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Re: [OM] - OM4Ti Black vs. Champagne

Subject: Re: [OM] - OM4Ti Black vs. Champagne
From: T.Clausen@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 2002 15:47:11 +0200 (CEST)
On 8 Jul 2002 flowerside@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> 
> Hi all!
> 
> This is my first submission to the ML (I just subscribed a few days
> ago) so let me introduce myself.
> 

Hi Fabio - and welcome. Very good to have you among us.

> I'm a 27 years old Olympus-addict (maybe "zuikoholic" is more
> proper?) living in the north of Italy, wandering whether to change my
> OM2SP with another OM body or not.
> 

Sorry, you are neither an Olympus-addict nor a zuikoholic. This may
clinically be proven by the phrase "wondering whether" and "change my
OM2SP".

A true zuikoholic would not be "wondering whether to change my OM2SP". He
wold be sure....sure, that is, that he needs both an OM2SP and another  OM
body...and another...and another....and another....:)

However you are welcome on the list - we will do our best to "convert" you
into a true zuikoholic...:) You show a promising start, I'd say :)

No, seriously now...

> I just have the opportunity to buy a used OM4Ti "champagne" in B+
> conditions for 690 Euros (that is 670 dollars, if I'm not wrong) with a
> 4 months warranty, and I'm trying to decide what to do.

IMO, that is too expensive. I live in Paris, France, where I just recently
saw an OM4Ti, also champagne, for about the same price. However this was
mint, with boxes and two lenses (forgot which - probably it was 50/1.4 and
a 35/2.8 or something) and 6 months warranty.

I am not aware of the normal prices of the OM4Ti's, however compared to
the camera I saw, the price you quote is "in the high end". However that,
of course, also depends largely on your local market. Probably someone
else more knowledgeable can chip in on this?
 
> 
> Do you have any suggestion about what to look for when trying to spot
> any possible defect? The shop selling the camera has a good reputation
> (it primarily sells Leicas and other expensive stuff), so I don't think
> I'll ever get a fang, but who knows...

I am glad you ask this. Lee Hawkins has written a wonderful faq on (among
other things) this topic. You should be able to find it here:

        http://brashear.phys.appstate.edu/lhawkins/photo/olympus.faq.html

There is a question going exactly "What should I look for in buying a used
body?"

However personally, I look for (other than the usual sign of physical
abuse and defects) the right to borrow the camera for a few hours to shoot
and develop one slide film (1h labs exists - perhaps the shop where you
buy the camera have a lab and will do the processing for you, if you push
them). I take that film in a "quiet" place where I can hear and feel the
operation of the camera out. I also (with cameras with spot meter) try to
find "weird" light situations" and check that the meter reacts as
anticipated. Slides are key here. The thing that makes the OM4 special is
the light meter. So you do not want something that the lab processing the
film can affect, nor do you want a film that is "forgiving" to exposure
errors.

Sometimes the shop asks a reasonable security deposit before taking off
for making the test shots. That's only fair. I'd never buy a used camera
body from a shop that would not permit that I test it on one film first.
(same goes for private sellers - except for those listees I know and
trust).

> 
> By the way, my main question regards any possible difference between
> the champagne and the black model (painting apart). I heard champagne
> was the colour of the early OM4Tis, so I just thought that the latter
> models (those painted black) should be somehow different (but I think
> there should be no difference at all).
> 
> Am I wrong?
> 

I think that the difference between the black and the champagne models are
just the color. Personally, I think that both are cool...you should really
get one of each :)

 
> Thanks in advance for any help you could give me!

Any time. I look forward to seeing many future postings from you. Please
keep us updated on you "quest for the next body".

--thomas

-- 

-------------------------------------------
  Thomas Heide Clausen
  Civilingeniør i Datateknik (cand.polyt)
  M.Sc in Computer Engineering

  E-Mail: T.Clausen@xxxxxxxxxxxx
  WWW:    http://www.cs.auc.dk/~voop
-------------------------------------------


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