Camera Body Accessories

The Olympus OM system was a line of 35mm single-lens reflex cameras and their associated lenses and accessories sold by Olympus between 1972 and 2002 (some accessories were sold through early 2003). more...

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Camera models

Olympus produced a wide variety of OM camera models over the years. These were divided into two distinct series. Cameras with single-digit model numbers were the professional series, optimised for features and ruggedness rather than ease of use. Two-digit (or more) model numbers, or letters, meant a consumer camera designed for ease of use.

All the consumer-grade models were discontinued after 1992, since the market for manual focus cameras in this segment had dried up. Professional and advanced amateur demand for the high-end models continued, and they were produced until 2002.

Professional cameras

OM-1

The Olympus OM-1 is a manually operated 35mm single-lens reflex camera forming the ground of the OM system introduced in 1972, at first called the Olympus M-1. It was designed by a team led by Yoshihisa Maitani with a through-the-lens exposure meter controlling a needle visible in the viewfinder. It was noted for its reduction of size, weight and noise. These features were essentially retained on later models.

OM-2

Introduced in 1975, the Olympus OM-2 was a fully automatic camera based on the OM-1 body, retaining compatibility with accessories and lenses. It boasts an automatic through-the-lens (TTL) off-the-film (OTF) electronic flash metering: exposure timing was considered very accurate, calculated by the measured light reflected off the surface of the shutter blind and fine tuned off the film surface during the actual exposure. The camera offered a manual light-meter mode, as in the OM-1. It also introduces the integration of electronic flash into the exposure system via the same TTL exposure system.

OM-3

The OM-3 was an updated version of the OM-1, a manual camera without automatic exposure modes, and an entirely mechanical shutter. It featured a multi-spot metering in place of the centre weighted metering on the earlier body.

OM-4

The Olympus OM-4, an improved version of the OM-2, was manufactured from 1983 to 1987 introduced at US$685 list price for the body alone. It was a battery powered electromechanically controlled manual focus SLR with manual exposure control or aperture priority autoexposure. It used a horizontal cloth focal plane shutter with a speed range of 240 to 1/2000th second plus bulb and flash X-sync of 1/60th second.

Read more at Wikipedia.org