Kierstin,
On Sat, 23 Mar 2002, Kierstin wrote:
> I am new to this group and have never posted anything here before. I
> am a American living in London and desperately need some guidance. I
> have bothered the owner of this list too many times and I suppose it is
> high time to 'join' into the group.
You've not been bothersome. It's always a pleasure helping new
"addicts" (or soon-to-be addicts) to the wonderfull world of Olympus
equipment.
Welcome to the group ;)
>
> I am hoping to find out something about my OM 20, as I bought it in a
> auction a few weeks ago and it did not come with a manual. I paid
>£40 to have it fixed and I would love to learn to use it properly.
>
> It was suggested to me that I should try signing up to this group and
> that there would probably be someone who would be willing to share
> some knowledge with me and possibly even send me a copy of the manual,
> but I have been generally confused about the content - I don't know if
> it is because I am such a novice or what.
Well, this group is in no (official) ways affiliated with Olympus. We're a
bunch of people who enjoy using (or collecting - or both) the system, and
we're generally happy to share our experiences.
>
> I will tell you the details of the camera and then maybe someone can
> help me - I am a little nervous that people might get a little pissed
> at me for asking stupid questions (although they are not stupid to
> me), but how else will I ever learn?
There are no stupid questions - only stupid answers. Noone gets upset,
even if you ask basic questions.
>
> It is black & silver, it says OM20 in the left hand front corner.
That's an OM20, allright. Nice camera. In the US, it goes by the name
"OM-G".
Here is a link, where you can find information about the camera:
http://olympus.dementia.org/eSIF/om-sif/bodygroup/om20.htm
(It's generally requested that you do not spread this link around)
In the very bottom of the page, you will find a manual. This should
explain the basics of boht taking pictures and using the camera.
> The
> lens says MACRO (on the top) with 6 different rows of numbers. It
> adjusts in & out. The front part of the lens (which is missing the
> black cap at the end) says SOLIGOR MC ZOOM-AUTO F2.5/3.5 f=35-70mm
> made in Japan 58o NO97956912.
I do not know anything about that specific lens - maybe someone else in
the knows can fill in?
>
> Please, oh please can you help me, all this is way over my head, but I
> want to learn very badly. I am smart and I think I could pick it up if
> someone would be so kind as to take the time to explain a few of the
> basics to me.
Are you completely blank when it comes to taking pictures, or just with
respect to this particular camera?
Assuming it is to taking pictures, here is a "quick and dirty" guide to
getting some pictures taken:
0) Mount your lens on the OM20 (if it is not already there)
1) Follow the manual wrt. inserting a film and setting the ASA dial.
2) Move the mode-switch (left hand of the prism) to "auto". This means
that the camera "automagically" will set the exposure for you.
3) Gently touch the shutter (right hand side of the prism), and look
through the viewfinder. In the left hand side, a display should
illuminate, indicating the shutter speed. If, e.g., 125 is
illuminated/indicated, then the film will be exposed by 1/125 of a
second. In general, with your lens, you should probably use
shutter-speeds of 1/60 or above (1/125, 1/250, 1/500 and 1/1000),
otherwise you will get "shaky" photos.
4) If the shutter-speed indicated is "too low" (e.g. 1/8), then try
turning the apeture ring. That's the ring on the lens with numbers such
as 2.8, 3.5, 4.5, 5.6, 8, 11, 22 engraved in. This ring should move in
"clicks"
5) Focus. That is: turn a ring (moves smoothly) on the lens until the
image in the viewfinder is "sharp" (see the manual for a little further
info). Your lens may have two "smoothly moving" rings: one for focus
and one for "zoom" - which basically "crops"/frames the picture for
you.
6) Once you've focused, pres the shutter release completely. The camera
gives a slight "kli-chick" sound, and the picture is taken ;)
7) Wind the film (big arm on the right of the prism) to be ready for the
next photo.
It seems like a long list, but it really isn't ;) There's also more to it
(e.g. what is the "apeture" and what does the different settings of the
apeture mean, how do I use the "manual" mode and such), but that's beyond
the very basics. Once you've gotten the hang of the above, then I am sure
that someone on the list can reccomend usefull reading material (I was
about to suggest the Kodak Pocket Photography Guide, but that may be a
little brief in the explanations?) that will take you beyond the
basics. And pretty soon you'll be taking pictures like a pro (hey, going
with Olympus is a good start towards that, no?)
However, the most important thing to remember is, that the best way to
learn is through actually taking pictures. A good way may be to keep a
small notebook and, for each picture, write down a little about camera
settings, conditions (clouded, bright sunlight, flash, light from the
back) etc. I did that myself (and, to some extend, still do), and it helps
a lot when looking at the final pictures after they've been developed.
I hope it helps a little? In any case, please do not hold back - asking
questions, participating in the discussions etc.
Best regards
--
-------------------------------------------
Thomas Heide Clausen
Civilingeniør i Datateknik (cand.polyt)
M.Sc in Computer Engineering
E-Mail: T.Clausen@xxxxxxxxxxxx
WWW: http://www.cs.auc.dk/~voop
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