Classic design. Yes- the speed ring around the lens mount, WHERE IT SHOULD BE. beautiful mechanics. mechanical shutter is smooth and mirror slap is reduced to a minumum by air dampers. Large viewing screen with nothing but a meter needle hanging in the breeze. variety of interchangable focus screens. compact and classy. Welcome to the majestical world of zuiko lenses

mercury battery not available anymore. well worth meter voltage adjustment which can be done during a CLA. mirror lockup can be a bit fiddly.

Despite its all manual functions, it becomes an intuitive tool that can only extend your creative possibilities. The design is about 30 years old yet I would not trade this camera in for anything new except maybe a leica M6. Its a minimalist masterpiece.

Customer Service

never needed it.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus Om20

Small, compact, reliable, easy to use... All the rings can be moved with one hand,and I´m left handed, so this increases the value of that possibility! Moreover, my interest in macrophotography grew after purchasing lenses that no other brand consider even design. You don´t buy just a camera, but a system fully compatible from the very beginning to the end, without "series", different atachments, etc. Not even Hasselblad can say that.

Foam interior coverings are poor -everyone knows- but not a problem without solution!

What else could I say about this marvelous camera? Quite blindly I bought an OM-1 as my first camera, twelve years ago. It seemed so small and basic compared with other cameras that I moved to other "big" brands. But I never felt "in home" with them, and returned to my tiny OM-1. This sample died in an acccident four months ago but I purchased a minty black one in less than two weeks... If something happens to it, I wouldn´t even doubt about buying another one. I really think thre is no better camera than the OM-1. Simply.

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FG, Nikon FM2, Leica Minilux

I still love the manual nature of the camera. the 1.4 lens is unmatched when it comes to optical quality.

I've lost the hot shoe a few times. Hot shoe always seemed like a poor afterthought for such a beautifully designed camera

I bought my OM-1 in 1977 while in the Peace Corps in the Philippines. I took a trip to Hong Kong and, at the advice of a professional photographer, bought an OM-1. I never looked back, and still take photos exclusively with my OM-1. This camera has taken a beating over the years, especially during its first two years when I travelled around southeast asia. I still marvel at the beauty of the photographs I took during that period of my life. I have yet to see a camera surpass the optical quality of the photos that this camera produces. Except for having to have the camera cleaned a few times, it has been maintenance free. 8 years ago,I bought a second body - the all black model - so that I could haveone body ready with black and white film. Can you tell I'm in love with this camera? I now own a high quality digital cameral that I use for much of my work that need quick turnaround. But nothing I take with my "digi" matches what I've done with my OM-

Customer Service

Had the camera cleaned a few times. Had the rubber seal replaced on the film door.

Too many to list. Bottom line, if you can find one of these old gals in good or better shape, Buy It!!!

Full manual, IF you consider this a weakness. Take the time to learn how to shoot pictures the old fashioned way, you may suprise yourself with what you learn. Actually, the only weakness, in my eyes, was the factory focusing screen. I put a split prism in and never looked back.

Up in Canada, when it hits -40 below, and then some, try taking your auto focus whatever out to play. Odds are very good that you won't be there for long. This gal is like the Energizer bunny, she just keeps going and going and going..... Bulletproof reliability, great ergonomics, this is THE STANDARD against all other SLR's must be judged.

Customer Service

Wouldn't know, never had to use it.

Similar Products Used:

Canon AE-1 & EOS, Partica's, old Pentax screw-on lens models, Fuji point and shoots, (3 different models), Pentax Espio 90 (for those quick suprise shots), plus whatever Kodak my girlfriends would hap

-Light -small -shutter speed on the barrel

-No such object

I got this camera a couple of years ago as my first camera and the OM-1 will be my last. It has a great small ergonomical design, and the shutter speed is on the barrel, that is the most wonderful place to put a shutter speed, it''s like adjusting the F-stop. I''m planning on scooping up a couple more of these on eBay so that I will never need to shoot with anything else

Customer Service

-No such object

Similar Products Used:

Kodak disposable FujiFilm disposable toyed around with friends old Pentax and the Pen EE, really cool camera, check it out

Small, comfortable, easy to use, wide range of accessories including specialist lenses, focus screens etc. Meters are accurate, but rememeber these were designed to use mercury cells, most modern batteries will give incorrect exposure readings (get mercury substitute ones to compensate) Features a mirror ''lock up'' for quieter operation, or to minimise vibration.

