THE SPOT METER KING // OLYMPUS OM-4 TI // INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Hi All,
Todays video we get hands on with the Olympus OM4TI in an initial impressions review. Since my previous video where I found myself using an SLR I've been in the market for a more professional camera of the same form factor. And after a bit of research I found myself looking at the Olympus OM line of cameras. Mainly due to their outstanding build quality and compact dimensions!
I discuss why the OM-4TI over the other models especially the far more popular OM1!
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[@edsinclair4047]

Just a general FYI - although there are no 3rd- or half-stop click stops on the aperture ring, there's nothing to stop you parking the aperture ring in-between full stops. It's easy to set half stops this way. The meter doesn't care; it reads the position of the ring in a continuously-variable way, which you'll see if you watch the meter while you move slowly from one click-stop to the next. All the OMs work this way. Great video, lovely stuff! The maximalist in me wants to upgrade from my OM2n to an OM4, but I know it would be a rabbit hole of spot meter overthinking! Plus I like the old needle readout.

[@htt2707]

Its a great system, the OM. My first camera I bought as young teenager in ‘89 was the OM-10 which I still have and use sometimes. Later I got the OM4 (non ti version but same function) and I really liked the advanced multi-spot metering it offered. But the film advance on it always felt a bit rough. It broke down few years back - stuck film advance/shutter problem. Later I got the OM-1 which had super-smooth film advance, quiet shutter sound, very minimalistic and fully mechanical (apart from light meter) and such a beautiful camera. Later I sold the OM-1 and decided to just keep my OM-3 as main SLR camera - its basically the same as OM-4 except in not battery dependent (just for light meter). As you can see Im quite an OM fanboy 😀

[@Goughie]

I think I’ll have to try an OM1 when I get a chance!

[@htt2707]

@Jack Warner I read about that being an issue with many OM-4 but not the 4-ti versions. I dont remember it being an issue with my OM-4 body. But as a precaution I got into the habit of leaving it in Bulb mode after shooting sessions to turn off the light meter completely. That was supposed to save battery life.

[@Scottjames-rx3db]

Greatest camera of the film Era. I loved using mine.

[@iainhenstridge6343]

Really enjoyed that vid. I got a couple of OM-4s for free when a branch of Camera World was moving and they were going to get binned! I’m now inspired to fix them up and get out there.

[@Goughie]

Glad you enjoyed it! Woooah! That’s crazy! Definitely dust them off and give them a go!

[@devroombagchus7460]

I live inSwitzerland and can tell you that the light and dark buttons do a great job. We have lots of very bright snow and deep shadows.

[@sputumtube]

Great review, thanks for posting. I've had an 0m2n for about thirty years and rather than using the 'auto' mode, I pop it into 'manual' and it works just like the older 0m1 favoured by 70's war photographers. The multi-spot metering and highlight/shadow control can be useful for still life, portraiture, architecture etc., but often not fast enough to just 'grab the moment'.

[@tomislavmiletic_]

First of all, like for the dog 😉 I have a similar beast at home myself. In regards to the camera, if we are talking about clean, well preserved working copy, you can't go wrong with the OM4Ti. A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon one working OM4, however that one had weird plications all over the shutter curtain, what's a really, really bad sign, so I had to pass on that one. But last spring my daughter surprised me when she bought me a mint OM1n for my birthday, to be able to shoot some film with my neat Zuiko lens collection since my OM2sp, which my late dad bought me some 20 years ago, got jammed, and I couldn't find anybody in my vicinity to repair that thing, yet. One more thing - all do your "new" camera is the latest of the bunch, your lens is one of the oldest, from early 70's, clearly recognisable by the "silver nose" rings in front. Your 50mm is the same or almost the same by construction as later versions (MC & Japan versions), but it's single coated. That will not impact IQ too much, but in backlight those older lenses are more prone to flare, what's visible from your images (9:02). Just saying...

[@Goughie]

Thank you of the tip about the age of the lens! That was something I was unaware of! The Multi coat vs single coat makes a lot of sense! Voigtlander which I use for Leica often make both versions still which I nice

[@NunoAlmeidaPhotography]

Definitely a great looking camera and packed with a lot of features. Nice one!

[@Goughie]

Can’t wait to shoot it more!

