Olympus OM-4
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The Olympus OM-4 was a professional or advanced amateur level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (today Olympus Corporation) in Japan from 1983 to 1987. It used a horizontal cloth focal plane shutter with a manual speed range of 1 to 1/2000th second (as long as 240 seconds in automatic mode) plus bulb and flash X-sync of 1/60th second. It had dimensions of 87 mm height, 139 mm width, 50 mm depth and 540 g weight. Unlike most SLRs of the time, it was available in only one color; all black. The introductory US list price for the body only (no lens) was $685. Note that SLRs usually sold for 30 to 40 percent below list price.
The OM-4 was the improved successor to the Olympus OM-2N and represents the highest evolution of the professional level (also called the single digit) Olympus OM-series SLRs (introduced in 1972). The other members were the OM-1 (originally called the M-1), OM-2, OM-1N, OM-2N, OM-2S Program, OM-3, OM-4T, OM-3T, OM-4Ti and OM-3Ti. They all used the same body configuration, but with improving aluminum alloy chassis, feature levels, internal electronics, and external controls and cosmetics.
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[edit] Features
The OM-4 accepts all lenses with the Olympus OM bayonet mount (introduced in 1972 with the Olympus OM-1). The contemporary Olympus Optical made lenses were the Zuiko Auto-S type. Accessories for the OM-4 included the Olympus Motor Drive 2 (automatic film advance up to 5 frames per second plus motorized rewind), the Olympus 250 Film Back 1 bulk film back (10 meters film = 250 frames) and the Olympus T45 handle mount electronic flash (guide number 148/45 (feet/meters) at ASA/ISO 100).
The OM-4 was a battery powered (two S76 or A76, or one 1/3N) electromechanically controlled manual focus SLR with manual exposure control or aperture priority autoexposure. The OM-4 was the first camera with a built-in spot-meter (2% of view; 3.3˚ with 50 mm lens) and could measure eight individual spots and average them. The light meter used a dual concentric segmented silicon photodiode to provide spot or centerweighted readings. It used a graduated linear LCD shutter speed display at the bottom of the viewfinder to precisely indicate its readings versus the actual camera settings. The focusing screen also had split image rangefinder and microprism collar focusing aids. Unlike most SLRs of the era, the OM-series used Olympus's standard shutter speed ring concentric with the lens mount instead of a top mounted shutter speed dial.
The major improvements of the OM-4 compared to the OM-2N were the stronger chassis, permanently affixed dedicated hot shoe, linear liquid crystal display (LCD) shutter speed display, provision for spot-metering, flexible integrated circuit electronics and gasket weatherproofing.
[edit] Design History
The single digit Olympus OM-series SLRs ignited an SLR revolution in the 1970s and 1980s with intense competition between the major SLR brands: Olympus, Nikon, Canon, Minolta and Pentax. Between circa 1975 to 1985, there was a dramatic shift away from heavy all-metal manual mechanical camera bodies to much more compact bodies with integrated circuit (IC) electronic automation. In addition, because of rapid advances in electronics, the brands continually leap frogged each other with models having new or more automatic features. The OM-1 introduced the compact body size that would become the norm for SLRs for almost 15 years and automatic through-the-lens (TTL) off-the-film (OTF) electronic flash metering was a fantastic boon when introduced by the OM-2 in 1975.
Into this arena, the OM-4 and its companion mechanically controlled OM-3 were conservative designs despite their very sophisticated spot-meters. They can be described as the OM-2 and 1 with the spot-meter electronic controls grafted on. The OM-4's deliberately limited but tightly focused features were not intended to appeal to beginners. Instead of offering every possible automated bell and whistle, the OM-4's manual spot-metering represented Olympus Optical's ultimate expression of highest possible quality and precision of exposure control for the professional and advanced amateur photographer.
