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Olympus OM-1?

Roberto Lequeux

Roberto Lequeux

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I am thinking about borrowing my Dad's OM-1, an old reflex SLR (celuloid). I am really sick and tired of shooting with my little P&S Powershot, and I am trying to shoot stills to develop my skills to better work with my DOP. Not that it doesn't take amazing photos for its cost of only $200, but I am itching to get a D90 or other DSLR and I can't spend the $$ now... so I was wondering if I should shoot some 35mm film rolls, which I always wanted to do anyway...

So, I am wondering about a few things:

1. I found this PX625 battery, which is supposed to work with the OM-1, am I getting the right one? Maybe someone has an old Olympus and can save me the waiting time in case I get the wrong one and it throws off my exposure. http://www.adorama.com/BYPX625W.html?searchinfo=px625&item_no=8#ProductReviews

2. I would also borrow a pair of lenses he still has: An original Olympus 50mm 1.8f Zuiko, which I suspect would be sharp as balls, but it has tons of dirt inside... (look at image below). I am defenitely not going to invest in Olympus glass, as I am considering getting a D90 and probably a Red Nikon mount too.
I will also use a Vivitar 70-150mm when the 50mm won't cut it.

3. I am thinkning I should shoot a test roll with the 50 and the zoom and write down the settings for each exposure and then figure out where I stand? Does that sound like a good plan?

4. Last but certainly not least: Digital scanning... where to go in the Valley, or in Hollywood? Can I get 16-bit? And say like 20MP? Anywho, I got no clue about this so any help would be very appreciated.
 
Hello Roberto:

A couple of useful information sites on the OM1:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/om1/om1manual/index.htm


http://www.scopereviews.com/om.html

My recommendation is to shoot 35mm positive slide film (Ektachrome). Good Drum Scans from 35mm positive slide film can cost $20 each and yield the best possible digital results. However, I think you can still take negative film to Wal-Mart and Walgreens for scan to disc at good prices but the quality is only so-so.

With the above in mind, I would highly recommend avoiding film altogether and buying a used DSLR on eBay if you can. I predict you'll end up spending more in film, developing, scanning (and trial and error) in the first month than you would spend on a used DSLR on Craigslit or eBay.

Another option is to buy a used Canon Digital Rebel XTi with the stock lens and then just rent better lenses as you want or need them. Canon still glass is really cheap to rent.

What do you think?

-shooter
 
Hey shooter, thanks for taking the time to post.

Yea I fear the same, and the only thing that has me wanting to shoot some film is tht I always wanted to shoot some film.. :)

I won't buy a DSLR till I can afford a D90 though cause I am really itching to get one of those so I figured I'd shoot a few rolls at most and then be able to offer film in case someone wants that... or just to make my sound cooler to some people
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I tried calling A&I over in Hollywood but they are closed for the new year festivities... I found this page but I have no clue about the names of the film rolls and such so I can't decipher how much it would be for a roll and how many exposures I'd get:

http://www.aandi.com/fp.html

Would you be able to post a link to the film you are talking about? Sorry if I didn't understand correctly but I am sort of in the dark about film as you can probably tell.

And do you think the dust in the lens would show?
 
I would probably suggest FujiFilm FujiChrome Velvia Professional 100 (Daylight). It's only $21 for a box of 5 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-Fujichrome-Velvia-100-Transparency/dp/B000ANBAIS

Also, read this article. Excerpt Below.
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/The-future-of-slide-film-1

Throughout its history, slide film has been known as the method which offers the best quality pictures for serious photographers, and it was rare to find a photography enthusiast who worked solely with print film. Slide film offers photographers sharp images and clear, bright colours, perfect for capturing vivid scenery and landscapes, and other subjects such as wildlife and sports photography.
 
I wouln't worry about the dust in that lens, you won't notice a thing.
 
I love the OM-1. I have one my dad gave me that he bought the year I was born. It's an awesome camera. I have the 50mm 1.4 which is a stellar lens. I use it with a vivitar 2x for 100mm. Drops the speed a lot but still looks amazingly good.
 
Unfortunately my dad went cheap and got the 1.8f :) But funny enough I think he also got it just about when I was born.

