Replacing my Olympus OM-2

Hadley

Hadley

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James
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Hi Guys,

I've been using an Olympus OM-2 on loan from my Dad, and it's shutter speed has become slow e.g. when on 1/1000 its taking about a second (if you know of a quick fix that would be great, otherwise I'll take it off to the camera repair shop).

Anyways this sad and untimely event has put me in mind that I should buy my own 35mm SLR. I have no allegiance to any brand I'm just looking for your opinion on what would be a good reliable investment to replace the OM-2?
 
Are the batteries fresh? Might seem like an obvious question, but 75% of problems in battery-dependent cameras are caused by battery issues.
 
I don't know about the 2 but the *0 types get a sticky electromagnet that can be fairly easily cleaned with just a little methylated spirits or the like.
 
Or Miles Whitehead would give your dad's OM a clean lubricate and ajust for about forty squids. I know you could buy another OM 2 for similar money but in your place, unless I'd got the kit monster itch, I'd put the money into what I'd already got.

As if to prove the point I'm gradually having Miles CLA the OM system bodies I'm keeping.
 
Hadley said:
Hi Guys,

I've been using an Olympus OM-2 on loan from my Dad, and it's shutter speed has become slow e.g. when on 1/1000 its taking about a second (if you know of a quick fix that would be great, otherwise I'll take it off to the camera repair shop).

Anyways this sad and untimely event has put me in mind that I should buy my own 35mm SLR. I have no allegiance to any brand I'm just looking for your opinion on what would be a good reliable investment to replace the OM-2?
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Well if you haven't a set of OM lenses and just an ordinary amateur and considering a camera body is just a box between the photographer and lens, you can take very good shots from a MTL3 to a Canon T90......so best to decide what shots you want to take i.e what will a camera be used for.......and then decide on the camera.
 
Yeah I should have mentioned that the first thing I did was replace the batteries. As for the "electromagnet" does that control the shutter or just the mirror? Because the mirror (dictated by the shutter) is working fine, its the shutter that is open to long.

Anyways I don't want to get side tracked, the OM doesn't belong to me so I'll fix it and give it back to my Dad in due course.

For the moment I get to choose an 'new' 35mm SLR and I'm keen to hear what you guys think is good value/investment?
 
Hadley said:
Yeah I should have mentioned that the first thing I did was replace the batteries. As for the "electromagnet" does that control the shutter or just the mirror? Because the mirror (dictated by the shutter) is working fine, its the shutter that is open to long.

Anyways I don't want to get side tracked, the OM doesn't belong to me so I'll fix it and give it back to my Dad in due course.

For the moment I get to choose an 'new' 35mm SLR and I'm keen to hear what you guys think is good value/investment?[/QUOTE]


Oh no - pass the popcorn! :bonk::bonk:

Start with your budget, then decide what you mean by good value/investment: do you mean one, or the other?
Do you want to (a) use this camera? (b) enjoy using it? (c) hope to take good photos with it reliably or when the wind's right? (d) aspire to be seen with a piece of bling strapped round your neck?

When all's said and done you've got to decide what's right for you. I, for example, have settled on Olympus OM System bodies (that's the single number range) and lenses in 35mm and two Mamiya 645 bodies set up very differently in MF.

I've tried rangefinders, folders, all Mamiya 35mm bodies, all kinds of things which looked pretty and either worked or didn't and answered some or all of the above questions but not at the same time. I'm also down to one large DSLR and lenses which I barely use and one P&S digital.

You know what? I'm now content with my choice of film cameras because I reckon I've worked my way through the stuff I thought I should like, got rid of most of it and ended up with the stuff that I know I like.

That journey was fun though... enjoy yours(y)(y)
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As you already have a Canon 40D, why not go for an EOS film body which will take EF lenses (not EF-S though)? The EOS 30 was one of their last film bodies and is very good.

If you want to go retro, the single digit OM range is probably as good as it gets.
 
I guess I've been a bit cryptic, my intended uses for the camera would be to have something reliable that takes good pictures (I'm not interested in posing). I've just taken a new job and I have a lot of time on my hands; I was very lucky that I was given an enlarger and I've very much enjoyed developing and enlarging the photos from my Dads OM-2 in the past, and would like to start doing it again in my spare time.

However with the camera not belonging to me I need to buy my own; I could get another OM-2 as suggested (reliability being a concern) or move to a new brand.

