Strong, compact and lightweight,
OTF metering and multi-spot with highlight and shadow controls for easy and quick respons to light situation. Manual focus

Too heave battery use, too heavy battery use, too heavy battery use...
get the point?
Very expensive when bought new. Not as rugged as you would expect.

At first sight, this is a beautiful and well made camera with excellent features, like the multi-spot,highlight-shadow correction buttons, the off the film metering.
But finally it sucks, because something is wrong with the energy - battery drainage. It stopped working several times, even with fresh batteries during near to freezing temperatures. These were not extreme conditions and a camera like this should easily handle these kind of situations.
It just uses too much batteries. This problem is known for many years but Olympus never improved it.

Finally, what can I say?: A camera like this which stops working several times because of near freezing temperatures is a bad one. I cannot reccommend this camera to anyone since olympus does not continue with the OM-series.

Anyone looking for a lightweight, rugged and well featured manual focus SLR should consider to buy a Contax Aria. The Zeiss primes 28/2.8 35/2.8 50/1.4 and 1.7 85/2.8 and 135/2.8 are of the highest quality a lens can be and at a reasonal price. Cheap on the 'used market'. I can highly recommend a Contax Aria to Olympus om-4, 0m-3 users who are looking for a substitute.

Customer Service

After a splash af water, problems with the energy circuit occured. This was excellent repaired in Amsterdam. Not by Olympus itself.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta X300s/X700
Nikon F70
Contax Aria

Small size, robustly built, excellent controls and specification.
Very clear viewfinder and interchangable screens.
Auto exposure lock, spot metering, etc., etc.

Only 2; Shutter speed dial is tricky for manual exposure (I use AE) and to be really, really picky - a second curtain flash synch would make it perfect.

This is without doubt the best camera I have ever seen let alone used. (Mine is the earlier OM4).
The spec is exactly what you want without gimmicks. Metering is absolutley superb. The camera feels like it was made to last a lifetime and every function is smooth and precise.
Zuiko optics give excellent results for a reasonable price.
I got mine for nothing after a bit of wheeling and dealing on eBay, but at around $300 - $400 for the later OM4Ti they still represent excellent value for money.
I've used autofocus/autoexposure cameras - nothing beats this little beauty!!!

Customer Service

Not required.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus OM10
Pentax ME-Super
Minolta Dynax 600si

Construction, metering, quality build, lenses from OM system, best camera I have ever used. Solid, sturdy, and still going strong after 12 years of use. So good I bought another. There is no doubt that both of these precision machines will be in use in 15 years. No Canon owner can say that!!

None.

You want a world class camera with an awesome and yet underrated system to back it? Then OM-4T is the camera. Do yourself a favor and check it it out. Has everything you need-nothing you dont.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Various OM's, Nikon, Pentax, and my girlfriends icky Canon Rebel 2000.

Light weight, rugged, with an amazing metering system. Get good flash performance with a T32. Good lens performance, I use Zuiko 28/2.8 55/1.2 135/2.8 and a 200/4.

Electronics. I had my OM-4 circuit replaced with the OM-4T board by Olympus about 7 years ago. That fixed the high current drain problem. Batteries last a year or so now.

Great camera if you don't mind the relatively poor reliability from the electronics ( OM-4). The OM-4T seems better. I will keep mine as long as possible. But on the other hand, I just tried a new Olympus E10, all I need is about $2K, so maybe................

Customer Service

Just had my OM-4 overhauled by Camtech. No service from Olympus, but I did get a replacement manual free, and when I did enquire about current service status, Olympus kindly suggested I go buy a new OM-4Ti.

Similar Products Used:

I have an OM-1, OM-2N and a Zeiss Contaflex. All are much more reliable than the OM-4

OTF metering
Multi spot
Excellent viewfinder
light/compact
Zuiko lenses !!!

1/60 max. sync speed
I hate that hot shoe

Incredible low light performance. The best flash performance I've ever tried. The multi spot is not the most easy way to get the corret exposure, but it is the most precise you can gat if you know what you're doing.

