Camera Review: Olympus OM-10 (With Manual Adapter)

The Olympus OM-10 was the first consumer-grade OM system 35mm SLR on the market, introduced in 1979. This particular camera was given to me by my stepdad in what can only be considered a film photographer's dream scenario, namely: "Here's a big box with several cameras, lenses, and other assorted gear. Take whatever you want, I don't want it in the house anymore."

Of course, after a couple of decades none of these cameras were at 100%, though they generally only require a CLA or minor adjustment to get them back to their former glory.  The OM-10's only imperfection is a bit of an odd one.  When the ISO setting is at the highest value of 1600 and the shutter is released, the mirror flips up only half way and the camera emits a random series of chattery beeps, like an 8-bit squirrel on methamphetamine.  It won't stop until I move the ISO to a lower value, at which point the chattering stops and the mirror resets to its resting position.

Lens Review: Olympus OM Zuiko 135mm f/2.8

Zuiko lenses in general (at least the ones I've used) are pretty excellent.  I looked around at the two 135mm primes (the f/3.5 and the f/2.8) for a while, and while the 3.5 was cheaper, they were both very reasonably priced.  Right now it looks like you can get a very clean copy of the 3.5 for around $80, while the 2.8 will run about $175 to $200.

Converting Old Lenses For Use On Digital SLRs

I first discovered this unique and often overlooked aspect to the hobby some time in 2006. I had gone fully digital a couple of years prior with the release of the first generation Digital Rebel (300D), and I had some old Olympus OM and Canon FD glass that was sitting unused. At the time there weren't too many adapters out there (now the market is overflowing with them), but I did find an OM-mount to EOS-mount adapter, and that's how it all started.

Hopefully, if you're interested in getting started with adaptation of older lenses to a newer format, something in this post will be useful to you.