Olympus OM-1

I think that the introduction of the Olympus OM-1 is one of those events for which you would have to have lived at the time to understand what a sensation it was.  I can remember that all the photography magazines had articles raving about the Olympus OM-1.  That Olympus had managed to build a quality system slr that was so compact did seem like a wonder. Still I was committed to Canon cameras at that time. And back in those days, unless you were rich, once you had started with one camera system it usually was best to put your money into expanding that system instead of trying out different cameras. Today however with many abandoning their film cameras it is affordable to try out almost any film camera that I was ever curious about.  So when I recently saw the Olympus OM-1 in the photo for $10 in an antique store I felt pretty lucky.  It is a little beat up with a dented filter ring and another dent in the upper body.  Still it works as it should for taking pictures.

Since the Olympus OM-1 is such an iconic camera I imagine must people with an interest in film photography are familiar with its basic features.  It may seem funny, however one thing that stood out for me was the film rewind.  Instead of the little button on the bottom of the camera there is a switch on the front.  If you look at the picture you can see it where the R and the red dot are.  Anyway I like this a lot better than the sometimes hard to push button on the bottom of the camera.  And overall I can see why so many people were crazy about this camera.  For me using the Olympus OM-1 was as pleasant a user experience as I have had with a camera.

If you want more info about the OM-1 I think this site covers it pretty well. 

Lastly a few images with the Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 lens.