Olympus OM-1

Trendy when new, with a dedicated following today.

An immediate big success

‘Olympus hit a home run with the OM-1 in 1973. Almost overnight, the OM-1 became the star of the entire industry’ (Gustavson, 2011). The OM-1 was ‘very small, very light, very quiet and quickly became very trendy’ (Matanle 1996).

**Artomatic** Washington, D.C. Olympus OM-1, 50mm f/1.8 F.Zuiko, Tri-X, 2024.

A cult-like following

In the 1970s camera market, the Olympus OM-1 was not positioned at the Nikon F or F2 level but it was upscale, distinctive, and popular. It developed a cult-like following that endures today, kind of like the Rollei 35.

‘So devoted are followers of the OM-1 series of cameras that it is almost politically incorrect to say anything against Olympus in public’ (Matanle, 1996).

**Olympus OM-1** with 50mm f/1.8 F. Zuiko lens.

The design team

The OM-1 design team was led by mechanical engineer Yoshihisa Maitani (Pritchard, 2014). Maitani was featured in Olympus advertisements, which helped make him the second best known 35mm camera design engineer after Oskar Barnack, the inventor of the Leica.

Who was the chief design engineer of other Japanese cameras? They seem to have been anonymous ‘salarymen’. For the Nikon F, the only design credit the company provides is, ‘the exterior of [the] Nikon F was designed by Yusaku Kamekura, a graphic designer’ (Nikon Corporation, Camera Chronicle).

Long (2018), in his book-length study of Nikon, does not name the Nikon F’s chief design engineer. He does, however, credit Nikon F graphic designer Kamekura (p. 55) and Olympus OM-1 chief engineer Maitani (p. 99).

**Outdoor plant bokeh** Bethesda, Md. Olympus OM-1, 50mm f/1.8 F.Zuiko, Tri-X, 2024.

Design features

The Olympus OM-1 is an unusually small, light SLR and that was one of its main selling points when new. It’s an all-mechanical, manual exposure camera; the battery is only for the meter. I leave it out and use a hand-held meter or the sunny 16 rule. The viewfinder is large and bright, with a split image.

I like the shutter speed control. Many 35mm cameras have a dial on the top deck for this function. Not so with the OM-1 which uses a collar around the lens mount. This has attracted criticism, but it is not odd or weird and if you’re a Hasselblad or Nikkormat user you’ll find it familiar.

I also appreciate that the hot shoe is detachable. I promptly detached it for a more streamlined look. It’s an attractive camera.

**Customized ‘67 Camaro RS/SS** Baltimore, Md. Olympus OM-1, 50mm f/1.8 F.Zuiko, Tri-X, 2024.

**Barcelona-style chair** Columbia, Md. Olympus OM-1, 50mm f/1.8 F.Zuiko, Tri-X, 2024.

Using the OM-1

I can understand why this camera is popular. It looks good, and its small size and light weight make it a joy to carry around. It has a split image focus screen, a feature I really like. The advance lever action is not as smooth as my other Japanese SLRs but it does the job so no issue there.

Maintenance and repair

Some years ago, in Japan, I bought an Olympus OM-1 new. I liked it a lot. After about five years, though, the shutter broke. I replaced the OM-1 with a used Nikomat. Later I added a Nikon F, which uses the same lenses. Those became my standard 35mm SLR cameras.

In 2024 I purchased the OM-1 featured in this article, It is working well and maintenance hasn’t been needed yet.

**Rural landscape** Dickerson, Md. Olympus OM-1, 50mm f/1.8 F.Zuiko, Tri-X, 2024.

References / further reading

Camera manual: orphancameras.com

More references:

Gustavson, T. 2011. 500 Cameras: 170 Years of Photographic Innovation. New York: Fall River Press. The 500 cameras are from the George Eastman House Technology Collection, Rochester, N.Y. The Olympus OM-1 is on p. 278.

Hunt, B. 2024. Film Camera Zen: A Guide to Finding the Perfect Film Camera. Los Angeles: Chronicle Chroma.

This camera is featured on pp. 138-1239. “The Olympus OM-1 (and later variants) is the sort of camera you come to when you have been shooting film for a while and want to take yourself to the next level.”

Karlsten, E. (text), with photos by V. Hasselblad, P. Halsman, L. Nilsson, and others. 1981. Hasselblad. Stockholm: Gullers International.

In my discussion of renowned 35mm camera design engineers, I mentioned Barnack (Leica) and Maitani (Olympus). Not Victor Hasselblad, as his camera was medium format, not 35mm. In this book, Hasselblad is described as somewhat more of a visionary and manager than designer — creating the idea and performance specification for the Hasselblad camera and then managing his team to deliver it. He had the ability to ‘attract talented employees and to inspire them to share his own enthusiasm’ (pp. 22, 35).

Long, Brian. 2018. Nikon: A Celebration, 3rd ed. Ramsbury, England: Crowood Press.

McKeown, J.M. and J.C. 1996. McKeown’s Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 1997-1998. Grantsburg, Wis.: Centennial Photo.

Matanle, I. 1996. Collecting and Using Classic SLRs. New York: Thames and Hudson.

Nikon Corporation. Camera Chronicle: Development of Nikon F. https://imaging.nikon.com/imaging/information/chronicle/history-f/ accessed May 10, 2025.

This includes, ‘the exterior of Nikon F was designed by Yusaku Kamekura, a graphic designer’. The chief design engineer remains anonymous. Meanwhile, at Olympus, the work of OM-1 chief engineer Yoshihisa Maitani was heavily publicized and he achieved international renown.

Pritchard, Michael. 2014. A History of Photography in 50 Cameras. Buffalo, N.Y.: Firefly Books. The Olympus OM-1 is camera no. 40.