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Olympus OM-1

What a Olympus OM-1 actually produces — 12 photographs shot on one by members here.

Olympus · 35mm · 12 photographs

Find one at KEH Olympus OM-1 → Affiliate link

The Olympus OM-1 made the professional SLR small. Yoshihisa Maitani's design arrived in 1972 (as the M-1, renamed the following year), and it was strikingly smaller and lighter than the Nikons and Canons it competed with, without giving up a big, bright finder.

It is fully mechanical: the cloth shutter runs from 1 sec to 1/1000, and the battery powers only the match-needle meter. Shutter speeds are set on a ring around the lens mount rather than a dial on top, which takes a roll or two to get used to and then feels natural. The OM-1n of 1979 added flash-ready indications but otherwise works the same way.

Two things to check before buying. The meter was designed for a 1.35V mercury cell that is no longer made, so confirm readings with a modern replacement. And foam inside the prism housing can break down over the years and damage the prism's silvering, which shows up as dark marks in the finder. Many cameras have had this fixed already, but it is worth looking for.

The Zuiko lenses match the body: compact, sharp and still affordable. An OM-1 with a 50mm f/1.8 and HP5 Plus is a camera you will actually want to carry.

Images taken with the Olympus OM-1

Holding Up Holding Up 1982wildcatfan · Kodak Ektapan entered as “olympus OM-1N” Bumblebee on a Beautyberry leaf Bumblebee on a Beautyberry leaf 1982wildcatfan · Kodak Ektapan entered as “olympus OM-1N” Inside Terminal Station 2 Inside Terminal Station 2 1982wildcatfan · Kodak Ektapan entered as “olympus OM-1N” Inside Terminal Station 1 Inside Terminal Station 1 1982wildcatfan · Kodak Ektapan entered as “Olympus OM-1N” Single Tree - Sonoma, CA Single Tree - Sonoma, CA FogdogPhoto · Agfa APX 100 Maritime hotel Maritime hotel LesserLights · Fujicolor 400 Film photograph by 1982wildcatfan 1982wildcatfan · Kodak T-Max 400 entered as “Olympus OM-1N” Green Heron Flying Away Green Heron Flying Away theaviananalog · Kodak Portra 800 entered as “OM-1” Manhattan street corner Manhattan street corner LesserLights · Kodak UltraMax 400 entered as “Olympus OM1” Biker Girl Biker Girl fotomatt · Kodak Tri-X 400 entered as “Olympus OM1n” Bad Hair Day Bad Hair Day 1982wildcatfan · Kodak T-Max 400 entered as “Olympus OM-1N” Take a Break Take a Break 1982wildcatfan · Kodak T-Max 400 entered as “Olympus OM-1N”

Lenses people use on it

Taken from what members recorded on the frames above, in their own wording. Counts, not recommendations.

Tamron Adaptall 2 35-135mm 4
50mm 3
Tamron Adaptall 2 SP 35-80mm 3
24mm 1
Zuiko 50-250mm 1

Film shot on it

Each one links through to every frame on that stock, from any camera.

Kodak Ektapan 4 Kodak T-Max 400 3 Kodak Tri-X 400 1 Kodak UltraMax 400 1 Kodak Portra 800 1 Fujicolor 400 1 Agfa APX 100 1
More Olympus:
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