There is one less known feature with OM cameras with and after OM-2 if I remember correctly. Camera measures the light reflected from the curtain, and it was keeping on measuring the light during the exposure from the reflection on the film. If you set it to A mode and take a long exposure of a dark scene, it was taking it into account if the light changes during the exposure and compansates the exposure duration accordingly on the fly. OM cameras were designed by the legendary designer Yoshihisa Maitani, and I always loved the position of exposure setting ring location. These cameras were really small and handy, reliable, and it was a joy to use them. Zuiko lenses were always good. We can see the reminiscences of design consepts of those cameras with today's Olympus M4/3 cameras. Even the On/Off switch of the digital ones are almost the same with OM film cameras'.

I inherited my grandfathers OM2, I love shooting it. It's so simple to use and I've taken some amazing photos with it. The lenses they made for these are incredible. I did have to replace the light seals but that wasn't a big deal.

I have an OM2n I bought new in 1980. I have never had it serviced. It still works fine. The light seals should be replaced, but a few years back I started carrying it in a leather ever ready case and light just does not get in. This is my favorite film SLR. Very simple and small. I long ago sold a Nikon FM to get this camera because I wanted some automation with exposure. Now I wish I had kept the FM and just added the OM. Seems like in the last couple of years I have mostly left a 28mm f2.8 on it for walk around shooting.

I've owned many Olympus film camera's over the years, beautiful pieces of art

Im such a nerd for cars, rifles, and film cameras. I love these manual focus cameras.

I love this camera so much I purchased a OM 2 to go with it, such nice cameras to use and they look fabulous, design classics.

I've had two OM-1s. It was the camera I'd lusted after for ages and when I finally got one I shot it for a year or two in Edinburgh and took some really good streeat shots with the standard 1.8 lens. Had to sell that and buy a bike. Later on, I bought another one in the south of England and made that one work for its living. A standard 1.8 , with a cheap Sirius 28mm and a 35-70mm Zuiko made it shine in recording the stuff I was doing and being involved in. I still have it, and even though the rise of digital had second-placed it, I don't forget that it was a wonderful system and well worth going back to from time to time, just to keep my hand in. Great product and great company, with a tremendous attitude to their customers. Pity it all went down the chute recently.

I recall this being called the Saab of cameras for its unusual location of the shutter speed, but it was my first SLR back in the day and I loved it's compact size and the wonderful lenses.

Just got myself an OM2n and I’m on the logout an OM1n. Beautifully made machines!

Picked a 2 up last year and I have to say it's a beauty. Mine came with the 50mm f1.4 which, I agree, is a stunner. In my youth my first "real" camera after a Zenit slr was the Nikon FM2 which was sadly stolen after a couple of years of ownership. The FM2 was a beast and does come in as a more solidly built camera to the OM-2n I have. However, the latter is a better looker than the former and has a better feel in the hand IMO I too liked black back in the day but now much prefer silver. My Nikon was black, and my OM-2 is silver....and I love it Regards Ian, Birmingham UK

Thanks for the upload, it was instructive!

Got my first Olympus OM 1 today with the 50 mm 1.4 lens, what a fab solid little camera. Thank you for inspiring me to get one.👍

I loved the tooling on the OM1/2 camera, and the viewfinder... whoa! that is sweet.

I have the OM-1 as well as a Zorki 1C. They are really the only two film cameras i use (I have several). I'm in love with the size and feel of both.

the first Olympus "OM 1" was named M1 ;-)

At 16 minutes you commented that the OM-1 was sometimes called the Leica SLR, just remember the original iteration of the OM-1 was simply called the M-1, in reverence to Yoshihisa Maitani, the Japanese Genius who designed the OM range, As you can imagine Leica were not very happy with that so they were recalled and renamed OM (Olympus Maitani), I am fortunate enough to have an original M-1 which is in superb condition.

