This is a review of the Olympus OM-10. The camera came to me via a colleague at work – it belonged to her father in law and was kindly passed on to me once she found out that I use old film cameras.
The Olympus OM-10 has been one of Olympus' most commercially successful models and that is because it was based on a very successful recipe – the OM-10 is a (feature) stripped down OM-2n, a very popular professional model reviewed in this blog. It maintained the small size and compatibility with the Zuiko system, stuck with the aperture priority mode which was so very popular in the early eighties and offered the optional 'Manual Adaptor' that could offer full manual operation. And most importantly, it uses the highly regarded OTF plane metering system of the OM-2n. These features made the OM-10 a very attractive offer, especially if you think that it was competitively priced – Olympus sold these cameras by millions.
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| Top plate is clean and simple |
The size of the camera feels very similar to the OM-2n, but the OM-10 has a slightly raised pentaprism which makes it look (and feel) a bit bigger than the OM-2n. So what does the OM-10 lose when compared to the OM-2n. Quite a few things – you decide if they are important. First of all, the air-bumpers for the mirror are gone, the OM-10 produces much more noise and vibrations. The top plate is made of plastic – not metal as the OM-2n. ISO range is also a bit more limited. The OM-10 has a bit smaller viewfinder coverage – also the OM-2n has a detachable flash hot-shoe. I am not able to say what other changes are made within the camera but these are the differences I managed to spot in terms of specifications. The OM-10 improves the wind-on stroke which feels smaller and more smooth.
Using the OM-10 is easy and straight forward. Switch it on and rotate the switch on the right either on AUTO (aperture priority) or manual in order to set the speeds via the manual adapter. This is one point of criticism. The indication on the dial is very small and easy to miss – you have to pay
attention and make sure that it is is not in manual because there is no indication in the viewfinder as to what mode you are using. In the viewfinder you have the indicated shutter speed – in Auto is the speed used, in 'Manual' it is the suggested speed.
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| The optional Manual Adapter |
One good thing about the OM-10 is that the camera is always ready to take a picture. If set in Auto, it will take the picture even if you haven't switched it to the 'ON' position. Viewfinder is beautiful, big and bright – the OM-10 uses the same pentaprism as its bigger sibling, the OM-2n. Actually, pentaprisms from OM-10 are used to replace the damaged ones from OM-2n.
Time has been good with this camera, the majority of OM-10s out there work well with no major issues. Keep in mind that this is an electronic camera, when the battery is depleted, you very often get a mirror locked in the up position – don't force it to wind it up, just put new batteries in.
Conclusion
You cannot go wrong with buying this camera. There are so many out there which means that they are plenty cheap and you have access to the Zuiko lens line which are beautifully made and cheap. The OM-10 came with the Zuiko 50 f/.18 “Made in Japan” version which is an excellent lens. With the manual adaptor, you basically get 80% of a OM-2n for 1/3 of the price – which is excellent value for money if you ask me. The metering system is first rate and the Zuiko lenses are something to be experienced. With these cameras fetching as little as £15, I cannot see any reason why someone shouldn't have one.
They are small, reliable, with access to a beautiful lens line, it is a winner for me.