Olympus OM20 Vintage SLR 35mm Film Camera with f/1.8 50mm Prime Lens

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As a camera designed for the consumer with an aperture priority mode, the Olympus OM-10 also has a built-in light meter that can be used with the camera in manual with the special manual adapter that plugs into the side of the camera. This is something that I found incredibly helpful when I recently used it for the first time. Whilst at university, I was taught how to take exposure readings with an off-camera light meter of the Sekonic brand, but once I graduated and no longer had access to this I had to find a suitable and affordable solution for the time being. This resulted in me using a meter reading app on my smartphone instead. VIEWFINDER: Pentaprism eye-level type. Wide field finder with brilliant Lumi-Micron Matte focusing screen with central microprism/split image rangefinder. Finder view-field: 93% of actual picture field. Finder magnification: 0.92X with 50mm lens at infinity.

The lens of the Olympus OM-20 is interchangeable. Lenses with an Olympus OM bayonet can be used with the camera. A variety of lenses with different focal lengths from Olympus can be used. The lens is focused manually and does not have an autofocus. The Olympus OM-20 is equipped with a built-in light meter. You can’t beat those Zuikos. Especially the 35, and even more especially, the 100. (It’s like the fabled Nikkor 105/2.5… but half the size/weight.) Fantastic images from all of them. With this system, the camera becomes relatively easier to use. All you have to do is set the aperture value, and the camera sets the perfect shutter speed. OM concept, history, instructions and manuals for OM cameras, lenses and accessories on Hans van Veluwen's Unofficial Olympus OM Sales Information File What I found out is that the off position on the switch just limits the shutter speed to 1/30th or faster to save on battery power, but my experience with my camera suggests that isn't the case. I found the shutter would run much slower than that, with the shutter being open for up to 16 seconds when a small aperture was used in almost dark conditions. The one thing that is different in 'off' mode is that the viewfinder LED's don't show.One of the main things I love about the Olympus OM-10, is the shutter sound. Every time an exposure is taken, it truly beats anything else for me. The camera is also one of the easier film cameras I’ve used – which probably comes down to it being made and marketed as an ‘entry level’ camera as mentioned above.

But everything flashy changed with the OM-2n. This started the “T” series of flashes, which Olympus continued for another 20+ years. From the diminutive T-20, through the mid-line (and plentiful on the used market) T-30, to the high-powered T-45, Olympus had the most comprehensive line of TTL flash of all the camera makers. Once TTL became popular, the major third-party flash makers also sold “OM” TTL modules for their flashes. All features of the camera have been designed ergonomically to make the camera easy to handle—even for beginners.Compared to schlepping around the heavy, built-to-survive-the-apocalypse F2, the OM-2 is SO small and light! A real pleasure to carry, and ergonomic perfection, control-wise. (I have loved having the shutter speed ring around the lensmount since my Nikkormat days.) This camera design has Off-the-Film (OTF) exposure control that involves a sensor, which faced the film surface and measured the light reflected off the film. This method was much more accurate than simply measuring light entering into the exposing chamber. Consequently, this camera has a more accurate metering system that enables the photographer to set the exposure more precisely. The OM40 features the highest OM system integration of any of the double-digit bodies, though also strangely offers the lowest fps with the motor drive (3.5fps opposed to 5fps for all other compatible OM bodies) In 1986 the OM-4 was improved to a tougher OM-4Ti (OM-4T in USA) version, with titanium top and bottom plates, improved weatherproofing and high-speed flash sync. This last version was discontinued in 2002.

Because this is a manual focus camera, there are better focusing aids than are found in autofocus cameras, and this means a split rangefinder is available in the centre of the viewfinder, with a micro prism surrounding it. I find it a pretty good combination, although the focus screen on my camera is a bit dirty.Vignetting is the darkening of the corners of an image relative to the center of the image. There are three types of vignetting: optical, mechanical, and natural vignetting. The OM-20 also features an aperture priority system when set in automatic mode, which is excellent for beginners. Then there’s also the incredible T Power Control and the T-8 and T-10 ring lights, for macro. The T-8, in particular, remains unique. It featured a radially-directed flashbulb that flashed into a large aluminum reflector — think “beauty dish for bugs.” There’s also the T-28 twin flash, but the T-8 remains unique. You can always tell a macro shot done with that flash! Micro Four Thirds system, a derivative of the Four Thirds system specifically geared to digital mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (MILCs) Levers, knobs, and switches are singularly focused. Each has a purpose, and each benefits from a clarity of design that’s hard to find in the modern era of cluttered and overwhelming camera controls. This is the kind of camera in which every detail has been carefully sorted to maximize efficiency and make good use of available space. To put it simply, the OM-2 is a refreshing change from the “more is more” design philosophy of current days.