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It had to happen soomer or later. I thought maybe I’ll accidentally expose the film to light or get the development times wrong. Perhaps a dud developer or even film (does that even happen?). There had to be one roll that did not develop for one of those reasons. I never expected what actually happened today although now that I think about it should be the most likely dud roll cause. The entire 36 exposures free spun, never moving past the film lead that’s exposed on a new roll. Ayeee.

A few days ago I loaded a 400TX in my Minolta SRT 201. I don’t recall doing anything differently or being in a hurry. I was sure I loaded it just fine but I must have made some mistake. I’m just glad that the roll I shot in half an hour earlier today was a test roll. As soon as I tried to rewind the film into the cassette I knew there was something wrong. I was kind of hoping it was extra smooth for some reason but in reality I knew it was a silly mistake. Even so, I developed it and wasn’t susprised to find a blank roll come out. I think I’ll keep it as a reminder.

Lesson of the day; do not try to squeese an extra frame out of your film. Load it properly in the open and be happy with the 36 frames.

For the last month I’ve been exclusively using film cameras, both rangefinder and SLR’s. Two days ago I took out my digital SLR to take some birthday pics and was shocked when I put my eye to the viewfinder. I had honestly forgotten how small that thing is and how poor the magnification was. Compared to a film SLR these digital viewfinders are an outright joke. It’s a given some models will have bigger viewfinders and mine is but an entry level Canon 400D but even so, they will never be a match for the gorgeously clear, large and bright finders of old film SLR’s.

The second thing I noticed was the focus screen on these old film cameras is no less than 24.325 times better. Not only did they come with a variety of focus screens but they were also much easier to focus. The combination of large viewfinder and wonderful user friendly focus screens makes me feel pitty for all photographers who have only ever known digital. I suppose they are better off for not knowing what they are missing out on.

I shouldn’t be surprised, one comes with the other. Tomorrow I turn 30 years old. Such a monumental birthday if ever there was one. No longer twenty-something, rather a whole decade older. What a fucking slap in the face.

With old age (ok so I’m not that old) comes health problems and so today, as a prelude to my special day tomorrow, I chipped a tooth by doing nothing more than breathing. It just decided to fall apart. Yesss! Oh woe is me and all that.

Over the last few days I’ve been in a frantic shopping spree mood. I’m looking for a small SLR for general use. It has to be light and mostly, if not all, mechanical.

I started my search with the iconic Olympus OM-1. The placement of the shutter speed selection is a part of the lens mount so you are always only a movement away from aperture and shutter settings. The only problem I had with this camera is the lack of viewfinder indicators of shutter and aperture but it is reputed as one of the brightest and largest viewfinders of their time and even by todays standards. The lack of VF indicators wasn’t a deal breaker though as I have read that after a bit of use you get the feel for the settings with the help of some design aid based on a 1/30 mid point. Perfect for me as I use 1/30 to 1/125 most of the time. Love that motion blur in my street shots. This camera is all mechanical with only a light meter requiring a 1.3v battery and not much else. No auto settings, just you and the metal.

Other cameras I looked at included the Nikon FM3n with its auto this and that. It looks like a real solid well designed camera with great shutter speed range unlike most other SLR’s of the time. It does rely on batteries for most things to work and it really is a fair bit bigger than the OM-1. As tempting as their glass range is and the well designed feel, it is too big and I just know it’ll end up on the shelf more than around my neck.

The Pentax MX got a quick look in. It’s a very samll camera in direct competition with the OM-1. Most of the settings are the same but slight differences in control placement and viewfinder were enough to put me off. Besides, you can’t compare the Zuiko glass of the Olympus to the range Pentax has. I’m afraid I didn’t spend too much time on this one.

At this stage I feel I should mention that I’m a Canon man and they at least deserved a bit of my time. That’s all they got. Their electronic cpu controlled offerings of the time were fantastic and a break through which we should all be glad for but they just weren’t what I was looking for in a film SLR. You are the weakest link Canon.

Next and by far the most tempting was the Minolta XD. Labeled the XD in Japan, XD-11 in USA and XD-7 elsewhere. It is a gorgeous camera rivaling the OM in size. It offered the very first shutter priority mode as well as aperture priority beating out Canon and Nikon. The viewfinder, although not as big and bright as the OM-1, displayed a lot of information via LED’s which also served as battery level indicators. This camera really is a nice unit and I can see myself buying one when I find a good example. They don’t seem to pop up on eBay that often and parts look like a problem. Their lenses are respectable and the fact that I already have 4 terrific lenses for my Minolta SRT 102 made this a very easy decision.

Only I read this…

———
Sid Reed from Dallas, Texas, USA
Item: Olympus OM-1 (1972)
Interests: fine art,landscape,portraits,wildlife
sid_reed@yahoo.com

The OM-1 does not set what speed of film you are using automatically. It cannot load the film itself, nor rewind the film itself. It cannot set the shutter or aperture by itself. It cannot auto-focus. The only electronics are a simple light meter that tells you if you have the exposure set correctly, and it is not always correct (when the subject is back-lit, for example). If you lose the cover that goes over the opening that the Winder/Motor Drive attaches to, you most likely will not be able to replace it (they are rare). There is no built-in flash. The hot shoe for the flash gets lost easily. You cannot easily find new lenses for it anymore. It has been out of production for years. It is no longer supported by the manufacturer. It does not beep, chirp, whistle, blink, or buzz, ever, for any reason.

It just hums - like any exceedingly wonderful work of a master craftsman hums.

The OM-1 is a work of art for creating works of art. It is one of those rare tools that become a part of you, an extension of yourself, after you have used it awhile. And that is why some people refer to their OM-1’s so fondly, as if they are talking about a friend. They are.

I bought the one that I own in 1978, in Dallas, Texas. I still use it, and am quite fond of it, despite also having two digital cameras and an OM-4Ti.

Sometimes it is just the simple pleasures that one needs. This is a camera for those times.
———

The above is a review found on www.camerareview.com. It, along with a whole lot of other research, helped me make my decision to invest in the Olympus OM-1 and the Zuiko lens system. eBay here we come.