Thanks for this excellent review. I am a long-time fan of all things Olympus-especially the OM series slrs. I have been using my OM1 everyday this week. Your assessment, it seems to me, is spot on. I might only add the usual precaution about the OM2 being battery dependent-only one shutter speed when the battery fails but, of course, this is a problem any modern camera user knows well. On the OM1 (also the OM2?), the pentaprism view-finder offers an incredibly large view for an slr-in the upper ninety percent of the actual view. Not too many slrs of that vintage had such generous views, even cameras with much larger bodies.

You can also use black wool yarn in the light seal channels, works great. You’ll need foam for the light seals in the mirror box. People often mistakenly call them “mirror bumpers”.

The OM-2n, was the first and only camera to take the lightmeter lecture on the film surface in real time, it could close the shuter During exposition, I got the cámara in late 1977, it was a powerhouse at the time. Very Nice video.

Thanks for the video. They are certainly very handsome, or rather, pretty, cameras. I remember the OM-1 coming out in the UK, circa 1972. One of my friends bought one at the time. It's clear that its small size was very popular indeed, and influenced other camera companies, notably Pentax. I have never used any of the Olympus SLRs and ended up graduating from the Zenith E to various Pentax models. The Pentax ME Supers are of a similar size but lack the full manual capability of the OM cameras. I would like to acquire an OM camera but having acquired various K-mount lenses I am loathe to start another lens family. You mentioned their superiority to Chinon cameras. I have recently acquired (from thrift stores and ebay) three Chinon SLRs: they have the K-mount, and that influenced me. I am very pleased indeed with the build quality of all of them. The Chinon CP-9AFs are very, very solidly constructed, as are the auto-focusing zoom lenses they came with.

The shutter-speed location on the lens throat was actually a brilliant move. It improves handling and make the camera less cluttered on top. Olympus should have carry that tradition to their digital bodies.

My Dad bought an OM1n new in 1980. He gave me his Zenit EM and taught me about exposure etc.. I currently own a Zenit B, several Pentax Spotmatics, a Pentax MX, a Pentax ME Super and a couple of Canon A-1s. I tend to use the A-1 more than anything else and I have a number of Canon FD primes I use on it. I also have a genuine Canon FD to M42 adaptor, which I must try out sometime.

The focusing ground glass is (well, was) something that could be replaced with any of a variety of different designs from the stock glass.

I picked up an OM-1 with a 50mm f1.8 at a thrift store in perfect working condition for $10 USD. That camera is built like a tank!

Love your videos mate, hello from Melbourne Australia

It’s lovely to hear the manual gearbox sound when you select a slow shutter speed on an M1/Om1 or Om1n.

Just seen this video. Thanks for taking the time to create and post :-) Having all 3 of the cameras mentioned here, I agree with almost all your comments. Just your prefernece for the OM2 over the OM1 is the only difference! I actually prefer the OM1 and I think it is mainly for sentimental reasons. I first started with my photography at college and the OM1 had just come out. Our art department got one and I hogged the use of it! Being at school I couldn't afford to buy one myself but later on after I left school I did purchase my own after a lot of saving. One point I don't think you mentioned is that the OM1 will work entirely without any battery. The shutter is purely mechanical. The OM2 is electronic and does need a battery (two SR44 actually). That may or may not be important to anyone. Of course my Leica iiif is a different beast entirely apart from the size but I love using it. In fact I enjoy being a bit spoiled and having all 3 of them! :-)

I, too, own both of them, although with inverted colors, black 1, chrome 2. There is an old camera technician here in Germany who had learned the profession at Olympus in Hamburg in the 70s and had met Mr. Maitani, the man who constructed these cameras, several times. He told me about one meeting between Maitani and a bunch of German Olympus technicians who could ask him some questions. And one of them asked, why the cameras unlike all other SLRs were built with detachable hot shoes. Maitani - so the old Gentleman told me - „took one of the cameras, which of course had no hot shoe attached, placed it on his left open palm and stroked its top with his right hand as softly and gently as you could not stroke your wife‘s t.t. and smiled like he was in heaven. That was his only answer.“ I never had the hot shoe attached before, because I think it makes a really pretty camera considerably less pretty. Now - having heard this story - I could never reattach ist. I keep them in a box in case I want to sell the camera in the future. The man himself, Olympus‘ Oskar Barnack, the godfather of the OM system did not want them with a hot shoe attached unles it was really necessary, so he made them more expensive by giving us the chance to detach it. So that is what I will do. Always 😊!!!

