The Olympus OM3. One of the most advanced mechanical shutter cameras ever made. It is also one of the rarest OM series cameras around as it was only produced for 3 years (1983-1986). As a result, it is often horded by collectors who sit them in glass display cases whilst watching the market value gradually increase.
It’s a shame, as this is a truly amazing camera which was designed from the ground up by Yoshihisa Maitani to take full advantage of the OM system as a modern professional camera body. It deserves to be used.

The OM3 was released along side the OM4 and OM2SP, so as a result shares some similarities. However, you could probably say it’s in many ways closer related to the OM1 which was also built with a mechanical shutter.  As a result, this is one of the main reasons why the OM3 was only produced for such a short period of time. In 1983, if people wanted a mechanical shutter body they had 2 choices in the OM system- the OM1n which was an older but tried and tested model, or the OM3 which was brand new and considerably more expensive. Most people chose the OM1n which was built until 1987.
The OM3 had alot going for it though. With it came an increased max shutter speed of 1/2000, iso settings from 6 to 3200, and a brand new very advanced metering which included the new multi-spot system (in addition to the regular single spot), which allowed the user to take a reading in the shadows and highlights then combine them both for an ideal exposure. All of this was displayed in a new Viewfinder that featured LCD display and a light (helpful for night shooting) which displayed detailed information on light readings and shutter speed etc. Besides all of this new technology, there remained the greatest advantage of all; that by using a mechanical shutter the camera could be operated at all shutter speeds without the need of batteries.

Of course, it must be said that with this new metering technology also came issues that worked against the cameras reputation. One of the biggest was battery life. Like the OM2SP and OM4, there were alot of cameras (not all) that chewed through batteries like they were candy. You can usually tell right away if your particular camera falls into this category by the need to replace the batteries after a weeks use. There is a common misconception that all of these models suffered from this problem which is completely false. I know people who have been using them for years without needed to replace batteries. I myself have been shooting an OM2SP for well over 8 months now with used batteries and it still functions perfectly. I haven’t had enough time to test the OM3 fully yet, but after shooting a roll (on yet again used batteries) and repeated use of the VF lights etc, it’s still holding up perfectly. On the odd chance of the batteries draining though i still can make use of the OM3’s biggest advantage – it’s mechanical shutter.

Getting hung up on the technicalities of these cameras can be a waste of time; almost as much as collecting them without the intention to take photos.
At the end of the day, It’s all about how good the camera is to use, and the OM3 carries on and in some ways improves the biggest advantages of the OM’s that proceeded it. This includes the gloriously large and bright viewfinder, compact body and user friendly function, attractive finish, looks, and construction, and the ability to use some of the greatest lenses ever created.
I have quite a few cameras now, and the OM3 is already amongst my all time favourites. However, i have to say that as good as it is, i think they’re overpriced, especially as a user camera. I’d actually have a had time justifying paying even half of the current market price for one of these. If you’re just looking for something to get into the wonderful OM system, there’s probably better options available to you. But, if you’re like me and find one for a fraction of the market value, snap it up and use it!
The OM3 is a great cameras to use, but i think mine will restricted to indoor use only and kept away from the street.. It’s just too pretty

For further reading you can can check out these links.
I’ve also tracked down the hard to find OM3 instruction manual that i have available for download here

Here are some shots from my first roll in the little Pen EF i just got.
Tried out some diptychs as it fits them on a regular single frame. Some obviously worked better than others, but it was still alot of fun. I’m quite surprised how well it metered and how sharp the lens is (when its actually in focus ofcourse).
Tri-x400 in Rodinal 1+50

Ok, havent posted up any film shots for a while.. No working film scanner means no scans. So you have to suffer through a couple more shots of new cameras than have found their way to me lately.

The first is a terrific 124G. Been liking this medium format thing lately, so i’ve bought my own camera just incase i have to give the RB67 back (im hoping my friend forgets i have it). The Yashica 124G is a 6×6 medium format TLR that was built in between 1971 and 1986. It has a very good reputation as an entry level medium format camera with an astounding 80cm f/3.5 Yashinon lens.
There is also a non “G” model (ie. Yashica 124), that appears to sell for considerably less than the 124G. They’re actually exactly the same except for the external finish of the camera. The optics are exactly the same, and there are rumours that the 124 has stronger internal gears than the 124G. Too bad i couldnt find a 124 anywhere for sale that was in working condition, luckily the 124G is still pretty cheap (if you look around a bit).
Heres a quick pic of it

I also got these 2 things for an offer i just couldnt refuse.
One is in amazing condition, the other nice and brassed up. I actually have something special planned for the “roughy”.