Customer Service

never used

Similar Products Used:

Several SLR systems

Rugged, built to last a lifetime, advanced exposure system with multi-spot metering, compatibility with OM system is a blessing and a curse.

At $1200 new, the OM-4Ti is WAY over priced when compared with Nikon FM3a. The OM System of lenses and accessories are becoming VERY dated with no upgrades on the horizon. Few dealers sell, repair, or support Olympus equipment.

The OM-4Ti is a great camera but over priced when compared with the Nikon FM3a. It's unclear how long the OM System will be around since Olympus has not done much lately to support it. Very few dealers in the USA sell OM lenses and accessories. (Zuiko lenses are great buys when purchased used though.) The Nikon FM3a, with it's huge stable of auto and manual focus lenses, and the state of the art Nikon System of accessories is the way to go if you want a better camera at half the price of the OM-4Ti.

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

OM-1n, OM-2000

Built to last forever; unequalled multispot metering

In England, rediculously overpriced brand-new (1200 GBP which must be at least US$1800); Olympus seem to want to forget the OM-system exists, despite the fact that nobody likes their latest SLR's with their fixed lenses and plastic constuction.

The best manual-focus SLR in the world? Probably. But Olympus don't seem to want to support the range of cameras that made them a household name, and instead try to sell us lacklustre, cheap, plastic, fixed-lens SLRs that no one wants. What idiot has been left in charge of Olympus marketing these days? Can't they see the demand for an Autofocus "OM5", priced reasonably, would be imense? Failing that, how about a digital OM back?

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

Also own OM1n, OM10 Quartz; did own Minolta auto-everything SLR but didn't like it

Multi Spot Metering
Light Weight
Robust
HQuality Used Lenses
1/2000th second flash sync

None

In camerea multimetering is unsurpassed. Flash sync at all speeds gives enormous creative freedom. Robust yet small.

Customer Service

Not Used

Similar Products Used:

Pentax MeSuper
Pentax P30
Canon A1

it is a lightweight stable camera with a silent shutter, the fastest spotmetering system with very good lenses.

bought camera secondhand. after 3 times back for repair they changed whole electronics. that was in 1990.
since then no problems

It is a shame that Olympus stopped with the production of this high quality stuff.
as far as I know only the overprized OM3Ti is still in production. Olympus fans have to rely on the secondhand market.

Customer Service

Olympus holland send me a manual for the f 280 flash which I bought at the same time.

Similar Products Used:

nikon 501, nikon f3

This camera is a must for those who still wish to face the challenges of a manual camera while having some automation (aperture-priority exposure) as a backup. The spot metering ability of the OM-4T is truly a godsend in tricky lighting, providing accurate readings most of the time. The camera is well-built and benefits from a huge family of lenses and other accessories. One can choose from different Olympus flashes that synchronize at the old Olympus standard of 1/60 (QA 310, T20, T32, T45) or the newer flash that synchronizes at all speeds (F280).

No. Although one wonders for how long one will be able to get new lenses and accessories given Olympus now focus exclusively on ZLR's and digital cameras. Thank God for good used equipment. I have gottenm several good deals on Olympus equiment bidding on E-Bay (www.ebay.com).

Do get this camera if you are looking for a body with a professional build and feel. It offers manual and auto exposures as well as spot metering in both of these modes (up to nine readings). When combined with the T-series or F280 flashes, the OM-4T is hard to beat for flash photography. There are may good quality lenses for this camera and not just the Olympus Zuiko brand but also from othere manufacturers like Tamron and Tokina.

Customer Service

I have generally found customer service at Olympus to be fairly good although there may be a wait of 10-15 minutes during the 11am-3pm stretch. They are kind of slow in sending out manuals (I've been waiting almost three weeks on a couple of manuals) --- however, they are FREE OF CHARGE!

Similar Products Used:

OM-1, OM-2, OM-2N, OM-2S, OM-4, OM-4T.