The 238m.m.af 3.5, is usually a 4 ELEMENT ( tessar ) design, and was very easy to buy. The 28m.m. f2.8 was usually a 6 ELEMENT ( planner ) design, and cost much more.

In General, I've found that it's pretty rare for the built-in meter to fail in any major brand, SLR. A buddy of mine thought his meter had failed, and I "repaired" it simply by cleaning all the corrosion out of the battery compartment! 😉

I like the mirror lock-up feature on the OM-1.

I've been buying OM1/2 bodies for a while now, repairing and servicing them accordingly for my own usage. Today, I have an OM1 (my Dad's original 1977 model), OM1n Black, OM1n Chrome, and 4 x OM2(n)s, an OM10, and a OM4. One OM2n needs a new idler gear return spring, which I need to source.

Great in depth review of both cameras. I found one thing you said quite interesting at around 10:30 normally the wider angle lens , the closer i get to my subject

I just bought the OM1 light seals done prisam done all works but a few scares on the body £115 Im very pleased with it and Im in the process of putting a few rolls of film through the camera though the meter works I often revert to the sunny 16 method Im using a 50mm 1.8 suiko lens mostly at the moment till I can offord other lenses .......

Nice review, As a 10th grader in High school (1978) I saved up enough money for an OM 2n. The best camera I ever own, until it was stolen from my car in NYC. I replaced it with an OM 4 which was very disappointing camera(Eats battery and not as reliable). I should have switched to a Pentax LX, on paper it was better than the OM 2/4. My Cousin purchased one on my recommendation and loved it. I ended up with a used 0M 1n, and loved using it with Zuiko 85mm F2 lens

I own an OM4Ti, OM20, Pen F and XA along with a Leica M4-2. I still think Olympus made the finest film SLRs and some of the best lenses out of all Film SLRs. To my knowledge also, Olympus called the OM seies the M series, but got into sonme trouble with Leica for obvious reasons.

Same setup that I have, om1 with 28f3.5,om2n with 50f1.4, working in really good condition.

When I shot for UPI back in the day, we were supplies with Olympus OM cameras as a special promotion for Olympus. Under professional use the OM1 fell apart and the motor drive jammed; the lenses were slow and the focus rings became loose. As an amateur camera it was probably fine, but it was not a camera for professionals. You really can’t compare it to a Leica M camera.

Excellent video very informative these are fantastic cameras

If you ever feel like having a go at a cheap zoom lens, I can thoroughly recommend the OM Zuiko 35-70 f4. Apparently a simple design which was reviewed by Amateur Photographer some 30+ years ago, and got a very favourable review. I still have that review - photocopied. I bought one a few years ago and before I ran it on the OM1, I 'tested' it on the full-frame Canon 5D MK1 with adapters. What a sharp lens at f5.6, and at the edges too! The only downside is that as a f4 lens, the darker scene can sometimes get a little difficult to focus, but the split screen usually sorts it out.

I have a OM-1 no MD and OM-SP. I love those cameras over my Pentax MX and Super Program.

12:05. Both!!😊 it is strange because the black OMD EM10ii seems smaller than the chrome version of the same.

Wonderful review!!

I think Mr. Maitani of Olympus wanted to design an SLR that was as similar to a range finder camera as possible, with a super quit shutter too, despite the mirror. The pentaprism is tiny but the image magnification was 97%, the biggest viewfinder image out of all comparable SLRs!

I have several OM1s/OM2s, an OM10, and an OM4. I think the OM2 is my favourite - its exposure compensation dial is far superior to the Nikon FE (equiv), which I also have. Regards and thanks for your videos!

Brilliant review, just what I was looking for ,as I want to purchase both these cameras, are you able to recommend a retailer ,where I might be able to purchase ( good condition) cameras like these, thanks.