Wind-on is frequently worn, but a good one is easy to tell. ''Hot Shoe'' frequently develops cracks, although these can be repaired &/or replacements found, no TTL flash functions - better to use an ''off camera'' bracket. I have several models which have needed a rebuild of shutter / wind-on mechanism, but have probably been subject to inexperienced repair attempts. Exposure meter uses a nylon cord linkage which can break, but the good news is it doesn''t stop the shutter operating correctly.

First designed in 1973, and in my opinion, never bettered - an example of ''right first time''. A ''clockwork'' manual camera, so if you batteries die, still functions, only without light meter. Magnificent range of 3rd party and OEM accessories, and becoming cheaper as owners change over to digital.

Customer Service

Minimal - not worth fixing, get a replacement, service manuals available online, if you know where to look

Similar Products Used:

Spotmatic, K1000, ME-super, OM2, OM30

Build quality, design excellence, Optical Quality, ergonomics,

None, except that it is no longer made.

Quite simply, the best camera ever made. Half the weight of it''s contemporaries, yet every bit as durable, and more ergonomic. This camera is the one to use when you want to REALLY learn photography. When YOU want to control the elements that affect the image. It is the textbook example of the philosophy that "Less is More". Once you are used to it, you will find that the level of thought that you put into your photos increases dramatically.

Customer Service

It''s been discontinued

Similar Products Used:

Dozens of other 35mm SLRs. Only the Minolta SRTs, and Nikon FE and FM families come close in handling quality, and they weigh 25% more.

Simplicity, light (for a solid brass camera), compact, build quality, reliability, ruggedness, a manual camera, wonderful feel and feel to the controls. ?xD;?xA; ?xD;?xA;Zuiko lenses! ?xD;?xA;?xD;?xA;Lenses are widely available used and are inexpensive. p

Olympus has seemingly abandoned the OM System, and some of their lenses now are unbelievably expensive new. ?xD;?xA;?xD;?xA;My first body is just now is going in to Camtech for its first overhaul after 22 years(reflex mirror is sticking due to the foam degradation problem)! Once I get it back, the other body will go in for an overhaul to replace the foam and get a cleaning,though it works just fine.?xD;?xA;?xD;?xA;Foam "seals" degrade over time, CAMTECH can replace as part of a standard overhaul. See John Hermanson''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s excellent site (www.zuiko.com) for a detailed description of this...due, apparently, to our air quality these days. o

What can you say about this camera that has not been already said? Truly a brilliant design and execution that ranks as one of the very best cameras ever made. Small, light, compact, quiet, but built like a battleship or the proverbial brick outhouse. Not much larger (or maybe smaller now) than a Leica rangefinder. I bought my first OM-1 body 23 years ago in 1979, and it was the camera that got me started in photography. It has served me well for the better part of a quarter of a century. I bought another body in 1982 for a photo workshop in Yosemite, and am very glad to have it. Both cameras have held up extraordinarily well, and look almost new 20+ years on. Incredibly simple, easy to use, yet elegant, like a bicycle. These cameras have a build quality and feel that like the Zeiss phase contrast, oil immersion microscope I used at University; to this day I love the feel of this camera in my hands. I have used other cameras (my mother''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s Nikkormat, Canon AE1s, etc), but this camera is amongst the simplest and easiest to use, and delivers simply stunning results. Exposures are always spot-on with the simple match needle metering, and the Zuiko lenses are quite simply, superb. I have shot everything from landscape photography to Formula 1 car racing (Kodachrome 64, no less), and this camera always delivered. I have the 50 mm f1.8 (sharper than the f1.4), the excellent 28mm f3.5 and the ubiquitous 75-150 zoom. I have been able capture an amazing variety of images with just these three lenses. I am going to have both of them overhauled and use them for another 25 years!

Customer Service

Never needed it. Will see how Camtech does, but I''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''m not worried about it.

