The Olympus OM system was released by Olympus in 1972. The Olympus OM bodies were divided in a high range and a middle range. The top range were the one digit models with a hyphen: OM-1/2/3/4. The two digit models were the middle range. All these bodies could take Olympus OM lenses (which means all potentially have DOF preview functionality, as this was standard on most OM Lenses).
Following the introduction of autofocus into the market, Olympus released two motor-driven bodies: the OM707 and the OM101. Later yet, a re-branded Cosina model was released, known as the OM2000.
The OM10 was the first consumer OM series body. Launched in 1979 it accepted the full line of OM lenses and most of the OM accessories for a lower price. The lower price was reflected in the construction of this camera and the features available, however, it was still a very competent performer and it reflected the elegant lines established by the compact OM-1 and 2 designs. Early production runs of the OM10 have known malfunction issues with electronics, metering, and shutter magnets. Olympus later changed the shutter to a 'Type II' design to correct the latter problem.
In its standard configuration the OM10 offered aperture priority automatic exposure, simple and accurate enough for a consumer camera in most lighting situations. It also offered exposure compensation for more complicated lighting situations and for more advanced users. Selection dial upon the top allowed for selection of Aperture Priority, B and Manual adapter, The small plug-in manual adaptor was available as an accessory to enable manual control of shutter speed, if no Manual Adapter was plugged in and the camera switch set to Manual Adapter then the camera shutter speed was set to fixed 1/60 for flash work.
While not well known to consumers, the focusing screen for the OM10 is indeed interchangeable, though not as easily as the OM-1. It shares the same focusing screen as the OM-1, but the extra protruding tab needs to be cut off as the OM10 doesn't have a placeholder for it.
The OM10 can accept all the lenses of the OM system.
The finder screen is fixed, as well as the back. It can accept the winder but not the motor drive. It existed in chrome and in black finish.
Film Format : 24mm x 36mm
Type: :TTL auto-exposure 35mm SLR camera
Lens mount : OLYMPUS OM Mount. About 50 different Zuiko interchangeable lenses.
Shutter : Electronically controlled cloth focal plane shutter. Manual exposure: B, 1 - 1/1,000 sec. with adapter.
Synchronization : X type contact, hot shoe.
Automatic exposure control : Aperture preferred automatic exposure control electronic shutter type. TTL Direct Light Measuring System, center-weighted average light measurement. Measuring range: ASA 100 from F1.2, about 60 seconds to F16, 1/1,000 second.
Programmed Automatic Exposure : TTL direct, measuring range : approximate. -5 EV ~ 18 EV , 50mm F 1.4
Manual exposure : With a Manual Adapter
Self timer : 15sec. delay
Metering system : Olympus direct metering in body. Full aperture center weighted metering.
Measuring range : EV1.5 - EV17 (ASA 100 with F 1.2 standard lens).
Film speed Setting : ASA 12 - 3200
Power source : Two 1.5V silver oxide batteries Eveready S-76 or equivalents or alkaline manganese batteries LR 44
Viewfinder : Pentaprism type finder.
Finder view-field : 93% of actual picture field.
Reflex mirror : Quick return type (without lockup).
Manual film advance : Lever type with 130° angle for one long or several short strokes, pre-advance angle 30°
Exposure counter : Progressive type with automatic reset.
Film rewind : Rewind crank
Weight : 430g , body alone
Dimensions : 136 x 84 x 50mm, body
Vivitar was an American distributor of photographic equipment from 1938-2008. Originally founded under the name Ponder & Best, Inc., the company was established in Santa Monica, California in 1938 as a distributor of photographic products by Max Ponder and John C. Best. Later they began selling rebranded gear under the Vivitar name and eventually began designing and, in a few cases, manufacturing their own Vivitar gear. The company became better known for their very successful Vivitar brand and eventually changed the company name to Vivitar Corporation. The shift to autofocus cameras and later to digital cameras created difficult transitions, leading to a series of mergers, ownership changes, and eventual bankruptcy in 2008. The company itself is gone now but the Vivitar brand was purchased and continues to be used for marketing photographic gear.
