The erratic meter should be fixable but the self timer would probably need to
be
replaced and thatb requires separating the mirror box assy from the body. In
the
"off" position, with the cap on, the shutter speed is asa dependent, lower asa
providing a slightly longer speed. Speed at asa 100 is about 1/15th, asa 25 is
about 1 second.
The 2N in "off" with cap on is usually around 1/1/5th at any asa.
John
John
Peter A. Klein wrote:
> Hi, Olympians! I just bought, on 10-day trial and a 3-month warrantee, an
> OM-2 with 2 lenses. I got it from a local repairman with a good
> reputation. I've been reading some of the excellent Olympus FAQs and
> information on the Web. I'll be running some film through it in the next
> few days. Meantime, I'm looking for a little more information from people
> who've actually used the same equipment. Let me describe the equipment, and
> then I'll ask a few questions.
>
> The body is an OM-2, with the pre-1978 heavily center-weighted meter
> pattern on the shutter. It looks almost new. The shutter sounds clean and
> the slow speeds sound right.
>
> Unfortunately, I just found two things wrong with it:
>
> 1. I noticed some inconsistencies between Auto and Manual meter readings,
> and after playing with the camera for a while, I think I know why. The
> meter switch is probably dirty or bad in some way. On "Auto," the meter
> will sometimes go up and down 1 to 2.5 stops' worth when the camera is
> pointed at the same spot on a blank wall. This occurs at light levels
> ranging from a sunlit house wall to typical indoor room lighting. The
> "Check" LED blinks or goes off randomly when the switch is in the "Check"
> position, and I can make it do this by moving the switch slightly back and
> forth.
>
> 2. The self-timer "creeps" even when set but not yet started, so I have to
> hold the lever fully downwards until I'm ready to start it running.
> Otherwise, I only get 4-5 seconds delay instead of 12.
>
> Obviously, these must be fixed or I'm not keeping the camera.
>
> The normal lens has the following inscription: OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM G.ZUIKO
> AUTO-S 1:1.4 F=50mm 366340. This lens is in mint condition, no scratches,
> no marks, no wear, controls are smooth as silk. I don't know if it
> originally came with the camera or not. I don't know if it is
> multi-coated. If I look at reflections from a standard 60w incandescent
> light bulb, the reflection from the front element is yellow, and internal
> reflections are yellow, violet and light blue.
>
> The wide angle lens has the following inscription: OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM
> G.ZUIKO AUTO-W 1:2.8 F=35mm 132276. The lens may have been dropped with a
> filter present (or perhaps a filter was cross-threaded). The ouside of the
> filter ring appears *very* slightly out of circular, just counterclockwise
> of the word "AUTO." There are four tiny burrs on the threads, and four
> corresponding marks on the metal face of the lens just outside the word
> "AUTO." However, I can install and remove 49mm filters without binding.
> The lens has a tiny bit of circular play, maybe 0.25 mm, if I hold the
> silver depth-of-field scale and attempt to rotate the filter ring. The
> focusing mount is pretty smooth, though not totally like new--infinity to 3
> ft. has slightly less friction than the rest of the range. Ditto the f-stop
> ring.
>
> What I paid: $249 for the OM-2 body, $70 for the 50mm f/1.4, and $106 for
> the 35mm f/2.8. I also got (thrown in) a neck strap, a couple of skylight
> filters, a polarizer, caps, and a flash extension cord.
>
> I picked Olympus for several reasons:
>
> 1. Optical quality--Zuikos have an excellent reputation.
> 2. OMs have the nicest, brightest SLR viewfinder I've seen, and it's
> better than many for a glasses wearer.
> 3. Quiet, reliable electronic shutter.
> 4. Light weight
>
> Now, the questions:
>
> * Most important: If the repairman will fix the meter switch and self
> timer without charge, should I keep the body, or are the problems
> sufficient evidence that I should stay away from this body?
>
> * If I return the body, should I keep the lenses and look for another OM body?
>
> * Are my lenses multi-coated? One article said if you see green
> reflections, they are, another said green or blue. I see some blue and
> violet reflections internally, but no green, and the primary reflection off
> the front element is yellow. Maybe someone can tell from the lens
> inscription, serial number and reflection descriptions above.
>
> * If the lenses are not multicoated, how much difference will it really
> make in practical terms? I don't usually shoot straight into the sun or
> into bare light bulbs, and I always use a lens hood.
>
> * Looking over the lens tests on the Web, the 50mm f/1.4 has tested out so
> many different ways that it can be anything from a dog to a diamond :-)
> Some of the Modern Photography numbers are really off the wall, and I don't
> know how to compare 1970s and 1984+ figures. I do some indoor work without
> flash, and it's very cloudy in Seattle 9 months of the year. Is the f/1.4
> OK for general photography, or would I be better off trying to get a f/1.8
> instead (the dealer has several, I haven't seen them yet).
>
> * Up until now, I've been using an old Leica screw-mount IIIf with 35mm
> f/3.5 Summaron, 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor, and 90mm f/4 Elmar. (No, they are NOT
> for sale). There are many inconveniences to this old system, and it's just
> not worth adjusting the shutter every year any more. How will my Zuikos
> compare, optically, to my c. 1950 Leitz and Nikkor rangefinder lenses?
>
> * How cold can it get before the silver oxide batteries' voltage drops
> enough to make the shutter unreliable?
>
> * What speed does the shutter operate in when the meter is in the "off"
> position (it appears to work)? This is distinct from when there are no
> batteries at all, and the camera won't work.
>
> * The OM-2 body has the letters "MD" at the lower right section of the body
> faceplate. What does this mean? Did the camera originally have a motor
> drive?
>
> Thanks in advance for any help/advice.
> ----
> : -----==3== --- ---
> - Peter - : | | | | | | | |
> : @| @| @| @| @| @| @| @|
>
>
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|