Tom wrote:
>While we all use and love the equipment, it is at the end of its life.
Hey, speak for yourself ;-) My OM kit is hopefully going to last me a long
time. Just because they don't really bring out new OM bodies and lenses any
more doesn't mean it can't be used. There are plenty of people still getting
great satisfaction from using 50 year-old Leica screw-thread cameras &
lenses, as well as MPP, Rolleiflex, Olympus 35 rangefinders.... (the list is
long). While it can be repaired it will be used, and I bet an OM1 will be
repairable for much longer than an autofocus clever-dick-even-makes-the-tea
wonderbrick.
A friend of mine bought a Canon EOS5 and zoom lenses for his first proper
camera, but after a few months realised he'd get more enjoyment from a
manual system like mine. He knew he would have to work at it, but then
working to get something reaps greater satisfaction than being handed it on
a (program-mode AF) plate.
Also, it is a complete myth that all (35mm) professionals are tied to Canon
or Nikon. Sure, nearly all motorsport, wildlife and newspaper folks do, but
there are many, many people making a respectable income from "obsolete"
hardware. One of these days I'd love to make a list of top pro's using OM,
but the three in the UK that trip off my tongue readily are Jon Nicholson
(Formula 1 shooter & photojournalist), Clive Nichols (gardening, plant
portrait & macro supremo), Jane Bown (possibly the most respected newspaper
portrait photographer alive, at least here). And what about Bob Carlos
Clarke, Patrick Lichfield, David Bailey all those great National Geographic
images? Then there are the OMs carried up Himalayan mountains by the likes
of Chris Bonington and many others. Galen Rowell & co. will readily remind
you that you can get identical results with an old manual camera as with the
latest F5 or whatever.
So quit the "OM is dead" B.S. and take some more photos (thereby keeping it
alive).
Simon E.
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