The Vivitar PS:20 camera was a film camera.. The PS:20 was designed to take 35mm, Cartridge Roll film. The camera requires 2, AA batteries. Unloaded, the camera weighs 210.00 g (7.41 oz.), with batteries 260.00 g (9.17 oz.), and with film, 279.00 g (9.84 oz.). Features include integrated flash.
The Vivitar PS20 is a simple 35mm point-and-shoot from the 1980s. It features an autofocus 35mm f5.6 lens and DX coding for automatically setting film speed (between ISO 100 and 400). The camera will allow you to take photos either with or without flash.
The XA1 is often rated as the runt of the XA series litter by XA officandos. But this little overlooked number can still deliver despite it’s limitations and can surprise.
The XA series was Olympus compact clamshell range of cameras that were sold predominately in the 80’s and carried the torch on for Olympus from the Trip 35 and 70’s compact rangefinders. The series is probably best known for the XA probably the most compact 35mm rangefinder in the world and the Ubiquitous XA2 (to some one of the finest P&S there was – I’ve already said it’s good but just not that good). The XA3 & 4 build on the XA2 but in the middle sits the humble XA1.
This shares the shares the same clamshell design. This makes it compact and ideal to keep in the pocket. You slide open the clamshell to activate the camera’s metering & shutter. But open it and you’ll get a blast from the past in that it’s selenium metered (so no batteries). The spec is also suspiciously not a million miles removed from its more famous selenium ring predecessor the trip with the exception the lens is fixed focus and a fraction of a stop slower. Like the Trip shooting in too low light causes a red flag appears in the viewfinder which locks the shutter.
The camera also lacks the red membrane touch shutter of the rest of the series. Some moan about its more traditional sticky out shutter but I for one am happier with it and certainly you don’t get any annoying sticky shutter issues. And …psst… wanna know a secret unlike the other XAs you can exposure lock by half depressing it. Sadly it isn’t cable threaded.
Now the downsides. The camera is the most basic in the series, I’ll admit. The camera’s speed range is much more limited (no 2 minute metered exposures here) and you are irritatingly limited to either 100 or 400 asa. The camera loses the self timer and backlight lever compared to its siblings. The lens is f/4 compared to the XA2 f /3.5 (a pretty minor issue – otherwise they are both 4 element set ups). The lens is fixed which does become an issue in low light whereas the XA2 has the zone options. Like the XA2 there is no manual override option for exposure as you get with the Trip.
Like all of the series the camera only uses as a proprietary XA series flash units. It was sold with the A9M as a package but will work with the better units like the A11 or A16.
So how does it shoot ? In good conditions it does fine and I’d argue little different from the XA2 (predominantly a fixed focus camera with the option of zone focus in low light). Yup it does become poorer at low light but then again the XA2 isn’t exactly spectacular there either although it’s zone focusing does help. I’m Guessing the sweet spot for the XA1 in low light is around 3-5 meters. Manual suggests 1.5m to ∞ in good conditions.
Is it better than a XA2 ? In good light it’s just as good and has a better shutter button IMHO and can exposure lock. The XA2 is more versatile however and on a recent trip away where I took the XA1, I was missing having either a LC-A or XA2 for the long shutters in low light. Still the XA1 is a fine camera with 400asa and good weather. It knocks the spots off cheap plastic fix focus numbers. The XA1 is widely available and you should get well under a tenner as it tends to have bad press. Expect to replace the light seals.
How much do you know about the Olympus XA1? Not much, I assume. You might even be surprised to know that the model ever existed. Seems that the XA1 is the least acknowledged or known of the compact clamshell designed 35mm range/viewfinder film cameras made popular by Olympus in the 80's.
Contrary to the few adverse comments belittling the camera that you can find scattered across the Net, I find the Olympus XA1 to be exactly the opposite, and a delight to use.