I was looking at that 35mm shift lens... it was making me drool. It would certainly be one to pick up if I were looking to buy.

Do you guys think the prices at the A&I webpage are for a full roll?
 
The A&I prices are per roll. Unless its for a print of course. They will do scans as well.

As for Scans; with those optics I'm not sure paying for a full on drum scan would be worth it. You may want to consider buying a scanner. I'm not sure if Minolta still makes dedicated 35mm scanners. But a used one of those should do you nicely. Or, a mid range Epson Flat Bed (perfection series) could work too.

I say that because Scans are expensive and add up fast. And, you will quickly be eating into the money you are saving to buy a DSLR.

That is why I would say look at a Flat Bed ($200-$500) because you can use that to scan artwork, and other source material. So, it has a life beyond film photography and comes in handy for pre-production, prepping images for compositing etc. And, it can handle sizes beyond 35mm film, so you can shoot 4x5 etc.

The other advantage of a flat bed is you can quickly make proof sheets (IE: scan the entire roll at once). So, even if you do go for drum scans later you can make much more intelligent choices as to the "best frame".

For film you might also want to check out lomo: http://www.lomography.com/filmshop/. They carry a ton of brands. And, they have their own in-house brands that are cheap but a have a nice look to them. And, as I see you are in LA I also suggest stopping buy Sammy's on Fairfax where they sometimes sell of expired film (so its cheaper). In general for mail order buying out of B&H in NYC will prob. be the best price/trust combo.

Still, I have to be honest and say that I'm not sure what you will learn that you could not learn from a DSLR. Now, to be clear I love film and would still shoot it if not for the price. But, the fact is 10 rolls of 35mm color processed is not cheap. And, so from an economic standpoint your ability to experiment is limited.
 
Yea... I was even calling wallgreens to see what the heck that would be like cause I did some math and the cost of a D90 + 50mm + 85mm comes down to just a few... well it is pointless to go on, it is clear... I'll have a little fun, offer film as an option but won't be having nearly as much fun as I hoped unless it is per request of customers
 
Yeah I have to transfer my OM-1 stills to digital also. Going to try local stores first.
 
No way Joseph! hehe... sweet, can't wait to see your stuff!

My battery hasn't even shipped out yet and I am getting blue balls already. It is going to be a long ups ground shipping period.
 
Stores are open! Finally could get some hard details and cost.

Sammy's Camera (431 S. Fairfax Ave. / Los Angeles, CA 90036 / Tel: 323-938-2420)
_ $8.50 for developing and proof sheet (36 exposures)
_ $18.75 for each exposure scanned at 16-Bit, 3600dpi, (~17.34MP)

O-u-c-h! But I gotta try this!
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I'll be hearing back from A&I once they get through everyone else that has been flooding their phone lines on their first day back from the holidays.
 
Sounds like a fun adventure. If the camera has been unused for years, I'd seal the back with a few bits of black tape. The sealings tend to dry and start to crumble. Just in case. Light leaks can be fun with a Holga, but when you don't want them, it's just annoying.

Maybe compare the meter with something else, if you're going with positive film, as there's almost no leeway exposure wise. Negative film only looks better with some over exposure.

Hope it turns out to be fun. I still process film in the kitchen and print in my dark room closet.
 
Nice! It would be so fun to process myself but that would not only be a ton more investment going away from my future DSLR but also a ton more stuff to learn which would take up more time. But it must be so nice to do it yourself.

I wanted to buy myself a little meter really bad... but I wouldn't know where to look. Certainly something that I can use for the rest of my work obviously but something inexpensive... I have to keep reminding myself that I am not trying to become a DoP hehe... it is just so hard to not play when the game is so fun. :)
 
Cool, thanks Chuck! Do you like any others like that one? That's what I was looking at, well similar looking ones with similar prices, but I had no clue how good they were.

Apparently A&I gives you a digital 8-bit contact sheet for $20 per 36 exposure roll. The guy said that it is quite the nice little pictures... we shall see that. Also, their film prices are right on par with Amazon's when you factor shipping so I'll probably just get it there.
 
For the same reasons as you, I bought an OM-10, also with the 50mm 1.8 lens. This setup can yield beautiful results. I only shoot black and white film with it - which I can recommend trying as well. Have fun!
 
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