[@luxdalet]

Another great video! Photos looked awesome. That camera is amazing. Very surprised by the many metering options it has.

[@Goughie]

Thank you! I was surprised too! looking forward to using it more

[@RYANPARKPHOTOGRAPHY]

such a beast camera! i love olympus om series due to the small form factor as well.. 😍

[@mattstolzman]

Two minutes ago I was watching Gordon Laing's video on 18 yr old Powershot. . . . I feel like I'm in Brighton :p

[@Goughie]

I wish I felt like I was in Brighton right now! 😂

[@andysimmons8]

These are one of the better review of this camera I’ve seen. Thank you, I’m looking forward to start shooting with mine :)

[@stuartcarden1371]

Big fan of Clocktower Cameras. Great shop!

[@Goughie]

Great collection of cameras! And spot on Staff!

[@IAT1964]

The shutter sped dial is absolute genius and groundbreaking. You can fully control speed and aperture with the same hand, couple cms apart. No need to move your hands all over the place to adjust settings. IMO this feature really sets the OM series apart from the rest.

[@RhettAnderson]

I don't know if I like it better there than under my right index finger, but it works fine. It's a scheme also found on other kinds of cameras, like rangefinders. I wouldn't say it's groundbreaking on a 35mm SLR since the Nikkormat had it first, but I do think it's a fine choice. All of my favorite OMs had it there (I don't like the OM-10).

[@swansong007]

You made a great choice. I love the Olympus OM. I am looking to get the 4ti with a 35mm lens . Great video. Subscribed.

[@potatohouse]

이쁘고 귀여운 카메라.. very nice camera!!🎬

[@RhettAnderson]

The Canon T-90 also has up to 8 spot meter readings and the highlight/shadow options as well. Aside from the OM3, OM4, and the T90, multi-spot is rare. I think some Canon autofocus cameras have it but not much else.

[@paulqueripel3493]

Minolta did on a few, sometimes you needed the expansion card though.

[@RhettAnderson]

@@paulqueripel3493 Oh man what an idea those Minolta expansion cards!

[@dropsosense1506]

When I got my OM4 T (later renamed Ti without any feature changes) in the late 1980's I thought it could be the best camera I might ever need in my lifetime. That was not the case when digital came along and I have not used it much for a couple of decades but it will be fun to use it a bit more.

[@aunvamak1375]

Welcome to the modern HDR era

[@GeorgeRiveraPhotography]

Enjoyed the video. Made me miss my time with this camera. I don’t miss that shutter speed ring though.

[@Goughie]

That’s definitely been the hardest adjustment! I guess there’s a reason it never caught on!

[@thomasgronwall5039]

My favorite camera of all times. I shot with it for 17 years, (1990 - 2006) until it broke down (actually a mechanical problem). Still got it in a drawer, though. Missed it so much that I purchased an OM 3 Ti a couple of years ago, just for the nostalgia.

[@OliverHetto]

You can still repare the old camera in OM-Labor service center in Germany. I bought there Olympus OM4Ti in mint state.

[@johniveson6308]

I love my om4ti so much I had to buy a second, one body for Colour and the second for black and white

[@GONZOFAM7]

I own a OM-1 and OM-2SP I really enjoy shooting them. I started shooting 4x5 and may get a 4Ti to my meter. It has all those metering functions why not take advantage? Excellent review and video. Thanks

[@photoman3579]

I still have my nw original OM4Ti ...going strong has never missed a beat metering is exceptional..!

[@MWSCologne]

👍

[@unstablelights]

They released the OM-4 in 1983. the OM-3 followed later in the 90s.

[@darrenfoy6079]

I got my om 3 in1985

[@keironstoneman6938]

How was this the same price as an om1? You got lucky!

[@Goughie]

Very lucky! I think it’s probably because the OM1 are far more popular, and as a pretty small camera shop they likely sell way more, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the OM4 had been there a while! Right place, right time! Aha! But very lucky indeed

[@paulqueripel3493]

the OM2n is repairable as well even though it's electronic. It uses discrete components, not chips. Things like resistors.

[@felixfrueh601]

Your comments about the beeping - well, just switch it off! (Lever on the self-timer)

[@aunvamak1375]

What about OM-3?