Olympus Capsule Cameras
The Olympus Capsule camera series is best known for the Olympus XA which came with signature red membrane touch shutter and a semi-automatic aperture preferred shutter system. It was one of the most compact 35mm rangefinders on the market then. Success breeds success, the capsule series was expanded to incorporate the XA2, a viewfinder with zone focusing; the XA3, upgraded XA2 with DX decoding; the XA4 with macro capabilities; and then there was the XA1.
Design and Build
Olympus XA1, Side Front
The XA1, introduced in 1982, a true point-and-shoot, was the simplest in the clamshell XA range. It came with a fixed focus four elements in four groups 35mm f/4 lens, a programmed shutter range from f4/1.30 second to f22/1.250 second. Exposure is automatic by a built-in selenium meter, which is coupled to a shutter lock with a red pop-up flag mechanism that prevents underexposure (as seen previously on the Olympus Trip 35).
Basic Camera Features
The Olympus XA1 is normally sold as a kit with the Olympus A9M external flash unit. The A9M is a purely manual flash unit powered by a single AA battery.
The D.Zuiko 35mm f/4 fixed lens sits protected behind the capsule cover until it is opened, showing the lens surrounded by bubble modules with the selenium cell behind it. On the lower part of the lens is the latch lever that turns on the flash unit. The viewfinder is on the upper part of the lens assembly.
On the left of the top plate of the XA1 is the film rewind crank, which will be half covered when the capsule cover is opened. The shutter release button, the only protrusion out of the body when the capsule is closed, and film frame window are located to the right of the top plate.
On the bottom plate are the film ISO selector dial and the rewind release button. The XA1 does not have a tripod socket.
The back of the XA1 is plain except for the viewfinder eyepiece, which is again covered when the capsule cover is closed. The film forward wind is on the right shoulder of the camera body, and the film back is a fixed hinge type. Film loading is standard easy load with film chamber, shutter frame, forward sprocket, a multislot take-up spool, and the standard two blank shots to load the film to frame 1.
Film ASA Speed
The only film speed settings are ASA 100 and ASA 400. Like the rest of the series, the camera only uses a proprietary XA series flash units. The XA1 was sold with the A9M flash unit as a package but will also work with the A11 or A16. By itself, the XA1 does not need any batteries to run or operate it.
Very Affordable
The Olympus XA1 is very affordable, getting one from online sellers and auction sites are usually dirt cheap.
Using The Camera
Olympus XA1, Handling the camera
The compact clamshell design is ideal sliding in and out of your pocket and is just as handy to hold snug in the palm of your hand. Slide the clamshell open to uncover the lens, which also activates the camera’s selenium metering, and you are ready to go.
While some moans at the lack of the red membrane touch shutter, as the rest of the series has them, the shutter of the XA1 is mechanical, does not get stuck, and you know what, the XA1 is the only model in the series that you can do exposure lock with.
The camera does not have a self-timer and the back-light lever which the others have. The fixed f/4 lens does not need any focusing effort on your part, everything in between 1.5 meters to infinity will be in focus. There is no manual override option for exposure, as what you can do on the Olympus Trip 35, either.
All these the XA1 sound like an ideal street shooter actually, where you can shoot from the hip, held up above your head, or while groveling on the ground, and such. Wouldn't that be great?
Exposure Lock Trick
Reminiscence of the Olympus Trip 35 and the Pen EF, the XA1 uses the red pop-up flag system which will activate and lock the shutter in insufficient light condition. If you into some creative shooting, you can overcome this by first pointing the camera to a brighter light source, one which will not trigger the red pop-up flag, half-press the shutter, bring the camera back to the scene you want to capture, and press the shutter release home.
So how was your session with the camera? I thoroughly enjoyed mine, in good lighting condition the renowned Zuiko glass is all glam and glamor, as you can see from the photos posted here, grain and all.
I will continue using it as a fun street shooter, getting yourself lost in the crowd, with a good 35mm lens to boot. Images might not be as clear and sharp in lower light condition, but I suppose you can overcome that too with the tricks that you have up your sleeve.