Well, the other week i was made an offer i couldnt refuse. The offer was to buy another Olympus SP, but this time in Silver, for a very reasonable price. Actually, an extremely reasonable price. I wasnt in the market for another camera, let alone another SP, but somehow i convinced myself i should get another one. =/
The SP on offer came with its original case and manual, but the best bit was that it had just undergone a CLA, plus it had a modification that allows it to take modern voltage batteries without any stuffing around. These two things alone would of cost more than what i ended up buying the camera for, so i was pretty pleased. I was about to send my black SP in for a CLA anyway, so this saved me the hassle, plus i can now leave it at home and not worry about scratching the thing (well thats how i justified the purchase). The silver one is now my user, eventhough it is cosmetically and functionally flawless. (I would of been happy wich a scratched up user, but who am i to complain?)
So anyway, heres a quick picture of them together below :

There are quite alot of options available if you’re looking for a 70’s rangefinder. Some good, some bad, but most pretty interesting in their own particular way. There is one model however that stands out amongst many.. The brilliant Olympus 35-SP.
Built between 1969 and 1976, this compact rangefinder packs in an unrivaled set of features that puts to shame many of even the most modern rangefinders. It’s tack sharp 42mm f/1.7 G.Zuiko lens produces pictures with brilliant colour and contrast. The large bright viewfinder contains parallax error indicators and an accurate rangefinder patch. Then there’s the sophisticated metering system.
The Olympus 35-SP has the distinction of being the first ever 35mm rangefinder with dual metering options. Both centre weighted and spot metering is available to the user, which is quite amazing when you consider its age, and the compact size of the camera. After the SP a spot meter was included on the Leica M5 and CL but they were already beaten to the punch by Olympus, and quite simply just didn’t rival the 6 degree spot that came with the SP. Unlike many other rangefinders from that era, the light metering works in full manual mode also, which is quite useful when shooting in tricky conditions, or if you’re after a specific effect only manual control can produce.
Besides a revolutionary metering system (it truly was, and is still unrivaled to this day), the the Olympus came with a brilliant lens i mentioned briefly earlier on. The 7 element 42mm f/1.7 G.Zuiko is regarded as one of the finest rangefinder lenses ever produced. The Olympus RD (which came after the SP) has a similar lens, but without the 7th correcting element. Don’t let anybody try and tell you that they’re the same lens, because they’re in a completely different league. The lens focuses down to about 2.8ft and has a super smooth focusing action with a convenient lever on the side of the barrel.
All automatic and manual exposure options are contained on the barrel rings, aswell as a timer. After a while you can adjust these without taking your eye from the viewfinder, but it will take a little practice.

So with the SP you get a bright accurate viewfinder, unrivaled metering options, one of the best rangefinder lenses ever produced, all squeezed into a tough and compact body that manages to weigh less that comparable rangefinders of that era… What more do you want??
Oh yes, it comes in black too, and i got one, and its damn cool

(picture taken with my homemade light box)

*EDIT: I just got a Silver one also, check out a picture of them together here

Check out some other info here, and here

Ok, tell me this.
How many cameras can you think of that satisfy this criteria?

• compact
• rugged/all weather construction
• super sharp and contrasty fast lens
• spot metering
• auto focus
• auto film winding
• decent flash with various modes

