This boxed bulk film loader was £2.99 in a local charity shop. When I got it home I discovered it was loaded 25 feet of unidentified film (though there was an Ilford leaflet with '15 exposures used' written on it).
I loaded an 8 exposure roll into a Voigtlander Vitomatic for testing.
I developed it today and both camera and film (FP4 Plus) are fine
Bargain!
I ordered 10 rolls of Ektachrome (half 100, half 200) from Four Corners, since they aren't making it any more. Maybe a bit brave since I don't know if it's in date. I'll let you know what I get (it'll probably turn up this week when I'm away and be on its way back to the States before I get back!).
Not entirely sure how much of a bargain this is, but somehow I found this fourcorners site (US but will deliver internationally) still selling 3 varieties of Ektachrome from $9! See http://www.fourcornerstore.com/collections/35mm-films (there is also some 120 stuff).
first roll in and yes i bought it in poundland!Pretty much the first thing you need to do is make sure it works, you can download a copy of the manual here http://www.butkus.org/chinon/olympus/olympus_om-2/olympus_om-2.htm
I've got an OM2 and so have a few others on the forum so if there's anything specific you need to know just ask.
Once you've checked that it works get yourself off to Poundland for a roll of cheap film, take some pics and then try and find an Asda/Tesco that still do film processing, drop off your film, do some shopping/have a coffee then collect your film. They will also scan them for you if you ask, all for about £3.
Finally post up your shots in the f&c section.
what's the f&c section?
Fusty & Crusty!
having a clear out at work and have found many interesting things including an Olympus OM2N!
I'm completely new to real photography so I'm starting from scratch. I've never used anything other than compact cameras.
Any basics I should know before I start using this amazing find?
Thanks chaps
If I knew more about Olympus OM2 I might have got a bargain as I could have bought one in VG condition, with 50mm lens and real leather case for £15 (well he said £20 as openers) and still with a film in it.....the batteries must have been flat as using the check lever nothing was showing or in the viewfinder, also at any speed except "B" the mirror stayed up.....well £10 was worth a gamble but not £15-£20. Anyway five minutes later someone had bought it...h'mm they probably knew more about it than me.
50mm f/18 resale value £20-ish
Leather ever ready case £10 upwards depending on condition.
OM2 for parts or repair £15-£20-ish.
OM2 working £25 upwards
At these prices buy first, worry later
:bang: So is "B" manual only and all other speeds need a battery? But then where does the camera get the power to flip the mirror up? and I could only send the mirror back down by selecting "B". :shrug:
I've just woken on the sofa and my not be thinking too clearly but your reference to the check lever suggests OM2N in which case B is "Bulb" of course and this from the manual...
"I can't advance the film nor release the shutter,
and the viewfinder is totally dark. Why?
A: The mirror is locked up because the batteries
are depleted or the film was advanced in the
middle of an automatic exposure. Press the
selector lever to the "CHECKRESET"position
to unlock the mirror. (See page 8.) Two
batteries should be replaced as a pair if they
are depleted."
and this:
By pressing the selector lever to the "CHECK
RESET" position, you can check the batteries
and/or unlock the mirror.
Check the Batteries.
Move the selector lever to the "CHECKRESET"
position. The battery check lamp indicates battery
condition as follows:
The red lamp lights brightly Battery voltage
is sufficient.
The red lamp flashes on and off Batteries
are very weak. Fresh batteries are recommended.
The lamp does not light Batteries are drained.
Replace them.
NOTE: Silver oxide batteries will last approximately
one year. To avoid battery drain, make it
Mirror Lock-Up
If the mirror is up, the field of view turns dark
through the viewfinder, and the film cannot be
advanced. This lock-up of the mirror occurs when
no batteries are loaded or batteries are depleted,
or the film is advanced during exposure.
The mirror lock-up does not indicate any breakdown
of the camera, but a built-in safety device
to prevent any trouble. Press the selector lever to
the "CHECKRESET" position, and unlock the
mirror. In case , shooting can be resumed immediately.
In case , replace batteries.
CAUTION: You cannot unlock the mirror after
battery replacement, if you omit pressing the
selector lever to the "CHECKRESET" position.
NOTE: When the mirror locks up, a battery drain
prevention device is activated to conserve power.
Or was it a 2Spot in which case if you have flat batteries you can press the B button, rotate the shutter speed dial to the red 60 and get a mechanical shutter speed of 1/60.
Bed, I need bed now.....
Thanks....I must have my son's bug as the other day he woke up at 4 AM, now it's happened to me...so what do you do at 4 AM, other than use the computer
Anyway before reading your reply, dug out my OM20 and remembered without batteries the mirror flips up but the shutter locks also, but what concerned me with this OM2 is there might be a weakness in the OM system in that the rotating shutter speed ring stops working (maybe it's the electrical contacts) ...as it doesn't work on my OM20, so don't buy non mechanical cameras at boot sales unless they are really cheap......but as you said should have bought it for spares.......
I'm not a fan of boot fairs but if I was going to one I'd take a pocket full of camera batteries, oh and a penny to unscrew the OM battery cap.
Well, as it's Official Boot Fair Day, I picked up an almost minty Fujifilm DL Super Mini compact, for £2. It's described all over the internet as a failed point-and-shoot, due to a delayed release date. But it has a panoramic function and it's so small, for £2 I couldn't resist.
http://i.imgur.com/mEzuhJV.jpg[/IMG]
Reading up, it was only a failure in terms of overall sales - the fact that it was aimed at the higher end compact market means you've probably got a very decent shooter for very little outlay. 'grats!
Almost looks like a camera Do I detect it ain't very big?
I've just ordered one of their grab bags. Even with shipping, it comes out at £2.50 a roll. Bargain. Wonder what will turn up Shipping was only $8 too, for anyone curious.
vladimir said:Chris, thank you for the link! Just ordered a grab bag as well.
Did you get these? Two weeks after ordering my Ektachrome it still hadn't arrived, so I contacted fourcorners yesterday, and they checked... and despatched it! Maybe it's a good thing as I was away last week...
having a clear out at work and have found many interesting things including an Olympus OM2N!
I'm completely new to real photography so I'm starting from scratch. I've never used anything other than compact cameras.
Any basics I should know before I start using this amazing find?
Thanks chaps
The range finder on top is worth that money, well done.
The result of this week's lunchtime trawls of the charity shops:
Charity shop haul by spartacus mills,
Nikon 28-100mm (£2.99), Olympus XA2 boxed and cased with original warranty but faulty (but I have two working ones anyway) (£1.00), Jessops (Patterson) Universal Developing Tank (£1.50), GAF Memo 35 ET rangefinder (£2.00)
...aaah, that little rangefinder looks sweet! My local charity shop (read Oxfam) has started to keep its cameras under lock and key - or at least somewhere upstairs in the manager's office. I have to make a special appointment to be able to look at them and make matters worse, they hiked the prices too, in the belief that almost everything old can be re-classed as "vintage" and sold for an inflated price