As my only camera, or my only all mechanical camera?
- Neither would satisfy me as my only camera. I like auto exposure for
most purposes.
Either one would only be for special purpose/backup.
- Also, neither has a satisfactory provision for eliminating mirror and
aperture vibration.
OM-1 I can put down to lack of knowledge when it was designed.
OM-3(Ti) is stupid.
No cost considerations?
- That means you're buying, right? I'll take an OM-3Ti. They are really
attractive with that lovely graphite finish
Taking your question seriously, with cost, prestige, etc. no
consideration, I would have a hard choice. The OM-1 has a larger
viewfinder image and the meter needle can be seen under much darker
circumstances than the LCD indicator in the OM-3(Ti) (Also a serious
drawback of the OM-4 series.). A series 2 screen can be fitted to the
OM-1 and the meter adjusted. The OM-1 at least has mirror lock-up, if
not aperture prefire, while the OM-3(Ti) has neither. Gary's tests make
it clear that MLU alone isn't nearly as good as both, but he didn't do
any tests I'm aware of of OM-1 with and without MLU. I can't believe it
doesn't make a difference. What an OM-3 has going for it is 1/2000 sec
shutter speed and spot meter. The OM-3(Ti) adds great looks and better
sealing from the elements to that. Then again, if an OM-3 meter goes out
after a few years (or is it a few years for the Ti and already for the
3?), it won't be repairable. I'll bet OM-1 meters will still be
repairable through scavenging for another 50 years or more.
Under your artificial criteria, I might well opt for a late production,
lightly used black OM-1n with series 2 screen, clean prism and CLA. In
the real world, except cost no object, I'd take an OM-3Ti. In the world
as it is, I have a nice, black OM-1 CLAed by John H., a really nice
black OM-1n not yet CLAed, but working perfectly, soem other OM-1
'projects', some new old stock top plates, a few OM-10 and G parts
bodies with good prisms, and no OM-3.
Moose
iwert wrote:
If you could choose freely between an om-1 and om-3, but could only use one,
which one would you choose?
This purely based on camera technical features and not market-resale-collectors
value.
Which one would be more reliable - widely useable?
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