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[OM] Greetings and Salutations

Subject: [OM] Greetings and Salutations
From: "Lex Jenkins" <lexjenkins@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 05:35:49 PDT
Tho' I've lurked around the archives for a while this is my first day as a Zuik-listite. And my thanks to Gary Edwards, Tom Scales, Gary Reese, John Hermanson and others whose names I would probably also misspell for tolerating my e-mails.

But enough about you, let's talk about me.

I'm a 42 y/o grandpa, deliriously inveigled by grandsons Ethan (4 y/o) and Dylan (18 m/o), to the point that I tend to talk about them rather too much. I certainly photograph them at every opportunity. I'll try to keep the former to a minimum here. No promises re: the latter.

I'm semi-retired due to a semi-disability that I semi-refuse to acknowledge. So rather than saying I can't work anymore, I picked up the camera and art tools in earnest again a few years ago (after a longish hiatus) to make myself more productive at something I could do.

After a tour as a Navy Hospital Corpsman I rejoined the real world in 1981 and studied journalism. After receiving numerous awards for writing, editing and photography in college I quickly became disillusioned with journalism as a job. What's the quote? "The study of law is divine; the practice, an abomination." Something like that.

Spent the next umpteen years working for the federal gummint, mostly as a safety inspector. About the only photographs I took during that time were of broken machines and bodies. Not very inspiring. But it sold me on the durability of Canon FD gear.

Which brings me to the OM gear (betcha thought I'd forgot where I was, hmm?). Over the years my favorite tote-a-longs have been Olympi. A couple of XA-series, a 35RC that I shouldn't have parted with (altho' the college kid who bought it seemed very enthusiastic, so bless him and his efforts), etc. I was underwhelmed with the Infinity P&S stuff, but very definitely whelmed by the iS-series and bought an iS-2 for my mom after she couldn't get the hang of a Minolta manual focus outfit (too nearsighted, and howzat shutter stop, f/speed stuff work again?). Now she's taking great pix and is actually grasping the concepts of exposure because of the great LCD display on the back of the iS-2. Instant feedback is great.

Much as I like Canon FD stuff in general for durable bodies and wide availability of aftermarket lenses, the pushbutton lock FD lenses leave me a bit cold. They're not as sturdy as the old breechlock. I wanted more serious macro gear but I'm just not going to spend money on what I regard as overweight, overpriced, flimsy lenses.

So I shopped around, studied around, and came to the conclusion that while Pentax *has made* some great macro lenses, they're in decline; and while Nikon *does make* some great macro lenses, I hate the bokeh of Micro Nikkors; AF is outta the question and the great old Minolta macros are far too difficult to find.

That left Olympus. Which suits me fine, 'cause I already liked the other-than-OM stuff. And the size appeals to me. Okay, I still think that shutter speed ring placement is weird. And why's the ASA dial so big? And maybe a couple other things. But overall I love the OMs. They're the most handsome SLRs ever made, right alongside the Pentax Spotmatics (sans shoe). And those little, rugged lenses were just right.

Only problem was, ain't no way I'm mortgaging my grandsons for an OM-anythingTI. So I scrounged around 'til I found a great OM-1 MD in a pawn shop. It included a Vivitar Seriously One Heavy Lens, 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5, which wasn't quite what I had in mind but which turned out to be a good 'un.

Now I'm officially in the fold. Except for lack of a true Zuiko lens. I want a 50/3.5 macro 'cause it's small and affordable. But then I saw one of those multi-element close up adaptors of the iS-series, pretty cheap, and 49mm which would fit a standard, inexpensive 50mm f/1.8, at a fraction of the price ....

And there's that tiny 100/2.8 that looks like a normal lens. And that 35-70, and 70-150, and... well, I won't say 'Where does it all end?' 'cause it definitely ends with anything heavier than my Vivitar Series 1 Chiropractor VariHeavy.

<sigh> I never felt compelled to stick with just Canon brand lenses before. So why this sudden compulsion to stick only Zuikos on the OM-1? Maybe it's 'cause as a painter I'm a bit of a purist and not a mixed media guy.

Nuts.

Lex
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