Here I will be giving details of the classic, iconic cameras that I use for all my photography.

As I get round to it, I will talk about using cameras like the Olympus OM-1 & 2, the monstrous Mamiya RB67, the delightful 1936 Balda folding camera and the Canon F-1, a camera you could drive a tank over.

My Olympus OM-1n was the second camera I ever bought new, on a deal as I recall for £100 with lens. Still going strong after almost 40 years, it has certainly not had more than 8 new batteries, not been serviced and has never let me down.

 

I have two OM-2’s, both relatively new additions. The OM-2SP has been with me for about 5 years but, to be frank, I rarely use it. Not because it isn’t at least as good as the others but principally for one reason, it eats batteries! And venture out in cold weather at your peril, it just stops. The spotmeter was the main attraction for me but isn’t enough of a bonus to make me buy batteries in bulk.

On the other hand, my newest body is an OM-2n and I love it. The metering is just brilliant. Stick it on aperture priority for normal situations and it does it’s job, flick the switch for fully manual and I can control it in exactly the same way as the OM-1. And when you press the shutter, it meters the light hitting the film, can keep the shutter open up to 16 seconds and do all this with flash as well, genius.