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[OM] Which OM is best for astrophotography

Subject: [OM] Which OM is best for astrophotography
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 14:27:43 -0400
I assume by "change out the mirror" you meant change out the focusing screen. It would be possible (but not desirable) to adapt an OM focusing screen for use in your OM-10. The focus screen can be rather easily removed and a regular screen (semi-permanently) fitted by cutting off the handling/ID tab on the screen. However, your OM-10 is really rather ill-suited to astrophotography for other reasons and it really wouldn't be worth the cost and effort.

As others have said, what you want is an OM-1 which, in addition to its other desirable traits is fairly cheap. In addition to the interchangeable screens (a trait shared with all "single digit" OM bodies, ie; OM-1,2,3 and 4) the OM-1 offers mirror lock-up (minimizes vibration) and a mechanical shutter (prevents battery drain during long esposures).

The OM-2sp and all variants of the OM-4 have mirror and aperture "pre-fire" when used with the self-timer. This causes the mirror and aperture to be activated well before the shutter is opened so that vibrations have time to be damped out. However, they do not have a mechanical shutter and battery life will be short under long exposures and probably unpredictable in very cold weather.

The OM-3 and its variants offer a mechanical shutter but they do not have mirror lock-up or aperture pre-fire since they have no self-timer.

Presumably you will use the OM-1 with a 1-8 screen which is designed for very long lenses and astrophotography. If you elect to go this route first see if you can find a 1-8 screen. Since the OM system has been discontinued certain low volume accessories (like 1-8 screens) are becoming harder to find. On the other hand, OM-1's in all states of repair are plentiful. If you only intend to use this for astro work you do not need a working light meter and none of the shutter speeds except "B" need to work unless you intend to do some lunar and planetary stuff.

Somebody on the Olympus or OM Trader lists probably has an OM-1 with a flaky or non-working meter that they'll sell you for cheap. There may even be somebody willing to part with a 1-8 screen. Sorry, but you can't have mine.

For all the details on the OM system and accessories see:
<http://olympus.dementia.org/eSIF/om-sif.htm>
which is also available on CD from its creator Hans van Veluwen.

Chuck Norcutt
Woburn, Massachusetts, USA

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 23:30:18 -0000
> "scopemanfl" <westwind101@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>

> > I currently have an OM-10 which i am using for astrophotography,
> > but it is hard because I can not change out the mirror on the
> > OM-10. Only the OM 1 through 4's allow the mirror to be switched
> > out for a more specialized one. Which is the 'best' OM between 1
> > and 4, or are they all pretty much equal? Curious if they made any
> > big changes in those few years.
> >
> > Thanks!


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