The Canon AE-1 is a 35mm film SLR camera with shutter-priority automatic exposure and manual override, produced by Canon in Japan and produced between 1976-1984.
By using a microprocessor, Canon was able to simplify the design, and by using a highly automated production process, they were able to keep costs low. The result was one of the first affordable TTL autoexposure cameras to hit the market. After its introduction in 1976, the Canon AE-1 quickly became a very popular camera worldwide. The AE-1 was replaced a few years later by the AE-1 Program.
Lens: Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 SC
Mount: Canon FD breech-lock mount, accepts New FD (FDn) lenses also; filter thread: 52mm
This is the Standard lens, other normal lens is Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 SSC. There are many Canon lenses for the camera
Aperture: up to f/22, setting: ring and scale on the lens for manual setting
Focus range: 0.6-10m +inf
DOF pre-view: button on the right of the lens flange
Lens release: press the silver button on the lens and turn to anti-clockwise
Focusing: manual, via Canon standard split image rangefinder with microprism collar
Shutter: cloth focal plane electronic shutter travelled horizontally, speeds: 2-1/1000 +B; setting : dial on left of the top plate
Shutter release: on the top plate, w/ cable release socket, w/ lock lever, L means the shutter locked; when on A, pressing half way, the meter is readable in the finder
Cocking lever: 120° stroke (partial strokes enabled). Ready position at 30°.
Canon Winder A optional for power winding
Frame counter: counts up, auto-reset, on the top plate
Viewfinder: fixed eye-level SLR pentaprism, split-image rangefinder encircled by microprism rangefinder at center with a fresnel matte screen. Exposure meter needle, aperture scale, over-exposure warning zone, stopped-down aperture metering needle and battery check indicator, and under-exposure warning LED and Manual control (M) signal are visible
Exposure meter: center-weighted CdS meter with shutter-priority automatic exposure, full-aperture TTL metering
Film speed range: 25-3200 ASA; setting: lift the knurled ring on the winding button and then set. If the speeds dial turns when you setting the ASA, turn it to B or 1000.
Metering range: EV 1-18 at 100 ASA/ISO
Exposure setting: shutter priority auto; set to A, while pressing the AE lock button on the lens turn the aperture ring of the lens; needle pointing along a vertical f-stop scale on the right side of the viewfinder. Shutter release lock lever must be on A.
Manual: TTL stopped-down match needle manual metering
Back-light control switch: silver button, on the right of the lens flange
Exposure compensation range: +1.5 EV.
Exposure preview switch: black button, on the right of the lens flange
Re-wind lever: folding cranck, on right of the top plate
Re-wind release: small knob on the bottom plate
Flash PC socket: Flash sync 1/60, auto-switching
Hot-shoe: the dedicated flash units are Speedlites
Self-timer: release lock lever sets to S , then release the shutter, the red LED blinks when self timer working; before the shutter release, you can cancel it by pressing the battery check button
Back cover: hinged, remowable, w/ memory slot
Engraving on the bottom plate: Canon, Japan
Tripod socket: ¼"
Strap lugs
Body: metal; Weight: 798g (with standard lens)
Battery: 4LR44 6V battery or 4x LR44 1.5 V batteries
Attention: the camera is fully battery dependant
Battery chamber: on front of the camera
Battery check: black button beside the re-wind lever. If the battery is in very good condition, in the viewfinder, metering needle stays below the index near 5.6. If it stays on index, it is in low condition and over the index the battery must be replaced.
On/off switch: shutter release lock lever must be on L
The winder terminals and coupling sockets are in the bottom plate.
Serial no. on the top plate
Date code: inside the film spool compartment, eg. R 217 means the production year 1977 and month.
It is equipped with a fixed-focus 35mm f/3.8 lens (3 elements/3 groups) and has a single shutter speed of 1/125 sec. Film advance and rewind is motorized.