One feature I have really enjoyed about the OM- was the manual focusing and winding of film; being a designer I have developed an appreciation for the tactile feedback certain objects can give us in use; I now often cite manual focusing lenses as an example of thoughtful user interaction based design.

OK, nonetheless I'm still keen to hear what you guys think. Are my fears of having my own OM-camera unfounded or is there an alternative I should also be considering?
 
Do you think would like to try older screw lenses (M42) without having a M42 camera..for example you could have a very nice Minolta camera with excellent but pricey lenses, and also use a M42\minolta adapter for screw lenses. If that sounds great then forget Olympus and Nikon. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on lenses then Canon are cheaper, but wanting wind on reduces your choice of the newer ones.
A nice camera that is very cheap is the Minolta X-700 or X-500 and the 50mm f1.7 lens is up with the best, but alas as mentioned other Minolta lenses are expensive.
Well I could go on writing for a long time, but choosing a camera for someone else is difficult :)
 
James, quite a lot of older cameras are real design masterpieces for affordance, as long as you steer clear of those massive Canikon tanks ;)! I'll give a shout out for Pentax, something like the MX is just a brilliant piece of engineering and a joy to use, lots of fantastic Pentax lenses at reasonable prices. I've had a Pentax ME for nearly 40 years and it still works fine. The MX is a charity shop bargain, similar vitage; I had it CLA'd although it probably wasn't necessary. Doesn't miss a beat. Some folk here will tell you that single digit OMs are fantastic, too.

You've got a few options: buy some off the evil bay and try (you can always sell again, usually for little loss). Travel to a good used camera shop and try a few in the hand (might cost you a bit more but you should get a warranty). Or come to a film meet and get seduced by all sorts of lovely cameras :)!
 
Hadley said:
Hi Guys,

I've been using an Olympus OM-2 on loan from my Dad, and it's shutter speed has become slow e.g. when on 1/1000 its taking about a second (if you know of a quick fix that would be great, otherwise I'll take it off to the camera repair shop).

Anyways this sad and untimely event has put me in mind that I should buy my own 35mm SLR. I have no allegiance to any brand I'm just looking for your opinion on what would be a good reliable investment to replace the OM-2?
Click to expand...

So you're on the look out for a new (to you) 35mm camera. What are you doing next Saturday? There's a group of us meeting up in Llandudno for a bit of film photography and local pub assessment. You'd be more than welcome to join us and there'd be a whole range of film cameras to have a look at. There'll probably be some 35mm rangefinders, SLR's and various medium format types. TBH we don't really spend a lot of time taking photographs but we do take our beer tasting very seriously.
 
RaglanSurf said:
So you're on the look out for a new (to you) 35mm camera. What are you doing next Saturday? There's a group of us meeting up in Llandudno for a bit of film photography and local pub assessment. You'd be more than welcome to join us and there'd be a whole range of film cameras to have a look at. There'll probably be some 35mm rangefinders, SLR's and various medium format types. TBH we don't really spend a lot of time taking photographs but we do take our beer tasting very seriously.
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Thanks for the invite; I won't be able to make it I've arranged to visit a friend that day. However I do from time to time head over to that neck of the woods, do you meet every Saturday?
 
Hadley said:
Thanks for the invite; I won't be able to make it I've arranged to visit a friend that day. However I do from time to time head over to that neck of the woods, do you meet every Saturday?
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The f&c section get to together a few times a year, I'm not sure when we'll be up that way again but we're trying to organise a trip to Westonbirt Aboretum soon if you can make that.
 
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I'm always in that neck of the woods!

Have an OM4Ti, OM2SP, Pentax ME and Nikon F100 setup you could have a tinker with if you wanted to.
 
I had an Olympus OM 2sp and would love another.

Somewhere not too far from you that stock a lot to choose from are:
http://www.realcamera.co.uk/ loacted in Manchester. You can handle several cameras and see what you want if you go there and you will get a gaurantee.

I have found them helpful and easy to deal but they only take cash.
 
Hi, I thought that I would just post to say that in the end I had a go at fixing the camera myself and now it's working fine.
 
Now that's a cryptic post, I'm intrigued.
 
Hadley said:
Hi, I thought that I would just post to say that in the end I had a go at fixing the camera myself and now it's working fine.
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Well I wish someone could tell me how to fix the manual speeds on my POS OM20, I've got a nice 24mm lens (and others ) I would like to use...guess I'll have to get an OM2n with a guarantee not to have battery drain problems............so anyone putting a fully working body on market place going cheap (don't mind a few scratches)..I'll pop in there everyday.
 
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