I have them reversed my OM-1N is black I just did light seals soldered a corroded wire in the battery compartment fixing the light meter and removed the dreaded foam from under the top cover and cleaned the pentaprism and my OM-2N is silver they are both great fully working cameras.

You have an OM-1 (n) .....It s the 2nd OM-1 body. It has the 3 pins flash contact. The orginal OM-1 has just 1 flash contact. The OM-2 body also has SPOT METERING, and T.T. L flash metering. The OM - 1 do s not.

Interesante comparación.

I think for this two Olympus camera they are very practic and economic.For now I have a Practica MTL3 camera and Nikon dslr D300.

Which one do you suggest for a beginner?

In auto, the om2 shutter is step-less

If the circuits in the Olympus om2 fail, can I still use it in manual mode? thanks for the reply

I have both but prefer the OM-1, the one thing I don't like is if you forget to turn off the meter, you can end up with a dead camera in the case of the OM-2. However with the OM-1 I just use my phone meter and I'm back in business.

Love my OM2n... amazing optics. Not as rugged as a Nikon though ...

We seem to have the same camera collection😜 i love using my om2 and my leica iiic, they are my main cameras, but for anyone that cant afford one dont discount the prosumer ones. I bought a beautiful little om30 which is a great little camera, and can usually be had for a tenner or less. Mine came with a 35-105mm and a 28mm macro. Bargain👍

QUESTION I PURCHASED A BEAUTIFUL OLYMPUS OM2 WITH A 28 MM WIDE ANGLE USED VERY LITTLE. ON THE TOP PLATE WEAR THE SETTINGS ARE AT MANUEL /OFF /AUTOMATIC WHEN I SET IT ON MANUEL AND TAKE A PHOTO THE SHUTTER LOCKS UP IN THE UP POSTION. THEN I HAVE TO HIT THE RESET ON THE LENS TO DISINGAGE IT DO YOU KNOW WHY THAT IS? THANKS

Seems like he’s filming with an Oly too 👀😅

I had an OM10 years ago but probably not the knowledge to appreciate it for what it was...

Good video, as always. Nice cameras.

Do u know anything about the olympus OM 40 and its workings. ?

For your personal preference, which one is more convenient to use?

You are obviously a good photographer, but may i ask why don't you stop down a little in your videos? In this one, for example, i think it would be more pleasing to get the whole camera in focus, not just the body, with the lens being blurry. Cheers

Be gentle with shuter speed ring,inside is string who transforms it on mechanism,if it brake....if not,you have machine till end of life.

Pierce Brosnan voice😅😂

The OM-1 has mirror lock-up and can work without batteries. The OM-2 does not have mirror lock-up.

It's one of the farest SLR to be a leica, I've owned 2 with many lenses and both Om1 and OM2 failed due the same problem : shutter mechanism! by the same little stupid gear/lever.... I love the lenses and the viewfinder, but not on a broken cameras... Just try unmount your lens and wind it and shoot a couple of times and..... Good luck.....

am i the only one that is getting a sort of sensual vibe from this?

What batteries do you use for them?

This Om-1 is so clean wtf. Hahaha

om1

Was watching this video by a Japanese guy who spoke flawless English... he has 2 camera shops there btw.... He is in awe of the OM 4TI....TI is titanium.... And he thinks this camera is the best film camera in the world....it certainly is no slouch....but maybe best for proffesionals...... He thinks Canon/Nikon can't match it....???

*1.25x* Thank me later. Great video brother! Going to buy my first film camera (OM-2)

You have a LEICA 3 C......This camera, cannot use flash. You can have that converted to a 3F, at no charge, in order to use flash. Your LEICA has a NON ROTATING SHUTTER....just like the ZENIT. I have never heard of this ....LEICA M1 S.L.R. ( time frame...16:15.....and i have been selling a million camera s over the last 45 years). The shutter curtains use a ...RUBBERIZED CLOTH MATERIAL............thxs. good shows.

NO, go for Olympus OM3 !