Howdy wise Listers:
I'm Philippe Dambournet, an OM beginner at age 44 and a member of an
endangered species as a Frenchman in Texas (naw -- just kiddin').
First OM just weeks ago. With proper marital authorization, I'm
stocking up to build a decent system (hey, it ain't cheap!).
My photo experience is very sketchy. My best pic possibly was of a
lovely 13 year-old friend, taken in 1972 in a Spanish mission near Los
Angeles with a little Kodak Instamatic (somewhat like a 100), as white
doves flew around her. Later I misused an Agfa with a fixed 35mm lens
(maybe an early Silette). In 1976 I got a hand-me down from my father,
a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super B with an f2.8 50mm Tessar, which I
misused a lot more, experimenting a bit, using mostly B&W Ilford and
Kodak print film. But I was too lazy to do any darkroom work and did
not master much in the way of photographic technique. The best shots
are nostalgia high school pics from Louis-le-Grand in Paris and a few
portraits of friends and girlfriends in the 90s. I just passed it on
to my godson.
I got a bee in my bonnet last year and decided I needed a hobby that
is a little challenging and takes me away from my computer (I
translate and do related stuff, used to teach English, and am
seriously considering teaching French in Austin, Texas next year).
After a few months picking up every photo mag in sight, being
fascinated by the Cosina-Voigtlander rangefinders, and admiring Nikon
F2s and F3s and Contax G1s and G2s, I figured beginners in photo
classes are generally required to shoot with a 35mm reflex camera.
That got me looking at a lot more than Nikon F2s, and it was finally
down to Nikon F and FM v. Olympus OM. From the start, I wanted to use
film and had little interest in autofocus or anything lumpy and
plasticky.
Considerations of sheer quality, range of capabilities, possible
resale, compactness and weight, and pure aesthetics made me go for a
refurbished OM-4Ti, which I got on eBay from Olympus USA. It had a
couple dings and Oly was great about replacing it, so I can brag I got
the very last one they had in stock. Things have been moving at quite
a clip since, as I reckon it's best to buy while supplies are
reasonably good, prices not too insane, and good photographers are
beginning the move to digital (wink, wink).
The damage so far, before I'm even able to sign up at Austin Community
College, done with help from eBayers, OM listers, Camtech and Houston
Camera Exchange:
OM-4Ti, as good as new.
OM-1n, CLA'd and upgraded and re-leathered by Camtech, looks and feels
new.
Zuiko 40mm F/2, used.
Zuiko 35-75mm F/4, as good as new.
Zuiko 50mm F/1.8, new.
Zuiko 50m F/3.5 macro, new.
Zuiko 90mm F/2 macro, new.
Zeiss 100-500mm F/5.6 macro in OM mount, used.
F280 flash, used.
T32 flash, used.
T10 flash, used.
T Power Control 1, used.
Power Grip 2, used.
Assorted filters, focusing screens, extension tubes, close-up lenses,
cables, connectors, straps, cases, bags, etc.
Also, a good G4 Mac, Apple TFT displays, Canvas, and a malfunctioning
SprintScan 4000. No printer or flatbed scanner yet. Promise to show
any scans of shots that can be distinguished from dog doo-doo for
useful critiques.
Will be looking next at motorization, tripods, smallish lighting
accessories and slave flashes, plus a couple of sharp wide angle
Zuikos. Wondering if there is a resource on the black art of holding
an OM at a variety of angles just inches from a baseball-sized object
so as to get all of its surfaces, sides, or facets.
Oh, and did I mention that the Harry Ransom Center at UT Austin has a
major photo archive and owns the very first heliograph by Niepce?
(Yee-haa and cocorico.)
Yours in fumbleness,
Phil
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