In 1986, a special ultra-durable version of the OM-4 with natural finished titanium top and bottom plates, upgraded electronic circuitry and improved weatherproofing, called and marked the OM-4T was released with a US list price of $770. A black finished version came out in 1990 listing for $1250 (the natural finished body remained available for $1200). The OM-4T also introduced a new electronic flash control system. Normally focal plane shutters are limited in their maximum flash synchronization speed, because of the way they provide fast shutter speeds - timing the second shutter curtain to close more quickly after the first shutter curtain opens. This causes a narrowing of the slit "wiping" the exposure on the film. In effect, a horizontal focal plane shutter made of cloth is only fully open and usable for flash exposure down to 1/60th second. Any faster and a typical 1 millisecond flash burst would only partially expose the film - the part open to the slit. The OM-4T overcame this problem by having the new Olympus F280 Full Synchro flash pulse its light continuously over 40 milliseconds, long enough to illuminate the slit as it crossed the entire focal plane, even at shutter speeds as fast as 1/2000th second. However, there is a concomitant loss of flash range. The OM-4T was in turn succeeded by the limited production OM-4Ti (OM4Ti was previously the designation for the OM4T model in markets other than the USA) in 1997 ($1819 list) without any features changes before being finally discontinued in 2002.
Olympus Optical failed to make the transition to autofocus (AF) 35 mm SLRs in the wake of the introduction of the landmark Minolta Maxxum 7000 in 1985. Virtually all non-AF SLRs disappeared by 1989. The OM-4 and OM-3 survived because Olympus Optical had no appropriate successors. Its rugged construction also appealed to professional photographers and traditionalist amateurs liked its lack of autofocus. The Olympus OM-4 sold steadily to the fiercely loyal, cult-like Olympus clique, but more and more slowly over its lifetime as it became more and more outdated. It remained in limited production until 2002, when the rise of digital SLRs gave Olympus an opportunity to get back into the SLR camera business with its Four Thirds System. Time has proven the OM-4 to be very tough and reliable and it is now regarded as one of the finest SLRs of its generation for the serious and patient photographer.
[edit] References
- Anonymous. "Modern Photography's Annual Guide '84: 48 Top Cameras: Olympus OM-4" p 86. Modern Photography, Volume 47, Number 12; December 1983.
- Anonymous. "Modern Tests: Olympus OM-4 Has Multiple Spot, LCD Panel Metering" pp 78-86. Modern Photography, Volume 48, Number 5; May 1984.
- Anonymous. "Annual Guide: Modern Photography's Top Cameras for '87: Olympus OM-4T" p 60. Modern Photography, Volume 50, Number 12; December 1986.
- Anonymous. "Modern Tests: Olympus OM-4T: More Than Just A Titanium Armored SLR" pp 46-50, 78. Modern Photography, Volume 51, Number 6; June 1987.
- Anonymous. "Popular Photography's Annual Guide '92: 35 Top Cameras: Olympus OM-4T" p 86. Popular Photography, Volume 98 Number 12; December 1991
- Anonymous. "Popular Photography: 50 1998 Top 35mm & APS Cameras: Olympus OM-4Ti" p 113. Popular Photography, Volume 61 Number 12; December 1997
- Keppler, Herbert. "Keppler's SLR Notebook: Olympus OM-4T: Improvements, Titanium Body, Sensational Flash" pp 31, 82, 88. Modern Photography, Volume 50, Number 8; August 1986.
- Maitani, Y. and K. Tsunefuuji. "Modern's Inside Your Camera Series #35: Olympus OM-4" pp 78-79, 136, 138, 142. Modern Photography, Volume 48, Number 9; September 1984.
- Matanle, Ivor. Collecting and Using Classic SLRs. First Paperback Edition. New York, NY: Thames and Hudson, 1997. ISBN 0-500-27901-2
- Schneider, Jason. "How The Japanese Camera Took Over" pp 56-57, 78, 86. Modern Photography, Volume 48, Number 7; July 1984.
