The Olympus OM-1, first released in 1972, quickly became an icon in the world of 35mm film cameras. Designed by Yoshihisa Maitani, the OM-1 was part of Olympus' groundbreaking OM series, which introduced the world to compact, lightweight, and highly functional SLR cameras. But while the OM-1 is beloved by many, I can't say it's flawless—there’s one glaring issue that holds it back from perfection, and we’ll get to that.
Finding My OM-1
I stumbled upon my Olympus OM-1 on Facebook Marketplace for just $20. The seller thought it was broken, but I couldn’t pass up the chance at such a legendary camera for such a low price. When I received it, the body itself was in great condition but, internally, I found the typical problem of a corroded battery compartment and terminals. This was an easy fix, but the light meter still didn’t work. A little research revealed that this is a common issue in old OM-1’s, often due to corroded contacts in the on/off switch or even deteriorated light meter materials.
To get the light meter working again, I cleaned it out the battery compartment and started "exercising" the on/off switch, hoping to wear away the internal corrosion. Eventually, I put in a fresh battery and exposed the meter to direct sunlight for a few hours. Surprisingly, it came to life!
Battery work around
The OM1 needs the now-defunct mercury batteries, but I’ve been using LR44 batteries and compensating for the voltage difference by adjusting the ISO setting to -2 stops. When I load 400-speed film, for example, I set the ISO to 100. The workaround has been reliable, and I recheck the meter every few weeks to see if any further adjustments are necessary. It’s a quick, set-it-and-forget-it fix.
Handling and Build Quality
The OM1 is small, solid, and well-engineered. Every detail, from the textured focus ring on the lens to the smooth film advance, feels premium. It’s a joy to use and carries a certain charm that modern digital cameras just can’t replicate. It’s a solid, compact camera that feels reassuring in the hand. While not the smallest or lightest camera I own, it’s much less fatiguing to carry around all day compared to my larger, bulkier Minolta SRTs or Canon F1. The film rewind mechanism is another area where the OM-1 shines. It’s as simple as flipping a switch and turning the film spool—no awkward buttons on the bottom of the camera to fumble with. The lens focus ring is also a highlight, with a beautifully textured grip that’s easy to hold, even in cold weather. It reminds me of the grip checkering on a high-end steel pistol, solid and reliable..
The OM-1 comes with features like a self-timer, mirror lock-up, and the ability to accept a motor drive, but I tend to avoid these functions on vintage cameras. Mechanical self-timers are known to lock up and brick older cameras, and motor drives can stress the delicate internal gears, leading to mechanical failure.
Close up of the excellent texture of the focusing ring
All-Mechanical Charm
One of the OM-1’s standout features for me is that it’s fully mechanical—aside from the light meter, no battery is required. This makes it especially useful in cold weather, where batteries tend to die faster. With the OM-1, I never have to worry. It’ll work no matter the temperature, which is a huge plus for those of us who like to brave the elements. There’s something satisfying about a camera that’s this reliable—it’s always ready to go.
The Genius and Frustration of the Viewfinder
Now, let’s talk about the viewfinder, which is both a blessing and a curse. It’s large, bright, and covers 97% of the frame with 0.92x magnification, making it easy to compose shots. What you see is what you get, with no unpleasant surprises of unintended objects creeping into the edges of your frame. Plus, the light meter is wonderfully simple—just line up the needle in the middle. But here’s where things go wrong.
Unlike many other cameras of its era, the OM-1 doesn’t show your camera settings in the viewfinder. You can’t see the aperture or shutter speed while looking through it, which forces you to take your eye off the scene to make adjustments. For a camera that otherwise boasts one of the best viewfinders in the world, this is a huge drawback. It’s a dealbreaker for some, and while I wouldn’t go that far, I can’t deny that it really interrupts the flow of shooting.
And yes, I know that Yoshihisa Maitani, the mastermind behind the OM-1, was in a constant battle with Olympus to keep the size of the camera as compact as possible—down to the millimeter. And sure, some compromises had to be made. The lack of data in the viewfinder was likely one of them. But still, it's a tough pill to swallow when you know how close this camera is to being absolutely perfect.
Shutter Speed Placement: Brilliant But Ruined by the Viewfinder
One of the more unique design elements of the OM-1 is its shutter speed control, located on a ring around the lens mount rather than on top of the camera body like most SLRs. This design is actually genius. It allows you to adjust the shutter speed and aperture while keeping your hand in its natural shooting position—no awkward finger movements or shifting your grip. But again, without being able to see your settings in the viewfinder, you’re constantly stopping to check what you’ve just set. It’s such a missed opportunity because this design could have made the OM-1 one of the most intuitive cameras to shoot with.
Close up of the shutter speed selection dial behind the lens mount.
Comparisons: OM-1 vs. Pentax ME Super vs. Minolta X700
The OM-1 has a couple of rivals in my collection: the Pentax ME Super and the Minolta X-700.
The Pentax is smaller and lighter, and the viewfinder shows your selected shutter speed, which is better than nothing. The extra shutter speed is useful when shooting in bright sunlight. It also has aperture priority mode, which is convenient, but its fully manual operation is clunky at best. Rather than using the typical dial on the top plate of the camera, you’re forced to use an up/down arrow to select your shutter speed. And let’s face it, the build quality isn’t quite on par with the OM-1, especially when it comes to the cheap-feeling 50mm f/2 lens I have for it.
The X-700 is newer, has more features, and displays all of your settings in the viewfinder. But also, being from the 80’s, it’s the most plasticky of the three, and has notorious capacitor issues that can brick the camera. While the X-700 is a solid performer, especially for its features, it lacks the OM-1’s mechanical charm. Still, if you’re looking for features and modern conveniences, the X-700 beats the OM1 in those respects.
Closing Thoughts
The Olympus OM1 is a beautiful camera that’s easy to fall in love with—especially if you’re into fully manual, mechanical cameras like I am. Its build quality, intuitive design, and reliable performance make it a solid choice for any film photographer. I just wish it didn’t interrupt my shooting flow with the need to constantly check the settings outside the viewfinder.
While the Pentax ME Super might be smaller and lighter, and the Minolta X-700 offers more features, if I had to choose one camera to bring on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, it would be the OM-1. It’s reliable, compact, and has no aging electronics or batteries to worry about failing. Sure, the lack of viewfinder information is a pain, but the overall experience of shooting with the OM-1 more than makes up for it. And for $20 and a bit of elbow grease, it’s an iconic camera that I’m happy to have in my collection.
If you’re a fan of vintage cameras or are looking for something solid and dependable that won’t leave you stranded with dead batteries, the OM-1 is worth considering. It may not be perfect, but it’s close.
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