shoot negative films with good exposure latitude, which probably makes up for it.

The OM-1 has a few usage quirks. First, the shutter-speed control is on the lens mount. It’s supposed to make it easier to set shutter speed, and I’m sure that if I shot the OM-1 exclusively, I would agree. But so many cameras place that control on the top plate that I kept wanting it to be there. Second, the depth-of-field preview button is on the lens, not the camera. Third, when it comes time to rewind the film, don’t look for the rewind release button on the camera bottom. Instead, turn the “R” control on the camera face.

My son came to visit for a few days. It’s weird to write that. Post-divorce parenting-time rules don’t touch a young man after he turns 18; he can see his old dad whenever the mood strikes. Fortunately, the mood does strike. He came for the weekend not long ago, and we went Downtown for dinner and conversation, just the two of us. He loves the sandwiches at Potbelly’s, and there’s one in my favorite building on the Circle: the art-deco Circle Tower.

Circle Tower

Sandwiches aren’t a thing for me anymore because I follow a gluten-free diet. But Potbelly makes a great chili, so at least there’s something I can eat. We sat at a little table next to this wall.

Little lamps

We walked around Downtown and talked. Occasionally I stopped for a photograph. When my son was born, I worked a half block from what is now Chef Joseph’s. I can’t remember what was in this space then, but it was some other restaurant.

Chef Joseph's at the Connoisseur Room

There was something about being out and about together that was making conversation happen, and I wasn’t ready for it to end. So on the way home we stopped at Crown Hill Cemetery. We went up to James Whitcomb Riley’s gravesite, at the highest elevation in Indianapolis. The day was especially clear, giving a great view of the Downtown we had just left.

Indianapolis from the heights

I finished the roll by myself. I rode my 1986 Schwinn Collegiate one afternoon with the OM-1 slung across my back.

Schwinn Collegiate

My destination was the cemetery near my home. It’s a relatively young cemetery and lacks the style of the old cemeteries I prefer to shoot. I shoot it anyway because don’t need my car to reach this one. This replica of the Liberty Bell is inside. I’ve shot it a bunch of times this year.

Pass and Stow

These two statues had a spat and are currently not speaking to each other.

St. Luke

And finally, when at a loss for what to shoot, shoot the flowers in the yard. My coneflowers wilted away a couple weeks ago now, so this was probably the last photograph I got of them this year.

When in doubt, shoot the flowers in the yard

See more photos from my two Olympus OM-1s in my Olympus OM-1 gallery.

The only thing I wished were different about the OM-1 was the on-off switch. I kept forgetting to turn the camera off, which keeps the meter running and drains the battery. I wished for the on-demand metering of some of my other SLRs, such as by tapping the shutter button or pulling back the winding lever.

Everything else about using the Olympus OM-1ย feels elegant and fine. It’s just a wonderful camera. The 50mm f/1.8 F.Zuiko Auto-S lensย that came with mine is great; these results sing its praises. As SLRs go, this combo is light and easy to carry. When I finished this roll of film, I wanted to load another and keep going.

If you like old film cameras, check out all of my reviews here!
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Comments

20 responses to “Another Olympus OM-1”

  1. Bill Bussell Avatar
    Bill Bussell

    Write something about how to start a Wordprezs blog sometime. It takes a hosting service and $ to do that. You probably have an economical host. I could use blogger for free, but it does not appeal. Cheers

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      1. Go to wordpress.com.
      2. Sign up for a free blog.
      3. Start blogging.

      That’s what I did. No hosting costs. I do, however, pay WordPress.com for a few extras: (a) “domain mapping” so that blog.jimgrey.net redirects to my blog’s actual URL, which is jimgrey.wordpress.com (and I pay someone else for the jimgrey.net domain). (b) this theme, as it’s not one of the free ones, (c) an add-on that lets me edit this theme’s CSS and change its fonts and other minor customizations. But none of that is necessary for you to blog. Just sign up for free and get started.

  2. Gerald Avatar

    Whoa, these are really great. I love the colour rendition. It’s really hard to pick a favourite, but of course you know I have a thing about graves :)

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thanks! Some lenses really love my dumb old Fujicolor 200, and this lens is one of them. Go tiptoeing through my Flickr stream and you might find more graveyard photos from that roll. Click any photo to go to Flickr.

  3. davisr66 Avatar

    Loved my OM-2s. The primary difference was that the 2s had an automatic function. I forgot I had left it in my disabled car on I-465. That was the last I saw of it. I still might try and pick up a used one for nostalgia sake.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Ooh, ouch, sorry you lost your OM-2s. But you should be able to pick another one up on eBay for a reasonable price.

  4. dehk Avatar

    Looks good. I ‘ve never yet to try anything from the OM system yet. I got a OM2 here that needs an On off Switch I think, somewhere.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I think you’d enjoy these cameras.

  5. Christopher Smith Avatar
    Christopher Smith

    Nice photos Jim and I like the camera, have been looking for one of these on eBay recently but
    not found one a the right price yet just a matter of time. I have the cheaper OM model OM10.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I feel fortunate that my OM-1 outfit was given to me. Two bodies (including this one), the Zuiko lens I used in these shots, and several aftermarket lenses.

  6. pesoto74 Avatar

    My favorite thing about this camera is the big and bright viewfinder. I don’t really care for the placement of the controls. Although I probably could get use to them. I do know many people who got this camera and remained loyal Olympus users for years.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      It is a good viewfinder. I’m sure that if either of us shot this camera exclusively, we’d get the hang of the controls!

  7. George Denzinger Avatar
    George Denzinger

    My older brother had an OM-1 he bought in the mid 1970’s. It was the first through the lens SLR I had ever seen. About ten years later, when I was taking my first college photography classes, I asked him if I could borrow it, and he let me. That’s where my love affair with these cameras began. I was amazed at the things I could photograph with it, and pleasantly surprised that I could shoot with gloves on. I returned the camera to my brother when I finished classes intent on getting my own SLR. At that time Canon was a highly regarded camera and I eventually ended up with a Rebel. The funny thing is, I now mostly shoot with a phone (I know, I’m a Philistine), but mostly because I have my phone with me.

    When my brother died a couple of years ago, I wanted to see if my sister-in-law would let me have the OM-1 as a remembrance of him. However, the circumstances of his illness and passing left her with way too many obligations and I have not had the courage to see if she still has the camera.

    I may just go out and get one of my own.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      George, I take a lot of photos with my phone, too — like 90% of the shots I share at Curbside Classic. It’s great having a thin, reasonably capable camera always in my pocket.

      If you want an OM-1, you could roll the dice on eBay, or you could buy one and one of these 50mm f/1.8 lenses from KEH Camera, http://www.keh.com. You’ll pay more at KEH, but there’s far, far less risk involved.

  8. Sam Avatar

    Excellent post and pics from one of the all time great 35mm film cameras. Nice work Jim, as always!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thanks Sam!

  9. walker Avatar

    the OM-1 never disappoints you :). btw, nice shots!

    best,

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thanks!

  10. sergepontejos Avatar
    sergepontejos

    My first camera in high school was a different Olympus model-the seemingly snazzy OM-PC, which got me hooked on photography. Yes, the Zuiko lenses are great-I had a 50/1.4 that I loved taking pictures with. Alas, I lost my Olympus gear (4 lenses and a 2nd OM-PC body) to a burglary. At some point I’d like to get my hands on an OM-2. Not long after I went with Canon EOS, so I never got on the Pentax or Nikon wagon…

    ~S

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I’ll bet you can pick up an OM-2 and lens for under a hundred bucks! That’s the great thing about old gear.

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