Olympus OM2000 Spot Metering 35mm SLR Camera

I purchased an Olympus OM2000 Spot Metering SLR body from Used Photo Pro in Indianapolis sold in an “as-is” condition. I haven’t used this camera model previously, so I was interested in giving it a try. This copy looked very clean. The camera didn’t have a battery to check the light meter but as in the past even “as-is” condition cameras are typically in reasonable / good working condition. Even if the light meter didn’t work the camera will still operate without a battery. The price was approximately $25. 

The OM2000, built by Cosina, is an all-manual camera (excluding the light meter) that has spot meter option for the light meter. Focus, aperture and speed settings are all manual. 

I mounted a Tamron 28mm f/2.5 lens. The Tamron does not have an Olympus OM mount so I used an Adaptall 2 adapter from my inventory. 

The features of the OM2000 Spot Metering are:

• Lens: Olympus OM bayonet mount,
• Shutter type: Vertical-travel metal focal-plane shutter,
• Shutter speeds: 1 to 1/2000 second + bulb,
• Flash sync speed: 1/125 second,
• Exposure modes:
• Manual exposure only
• Center-weighted metering with “match-LED” display in viewfinder
• Metering system:
• TTL center-weighted metering
• Ability to switch to spot metering
• Manual exposure match-LED indicator
• ISO range from 25 to 3200 (no DX code reading),
• Battery: 2 x LE44,
• Hot shoe (no built-in flash),
• Manual film advance lever,
• Small switch on the film advance lever that can be used for double exposures.

The OM2000 was clearly an entry-level manual SLR camera. Lots of plastic and small in your hand. 

I wanted to see how the camera would perform with street photography.

I ran 2 rolls through the camera recently and here is what I thought about it:

• A very loud shutter slap. Not stealthy at all

• The light meter consists of a + o – LED indicator on the left side of the viewfinder. It’s activated when you half push the shutter release. You adjust speed / aperture (or both) so the green o illuminates. I found it hard to get it settings adjusted accurately for the proper exposure. On most shots I was getting + o or o – (slightly over or under exposed).  In most situations I ended up simply using “sunny 16”. Not sure if this is the sensitivity of the light meter or the meter on this camera was beyond it’s used by date. Either way, I prefer a camera with a light meter vs not having one. On the OM2000 you are in full control of the settings.

• Another “feature” is a small “stop” attached to the film advance lever that sits under the shutter release button when the lever is fully closed. This prevents the shutter from accidentally firing while in a camera bag or if you bump the shutter release. To take a photo you advance the film advance lever slightly to a stop. You can now release the shutter. There were several times when I forgot to do this and when I tried to release the shutter I couldn’t. Just a learning curve issue, but potentially frustrating if you were timing a shot. 

• The wide shutter speed range gives you complete flexibility of using almost all film ISOs in most light conditions.

Bottomline, not my first choice for street photography, but it’s a solid general-purpose, basic manual camera. 

Some photos: 

Nikon N90s 35mm SLR Film Camera

 

I recently purchased a Nikon N90s from Used Photo Pro in Indianapolis, sold in “as-is” condition. UPP has a section in their store dedicated to working film cameras and lenses, but these items come with no warranty. That’s because many of them have one or more issues—something might not work properly, or the gear may show significant cosmetic wear. In exchange for these caveats, prices are fixed and budget-friendly. A camera body typically runs around $25.

The N90s I purchased was fully functional except for one flaw: the top LCD screen was burned out. Fortunately, settings were still visible through the viewfinder, but the lack of a working top LCD display was a definite compromise. However, this body came with the MB-10 vertical battery grip, which made it worth purchasing.

I ran 2–3 rolls through the camera without issue, but I found the missing LCD confirmation annoying—especially when trying to verify or setting up metering modes, non-DX ISO settings, and exposure programs. Because of this, I didn’t put the N90s into my regular shooting rotation.

Then, a few days ago, I spotted another “as-is” N90s body at UPP. Mechanically it looked sound, though it had heavy cosmetic wear. The big plus? The LCD screen worked! I bought it and swapped over the MB-10 grip from the earlier body.

I took the newer N90s out for a street photography and really enjoyed the experience and using the N90s. It’s fast, comfortable in the hand, and loaded with features making it a really nice camera to use. Some key specs include:

·       Lens mount: Nikon F-mount

·       Autofocus: Fast and accurate with single, continuous, and manual modes

·       Shutter speeds: Bulb, 30 seconds up to 1/8000

·       Flash sync: Up to 1/250 sec—ideal for studio strobes and consistent with many digital studio setups

·       Motor drive: Built-in, with film advance up to 4 FPS

·       Exposure modes: Program (P), Shutter priority (S), Aperture priority (A), Manual (M)

·       Metering: Matrix, center-weighted, and spot

·       Viewfinder: Bright and easy to work with

·       Custom settings: 17 user-configurable functions

·       Power: 4 AA batteries

The Nikon N90s was produced in Japan from 1994 to 2001. At the time, it was considered Nikon’s top-tier enthusiast camera—sitting just below the professional-level Nikon F4. It was eventually succeeded by the more advanced Nikon F100.

Here are photos taken with my Nikon N90s using Ilford HP5+ and Kentmere 400:

Ilford Kentmere 400 developed with Kodak D-76 1+1

Ilford HP5+ developed with Kodak D-76 1+1

Nikon Lite Touch Zoom AF

The Nikon Lite Touch Zoom is a pocketable, good looking zoom lens point & shoot with several nice features and a few drawbacks. I've had the Lite Touch for several years and have taken it out often. The image quality is good, the lens is sharp and the zoom provides flexibility. 

Based on my experience here are the camera's advantages / nice features and drawbacks.

Advantages:

• Sharp zoom lens - 35-70mm f/3.5-6.5 zoom
• Panorama and normal mode
• Adequate flash with multiple modes
• Zoom lens only extends 1-1/4"
• Readily available CR123A battery
• Quick focus
• DX coding (ISO 100 - 1000)

Disadvantages:

• Very small viewfinder
• All buttons are small, rubberized and surprisingly hard to push. The shutter release button (at least on my camera) has to be pushed quite hard to activate.
• No lens cap or cover
• Unable to manually set ISO
• Zoom lens is "stopless" (doesn't stop at 35, 50, etc.). It can be stopped anywhere between 35 thru 70mm. However, except at 35mm or 70mm you don't know what the zoom is set at.

One weird feature of the camera is that the film is loaded "backwards". Looking at the back the film door opens R to L. The film is also loaded "upside down" compared to most cameras. 

Overall, a nice camera for everyday snapshots, street photography or vacation / traveling. Here are a few shots using a roll of Ultrafine Warehouse Finesse 400 developed with Kodak D-76.