[I should preface this with the fact that I'm an amateaur
whose enthusiasm for photography far outclasses any
actual skill <g>]
A history of ignorance has led me to the OM list...err,
wait, that didn't come out right...I mean a gradual
enlightenment let's say <g>
I started at 17 with a Ricoh SLR (can't remember XR or
KR 10 or something), and my difficuilty focussing with
a split prism focussing aid, which I now know was partly
because of the (lack of) speed of my lenses, led me to
the faddish Ricoh Mirai and it's autofocus, but there was
that feeling that the auto-everything camera was taking the
picture rather than me.
So after a break of a few years, my first Olympus was an
OM40/PC handed-down to me by my partner's mother. I have
to admit I didn't like it much, but pretty much only because
it inhaled batteries, even when unused. Annoyed me and rather
than trying to get it looked at (and pay more for something
that for all I knew was unfixable), I bit the bullet and
currently own a Canon EOS kit (50E and assorted lenses). There
could be a subconscious "inlaw" resentment going here too <g>
"Don't Panic" <g> I *do* love my EOS kit, and it serves me
well - it's auto-everything nature is also backed up by an
"override-everything" nature - *but* there was something lacking
(robust construction, battery requirement, expensive, fear
of rainshower waterdamage of "delicate electronic instrument)
that made me want something old, metal & manual to have with
me all the time - something small, simple, but with good optics
and no battery requirement.
Well, just last week, I finally found the perfect camera after
a difficuilt search and a limited budget - a very nice condition
OM1 with 50 1.4 attached. I love it. No, I loooooooooove it.
It's in my daypack at work now. It's small enough that it'll
be around my neck when I walk the dogs, go into town, commute,
everywhere, as opposed to me thinking "Should I take the wide
angle or the telephoto?" or "What about the flash?" and limiting
myself to one lens (chanting "I will not be a "Zuikoholic", I will
not be a "Zuikoholic"...") means that I just take it all places
no worries. I admit I don't know much about the quality of the
50 1.4 lens (but it's fast, and that was a requirement if I wanted
to carry it in the most extensive situations without other gear).
I'm also getting use to the microprism focussing screen, which
I haven't used before.
I love it's solid construction, it's size - my pudgy little fingers
have difficuilty with some of the buttons, like the MLU and film speed
lock, but conversely it's small size is also a benefit handholding
the camera in general - it's simplicity (no batteries, one lens,
one 'match-needle' metering mode in viewfinder), and it's weight -
it weighs more than it looks without being a brick, which I like
from a stability viewpoint.
I've probably showed by amateaurish nature and contradicted myself
several times in the above, but, FWIW, the new OM1 gives me,
even if it's all in my mind, greater scope and inspiration to
*take more photos*. I might even finally get myself onto a
course finally.
Cheers
Marc
Sydney, Oz
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