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Re: [OM] OM-4 or 4t

Subject: Re: [OM] OM-4 or 4t
From: Bill_J._Rice_at_RLT012@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 11:08:05 -0500
Glen Lowry wrote:
> What I need to know is, to begin with, whether the OM-4 is a good camera.
> Or should I keep looking for a 2s?  Also is the 4t a significant
> improvement over the 0M-4?  Should I spend the extra cash? 
<snip>

George S. added:
>My opinion- yes, the OM-4 is a good camera. I had one which performed 
>very well and did not have the battery drain problem. I don't know, but I 
>wonder the percentage that do.  I wish I knew if it was 10%, 50%, 75%?
<snip>

I often wonder about that too.  I didn't know about the circuit problems 
when I bought a used OM-4 seven years ago.  It has been an excellent camera 
for me (knock wood).   It has the original circuit and does not eat 
batteries.  I installed a new set of 357's last October and they're still 
going strong.  The only quirky problem it has is sometimes when I press the 
spot button, it beeps twice, taking 2 spot readings very quickly when I 
only wanted one.  I can work around this by pressing the clear lever and 
starting over - a minor inconvenience.  Would I buy another OM-4?  IMHO 
probably not, given what I know now about the circuit problems.  I consider 
myself lucky to get a good example.  But, as a fellow list member once 
said, the bad cameras have probably worked themselves out of the market so 
only the good ones survive.  If you find a good example that works well, 
especially in hot/humid conditions, keep it. 

The OM-2S, IMHO, is a much riskier investment.  I bought mine new 13 years 
ago.  It developed a horrible problem last year.  I got the film back from 
processing and was shocked to see that pictures I thought I took were blank 
(clear) frames on the negatives.  At first it was only one frame per roll 
then worsened to 4 -5 random frames.  A photographer's nightmare, the 
shutter sounds like it's firing but no picture was taken.  Fortunately, it 
was not a bad circuit, just wiring gone bad, and was fixed.  The OM-2S is 
not as well sealed from the elements as the OM-4 so it probably doesn't 
take the humidity too well.  My trips to Florida, Hawaii, & Singapore 
probably did it in.  The OM-4 (T, Ti) have been praised for their o-rings 
and gaskets to keep moisture out.  I hear the reason the OM-4 (T, Ti) is 
1mm taller than the OM-1,2 was to make room for the gaskets.  The OM-2S is 
also 1mm higher but alas, no gaskets.  Since my OM-2S was repaired, it's 
once again become my camera of choice but I hesitate to take it where the 
humidity is high.  YMMV.

Bill Rice   

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