[@jd5787]

Hi! What's the point of shooting film vs digital? (when digital can be corrected in post to emulate film) how much did the 4Ti set you back? Anything to look out for when checking 1 out (big no/no) ? Thank you!

[@Goughie]

My biggest reason for shooting film, I find it fun, that’s the main reason, there’s something fun about everything being physical It can be pretty hard sometimes to edit a digital file to look like certain film stocks, colour wise I might be do-able. But how about the halenations of Cinestill, or the grain of pushed tri-x Camera wise, anything electronic like this carries a risk, it’s likely not repairable if it breaks, whereas manuals cameras can be fixed

[@jd5787]

@@Goughie thanks! Considering an OM 2n to try film... I have a few Dslrs that are both high performance and really good. I expect my first encounter with film to lead to a few blank rolls hahaha 😉

[@LaughingStock_]

One shoots film to create something tangible on a format that, when stored with a little care, will last a hundred years. Try that with digital. I never have, nor never will, consider digital "real" photography.

[@AegeanEpiphany]

1st to have flash synch at all speeds

[@vincenzocherubini2424]

The reason OM1 was more popular was because it was aimed more at enthusiasts, whilst the 4 & 4ti was aimed more at pro's, with a big price difference. Even now, if you check out ebay, you'll see 1's going for anything between £70-£160, whereas the 4's will rarely be below £250, not to mention the OM3ti, which is all manual, and you'll be lucky to see one (very rarely) for less than at least £800 (even 1k+). Also, the silver-nosed lens is one of the most sought after. A normal all black one can be picked up for very cheap. Different story for those silver "nosed" ones; the same lens configuration as the normal "all black one will cost you at least 3 times more. Last tip, if you're after a "4", try and get a ti or a late model 4, as the earlier 4 had a problem with battery drain. This was sorted with later productions, and didn't seem to affect the ti model. Have fun!

[@Kref3]

250 GBP für an OM-4 on Ebay? That‘s a lot. Too much actually. I bought my OM-1 AND my OM-4 from the company OM-Doktor in Hamburg, Germany. It is run by an old Gentleman (80+), who learned the camera technician trade at Olympus Germany and if you call him, he will give you many anecdotes on when he met and was trained by Mr Maitani himself. He always has several cameras of every type ready for sale and they are all freshly maintained to factory standards. They are as good as new. 5 years ago, I bought an OM-1MD, maintained and with the meter modified to run on modern 1.55 V batteries for 120 EUR. And a few months ago I bought an OM-4 (not TI), also serviced and looking like new for 180 EUR. That is around 160 GBP for a camera expertly serviced by an absolute specialist and sold with one year of warranty. So if you want one: look up his phone number at www.om-doktor.de and give him a call. Prepare your self for half an hour of friendly chat, because he is that kind of guy that really loves to talk about his trade and his cameras, and buy there. Even with import fees to the UK it is MUCH cheaper than to buy a used camera that has not been maintained without any warranty from ebay.

[@kyshark1]

@@Kref3 not sure where you are getting these prices from! Just checked OM doktor and he has a OM4TI for almost 400 Euro! I am based in EU and would love to buy an OM4Ti but don't know where to look for it. Unfortunately eBay UK is now out of reach for most of us!

[@Kref3]

@@kyshark1 As I said: Call him instead of looking at his homepage. he is a man around 80 who works for the fun of it. I know his homepage for 5 years and it has not been modified and updated once during this time. And where I got the prices from? Pretty easy. From the receipts that I got from him when I purchased my cameras: I bought an OM-1MD in February 16 for 132 EUR. I bought an OM-4 in July 23 for 180 EUR. And I know that during our talk about buying an OM-4 he also had am OM-4TI to offer which I did not buy, because it was around 100-120 EUR more expensive than the OM-4. I do have the paper to look it up, mate. So as I said: Give him a call, his homepage is usefull only to get his phone number, for everything else you can forget it.

[@kyshark1]

@@Kref3 okay calm down man! I wasn’t disagreeing with the prices you paid but the prices on webpage are quite bit higher and that was my point. And yes could be that the homepage has not been updated but like most people I go there first for some information. But like you said I’ll maybe give him a ring and see what he has to offer!

[@Kref3]

@@kyshark1 I am perfectly calm and consinder my answer to be absolutely 100% factual and neutral in tone. But if you feel differently ... well .. sorry.