Bomb-proof, continues working when batteries fail, light, great handling

Hot shoe broke years ago but thats all

This camera got me into taking photographs instead of snaps. Using an all manual camera really helps you to get to grips with how to make a picture. Very easy to use. I love the handling and weight. seems to handle B&W very well. Great for candids as its so small. I once dropped it 1 metre onto a sharp granite rock while on holiday in Cornwall - it bounced! Almost as old as me and still going strong.

Customer Service

repair to rewind handle - quick and never been a problem since

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F90x, OM2, Chinon C5

It's a photographer's camera!

NONE!

The Olympus OM-1 is the Excalibur of all 35mm cameras, and Maitani is the Grand Master who designed this legend of an SLR. It's exquisite form set a trend back in the 1970s. There followed many imatators but no equals. The OM-1 has all the features a real photographer needs, no more and no less. Once you handle an OM-1 with its compact Zuiko lenses, the memory of that experience remains in the photographer's mind and hands......forever!

Customer Service

None Ever Needed

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FM2n
Nikon F3

All mechanical, very reliable. Very small and light. Solid construction. Part of a very comprehensive system providing a level of compatibility of bodies, lenses, and accessories not avalable from any other manufacturer.

Uses 1.35v mercury batteries, which are getting hard to find. Alternatives include teh Wein zinc-air cell, which has a limited battery life, MR-9 adapter for silver oxide batteries which is expensive, or getting an internal modification for silver oxide batteries, which is the route I took.

Great, basic, 35mm SLR. Plenty of good examples on the used market at good prices right now.

Customer Service

No longer serviced by Olympus USA. Still readily available from independent repairers, including parts.

Similar Products Used:

OM-1n, OM-2n, OM-2S, OM-4

Simple, non-automatic camera with advantages that derive from being non-automatic. If the battery fails, the only thing that stops working is the meter. You can still use the camera at all shutter speeds.

No spot-metering capabilities, and the shutter speed only goes up to 1/1000 of a second.

This simple, basic, manual-focus SLR is a trusty workhorse, and is a favorite even today with astronomers! The OM-1 started the industry trend toward compact and lightweight SLR cameras, compared to Nikons and Canons of the time. It's easy to use, straightforward in its design, and can take flawless photos in all kinds of environments. The OM-1 uses the full array of Olympus Zuiko lenses, and many other Olympus OM accessories, making this non-automatic SLR a very versatile camera for the professional photographer, who demands a rugged design! I've been using Olympus equipment since '86, and I wouldn't dream of using anything else! And best of all, the Olympus OM system is very affordable, making it a best buy in my book! Highly recommended!

Similar Products Used:

Olympus OM-1n, OM-3, and
OM-4T.