As extra feature this model has a close-focus ability of 50cm, hence the "Macro" name.
A CdS cell controls a 3-step program which corrects the aperture for the fixed shutter speed according to film speed and mode (flash-off, flash-on, and macro). At ISO 100/200: f/8 at 1/125 sec. with flash off, f/3.8 at 1/125 sec. with flash on, and f/16 at 1/125 sec. in macro mode. At ISO 1400: f/16 at 1/125 sec., f/8 at 1/125 sec. with flash on, and f/16 at 1/125 sec. in macro mode. The flash will fire in macro mode.
A red LED light is fitted for low-light warning.
The camera uses 2 AA batteries for power. Size: 124 x 69 x 51 mm, weight: 265 g (with batteries).
A very basic compact camera for 35mm film. Made in China for Hanimex. Fixed focal length (described as "focus free"), built-in flash, manual wind on, manual loading and rewinding.
Manufactured: 1990-1992
Fixed focus 35mm lens with small aperture.
Fixed Shutter Speed.
Integrated flash.
Two AA batteries required for flash.
Film advance: Manual wind.
Built in lens cover.
I bought this camera last year because it was very cheap and also because it looked like the ones my parents used to give me when I was a little girl, back in the 80’s! Fuji DL-10 are compact 35mm cameras, sold around 1986 and this particular one was bought in 1987 (the previous owner wrote it on the box).
It is the model which first adopts drop-in loading system, making film loading easy! It has a fixed focus system and a built-in flash, which I wasn’t able to test. For the flash to work, the camera needs a power source of 2 batteries (manganese penlight batteries).
It has a built-on lens cover and the shutter automatically locks when lens cover is closed, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Overall it’s a nice camera, and because it is so simple and small, it’s a good camera for all the Lomographers out there who like to travel light or for the ones who are just starting to get into photography.
The Trip AF of 1984 was an automatic 35mm compact camera, with manual winding and 2-point autofocus manufactured by Olympus. It was one of a series of cheap models branded with the famous Trip name. Its simple AF system had focal points at 1.5 and 4 meters. The price was ¥34,300 (including the case).
Lens: Zuiko 35mm, f/3.5
Shutter speed: Automatically chosen between 1/85 and 1/250s.
Aperture: f3.5 - f11
Integral Flash, with on/off switch.
Manual advance and rewind of 35mm film.
A very basic compact camera for 35mm film. Made in China for Hanimex. Fixed focal length (described as "focus free"), built-in flash, manual wind on, manual loading and rewinding.
Manufactured: 1990-1992
Fixed focus 35mm lens with small aperture.
Fixed Shutter Speed.
Integrated flash.
Two AA batteries required for flash.
Film advance: Manual wind.
Built in lens cover.
In 1989 the Sansei Kōki Co., Ltd. (三星光機株式会社) took its camera brand name Goko as its company name, Goko Camera Co., Ltd. (Gokoカメラ株式会社[1]) The company had been founded in 1953 by Gotō Tadashi (後藤 正). It produced optical parts and accessories for different types of cameras. In 1960 it developed a zoom lens for 8mm movie cameras and invented a film editing machine. Its Ina (伊那) factory in Nakagawa, Nagano Prefecture (Japan) which produced plastic parts fully automatically ("no-man-power") became famous in 1967 as model company for rationalization.
In 1982 Goko got into the camera-making business by introducing its patented UF (Universal Focus) camera, a fixed-focus camera for both, macro and infinity focusing. It was one of the first viewfinder cameras usable with motor drive for film advance.
Nowadays Goko has become a company group. One of its camera branches is located in Malaysia.
Not really a junk camera because it has correct technical features (cell, autofocus, engine, flash), but probably a cheap camera, the type to be sold in blister packs in supermarkets.
Note the ambiguity often maintained. It is inscribed on the front "Made in Japan". This applies only to the lens, because at the base of the camerat, there is a label "Passed China".
By searching the internet, we may find ( even if it is quite difficult) some other cameras of this brand.