Thought of any?? Ok, now tell me how many of those come in under $20?
Hmm, not too many now hey. Probably none. Except for the mighty Olympus Mju:II. (The only other camera that might come close is the Konica Big Mini, but they’re a bit more expensive, and i don’t have any experience with them yet)
Whats wonderful about this camera is its simplicity and quality. Its a proper point and shoot that manages to produce wonderful pictures that rival cameras many thousands for dollars more expensive. Don’t believe me? Well just go over to Flickr and check out some sample pictures.
Obviously a great camera doesn’t equal great pictures. But having something so small and inconspicuous will always give you an advantage over something big and obvious. Street photos, architecture, parts snaps, the camera can do it all.
Just for the record, this camera isn’t perfect. It has some quirks that can be annoying, such as how it resets settings when you shut it down (for example, it’ll reset the flash mode you selected earlier). Trying to focus through glass can also be annoying but sometimes fixed by focusing to infinity at the sky then re-composing the shot again. Also, selecting spot metering can be fiddly. But the good points far outweigh the bad points. And the truth is that this is an amazingly simple, cheap, and compact camera that takes amazing photos.
Some shots from my First Week with the Mju:II
Here’s a pretty old review.
And here’s a Flickr group for the Mju:II

(this wasnt taken with my homemade light box)

Well i’ve been meaning to make one for a while now, and this afternoon i finally did it.
All you need to do is cut out the sides of a cardboard box and cover it with white paper/tracing paper/white plastic etc… Only took about 10 minutes also which was good as my concentration span doesnt often last much longer than that.
The idea is that the light box provides a nice soft even light source to the object placed inside. Its best to have the same type of light on the outside to help with white-balance etc. As you can see my white balances are off as i ended up using 4 completely different light sources, which wasnt ideal.
I think i got an ok result for a first time. I need to work on focusing and composition, aswell as exposure and controlling the harshness of the lights a bit more.. So basically everything..
I’m looking forward to giving it another go.
Here are a few of my results so far (yeah, white balance is pretty badly out).

Oh, and here is my dodgy setup complete with messy room

Yep, got another Olympus camera. This deal was too good to pass up. Its the OMSP (spot/program). Quite similar to my OM2n, however this has a few extra nifty features. First of all the most obvious one is that it has a spot meter for tricky lighting conditions. Yeah, its not as advanced as modern day metered cameras, but its still pretty decent. I’ve managed fine without spot metering in the past, but this new addition will create a few more opportunities now. Secondly it has an an LCD meter display instead of the meter needle in the OM2n. This should make things a hell of alot easier when shooting at night, as it’s given me problems in the past. Also it has a built in hot shoe, as opposed to the removable ones that were prone to cracking (mine never has though). Plus a full auto and a program mode, which i’ll try out eventually. Oh and last but not least, its black, which is just cool
All of this, and its still the same size as my OM2n. The OM2SP (or OM2S) have never gained the same popularity as the OM1(n),OM2(n),OM3Ti and OM4Ti series cameras. They have the reputation of being unreliable, or eating up batteries etc. But im not sure how accurate these claims are, and i’ve spoken to professional camera repairers who in their far greater experience than mine agree. It may of got this reputation because it’s more or less based on the OM4 which contains some circuitry that cannot really be replaced if it fails. Because of that, it all of a sudden becomes a camera prone to faults, which is false. They do drain batteris doing nothing however, but i never store mine with the batteries in them anyway.
I think alot of the time camera geeks like to rubbish brands, models, techniques, etc for the sake of it. This is pretty clear on just about any camera forum or bulletin board you visit. The general consensus decides “yeah thats rubbish”, then opinionated keyboard warriors perpetuate the misconception, so someone says “i heard this isnt any good” “yeah i heard that too, must be true”. The Internet never lies hey! Generally these are same type of people who enjoy taking photos of brick walls and comparing barrel distortion and pixel density(for digital cameras), instead of going out to take photos of things with any real value/interest. Sure theres nothign wrong with comparing and testing equipment, but if thats all you do then you need to get a life. Anyway, enough talking crap. The more people think they’re no good, the cheaper i can get them for
Here it is here, with a pristine 35-70mm zoom & lens hood, and pristine Sunpak Auto flash.. Actually everything is pristine, i doubt the camera has been used more than a few times. It also came with a huge amount of brochures and booklets all in this awesome retro bag that i’ll have to try and get a photo of.
Here are some quick photos of it all
Group shot:

New camera = new light seals… Actually these ones were pretty decent and probably would of been ok, But i had all the stuff infront of me so decided to change them all. Used nail polish remover this time to get rid of the old stuck on foam which worked so much better than the stuff i used last time…

Was pretty late at night, and the light in my room is useless so i had to shoot this at 800 iso.. Ugly digital grain galore… (You may notice i took the Gold sticker off the body, it was shitting me)