Olympus OM-2000

When is an Olympus OM camera not an OM camera? When it's the OM2000.

Olympus produced their first camera in the OM range, the OM-1, in the early 1970's. Subsequent models were based on the original design right through to the ultimate model in the series, the wonderful OM-4ti. However, not too long before Olympus ceased production of conventional SLR cameras they released a camera onto the market which was from a different background, ...
...OM2000.

Olympus traditionally produced two ranges side-by-side, single number models (OM-1, 2, 3 and 4) were aimed more at professional users whilst the two figure ones (OM-10, 20, 30 and 40) had features more suitable for the amateur user. So where did a model named the OM2000 suddenly come from? Well the number doesn't relate to the millenium as might be first assumed, but rather to the fastest shutter speed of 1/2000 second.
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When is an Olympus OM camera not an OM camera? When it's the OM2000.

Olympus produced their first camera in the OM range, the OM-1, in the early 1970's. Subsequent models were based on the original design right through to the ultimate model in the series, the wonderful OM-4ti. However, not too long before Olympus ceased production of conventional SLR cameras they released a camera onto the market which was from a different background, though it was still compatible with the vast array of Olympus/Zuiko and aftermarket lenses that were readily available. This was the OM2000.

Olympus traditionally produced two ranges side-by-side, single number models (OM-1, 2, 3 and 4) were aimed more at professional users whilst the two figure ones (OM-10, 20, 30 and 40) had features more suitable for the amateur user. So where did a model named the OM2000 suddenly come from? Well the number doesn't relate to the millenium as might be first assumed, but rather to the fastest shutter speed of 1/2000 second.

Apart from the fact that there's an internal light meter the camera is totally manual in operation, which does tend to make it more suitable for the experienced photographer rather than a newcomer. If you're not familiar with (or don't wish to learn) the importance of shutter speeds, f-stops and depth of field, and the relationships between them, then my advice would be to consider other cameras with more automation. However, if you are quite happy to adjust these settings manually then the OM2000 could be just the ticket, especially if you already have a selection of OM lenses in your possession.

As mentioned briefly earlier, the OM2000 has a different pedigree to other cameras in the Olympus OM series, in fact it's not an Olympus at all. Believed to be built by Cosina, the body is lighter than other OMs and whilst the camera chassis may be metal, the external cover is most certainly plastic. The plus side is that the body alone weighs approximately 100g less than the so-called lightweight titanium OM-4ti (possibly due to the lack of complicated electronic circuit boards etc). When new, the OM2000 could be bought as either a body only for £200 or complete with a 35-70mm Zuiko zoom lens for £250. Now you must be wondering how on earth they could package the camera with a Zuiko zoom lens for only £50 extra - well, the body of that is plastic too!

I'm not sure why Olympus decided to market the OM2000, maybe they saw it as a successor to the OM10/20/30/40 range of cameras which were always the affordable models in the OM line-up. Whatever the reason, it was over £1000 (yes, that's one thousand!) cheaper than the more traditional OM4-ti. Despite the huge difference in price the OM2000 produces excellent results, partly due to a feature not often found on budget SLR cameras - spot metering!

Why spot metering, what does it do? If we consider a situation where we want to take a photo of a darkish subject against a fairly bright background, the results we achieve with the more common method of 'average light metering' can be quite disappointing, as the camera takes the whole scene into consideration and sets a mean exposure time for the shot. The result of this is that the background is slightly brighter than it should be but, more importantly, the subject is underexposed and therefore too dark - not very flattering if you're doing a portrait! Whilst the OM2000 has the facility to work in this mode it also has a spot metering mode whereby the light meter concentrates on the centre of the image in the viewfinder. If the subject isn't in the centre of the frame then the camera can be pointed at the subject in order to set the correct exposure then moved back to re-compose the shot. The light meter will then show what appears to be an incorrect reading but you'll know in your own mind that in actual fact it's correct for your subject.

The OM2000 has a little feature which wasn't present on any other camera in the whole OM range - a mechanical lock for the shutter release button. This is automatically set when the camera is switched off. The camera is equipped with a hotshoe which allows a flashgun to be fitted, however it isn't dedicated so the flashgun has to be manually configured which can be a bit 'hit and miss'. Other features on the camera are standard OM fayre and include a depth of field preview, self-timer and a 'bulb' setting for long exposures.

Despite its relatively low cost the OM2000 is capable of producing very good results, with or without the 35-70 Zuiko lens. In all honesty I've never run a slide film through mine so it's never been subjected to the ultimate exposure test, however I've been very pleased with those produced on negative films. The lack of a dedicated flash means that I use it for photos taken in natural lighting conditions, and because it takes a bit of extra effort to obtain the correct settings it does make you think about the job in hand before finally pressing the shutter. This might appear quite tedious but personally I like to take time to compose my shots anyway so I've never considered this to be a problem. In an ideal world I'd prefer to see the exposure time selected to be displayed in the viewfinder rather than coloured symbols showing under, over or correct exposure but that's just a minor point really. I bought the OM2000 partly for its novelty value (there aren't too many around) and partly because it came at the right price (under £100 in mint condition). I also thought it would make an ideal backup to my other OM cameras but hopefully its lack of electronic gadgetry will prove to be a major plus point and I'll still be able to use my Olympus lenses with this body in many years to come.
 

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