Similar Products Used:

Nikkormat?xD;?xA;Canon AE1

The Zuiko lenses are fabulous. The 28mm f3.5 is equal to a Leitz lense for less than $100 on the used market. The 50mm f1.8 is one of the cheapest standard lenses as well as one of the best. The motor drive or winder you buy will work on the other OM cameras. The OM system has the greatest interchangeability among all the cameras of any pro camera system I know of. Bodies and lenses are available at reasonable prices on the used market, but you will see their prices zoom on excellent condition models as the cult status of these cameras continue to grow. An excellent investment for those who do not wish to lose money if they decide to sell later. Olympus built a wonderful flash system for these cameras. The best 35mm camera for microscope and telescope work. The macro system is the best in 35mm photography.

The hot shoe cannot take a lot of stress and will tend to crack, although it will usually continue to function. Buy a spare and keep it handy when you travel. All these cameras are now so old that they will need to have all the foam seals replaced, but Camtech will overhaul the camera for about $120. In spite of what people say, you CAN use alkaline batteries in the OM-1, just be sure to set the ASA dial 3 or 4 clicks to a lower number. None of my meters were ever damaged by this process. ASA 200 film would thus be set to ASA 100 or 80. I did this for a long time, but the camera will be modified to use modern batteries when you send it to Camtech for overhaul as a standard part of the overhaul.

The OM-1 is my favorite camera after using the Nikon F/F2, Canon F1, and Leica M2 rangefinder cameras as a navy photographer in the late 70''s. The only real problem I have with this camera is the 1/60 second max flash sync speed, but all the other pro 35mm cameras of it''s day suffered the same failing. I used to use a Rapid Omega 200 6x7 rangefinder with leaf shuttered lenses for flash exposures, and you get spoiled for the versatility of leaf-shuttered lenses with flash. If you just have to have higher flash sync speed, then the Nikon FM-2 is my recommendation. The OM-1 easily excells as an all-around serious amateur or pro camera if 35mm film size is what you want. My main interest is color slides, so 35mm has always been my favorite. It''s also the best for sports/action/wildlife photographers. I am very pleased with Zuiko lenses. They meet and beat all contenders when price and size/weight/ruggedness are factored in. Those who are familiar with Dr. Maitani will know that he was a great fan of the Leica rangefinders, but not of the SLR''s, so he decided to build the SLR system that Leica should have built. He succeeded admirably, and at a substantially lower cost than Leica could have ever done the job. The OM-1 is truly a camera for connoisseurs who are not hung up on unnecessary gizmos but just want a world class camera at a less than world class price. The OM-2, OM-3, and OM-4 series are also great cameras, but the OM-1 is the best value of all. The OM-2, which I also own, is a great value for people needing auto exposure, but you must carry spare batteries and it lacks a mirror lockup. It works much better than it''s two main competitors that tacked on a bulky AE finder to their already overweight manual pro cameras. The OM-1 and OM-2 cameras were the very best new 35mm designs to come out of the 70''s. It was hard to overcome the sales inertia that Nikon and Canon had established, or many more pros would have bought into the OM system. The owner of a local processing lab ran over 7000 rolls of film through his personal OM-1 without a single failure of any kind. The OM-1 reliabilty is legendary and that autofocus piece of crap that you might own will NEVER EVER come remotely close to that of the OM-1. People are surprised when I tell them how old my OM cameras are, and that I have never had a failure in use.

Customer Service

Never used Olympus, only Camtech. Have been pleased with Camtech.

Similar Products Used:

Canon F1/EF. Nikon F/F2. Leica M2. Olympus OM-2.

Mechanical body, light weight but very durable, small size, works everywhere also without batteries.

The Hg batteries are no loger produced, but there are converters.

My first SLR, bought new 20 years ago. I used it a lot for astrophotography, because it does not need batteries for Bulb, and works also at very low temperatures. The metering system is old style (only center weighted average), but the needle is very easy to use. So one have to think what is doing, that is the best method to learn. I like very much the exposure ring, placed near the lens, and working the same way as the diaphragm. The camera has a bright viewfinder, making easy to focus accurately, also in dark places: two weeks ago I was at my sister''s wedding, and after seeing my photos and ones of friends (with Canon/Nikon), I noticed that my photos were all but 2/3 in focus (280 in total), while in the other there were a lot of out of focus. There are a lot of very good performing lenses, all very well build (all metal), but very light.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

OM-4