Show us your Olympus 35xx

It fits perfectly, and even clips on!

Walked around town today for a few hours shooting a test roll. Climbed out of a fenced off site where a house is being gutted when a man called me from across the street. He was sitting on his porch, and claimed to be having a heart attack. We went into his kitchen and called a few people from a list he has taped to his refrigerator. His name is Laurence and he turns 99 next week. He asked me to check his pulse, and refused to let me call an ambulance. I had him drink some water and tell me about himself. He kept saying he was ready. I took a few photos of him and after a while, his son showed up and told me I could leave. Later, I felt the film begin to tear when the advance lever started catching and jamming. Had to re-spool inside my backpack, and dropped the roll off at the local lab a few minutes ago. I'm certain that Laurence is okay - his son was unfazed - but if he's not I hope those pictures of him are.

Helluva way to start shooting RF.
 
Here's mine, got it in the mail yesterday. Everything looks good, other than a dim RF patch and the film counter doesn't seem to want to reset... Shooting my first roll later today, but first I had to make myself a lens cap! :D

9232519552_da09734d28_b.jpg

Awesome!!! :)

Open the backdoor and clean the spring loaded switch at the upper right side with some alcohol. Apparently, glue and/or deteriorated parts of the light seal have made it sticky.
 
Awesome!!! :)

Open the backdoor and clean the spring loaded switch at the upper right side with some alcohol. Apparently, glue and/or deteriorated parts of the light seal have made it sticky.

Can you go into further detail as to how I can access the spring loaded switch? I see the tab you're talking about, but it looks like I'd have to take the top plate off in order to get to it!
 
Can you go into further detail as to how I can access the spring loaded switch? I see the tab you're talking about, but it looks like I'd have to take the top plate off in order to get to it!

No, no! Don't take off the top plate. Take some thin brush, dump it with some alcohol or naptha and try try to clean it up. Also clean up the sticky surface at the opposite side on the back door.
 
I finally got the Tiny! (From an online charity shop auction.) From this thread, it seems like the RC is the most popular Oly FLRF, but I didn't have one. I kept buying RFs and small SLRs and thinking various ones would end up to be my "carry in my work computer bag at all times" camera. But I found all of them too heavy. If this won't do it, I don't know what will.

As unboxed. It arrived with the lens tidy:

Clean lens! by Argenticien, on Flickr

But the VF and the frameline window were horrid, such that the VF/RF were dim. What is that, sand?!

VF schmutz by Argenticien, on Flickr


Frameline window schmutz by Argenticien, on Flickr

Strange that those could be so dirty and the lens so clean ... it makes me think there was a lens cap or filter on the camera when it got to the charity shop, which were then lost. :( Too bad, given their rarity and weird diameter. At least I got a 43.5mm lens cap off Amazon the day I won the auction, and it arrived even before the camera.

I did a quick, first pass at cleanup and got all the gunk off. It looks rather nice, even if on close inspection it is "very good" or similar, not "mint":

With the giant by Argenticien, on Flickr

All seems to work, including the meter. The camera had a PX625A (alkaline) battery that delivered voltage but was starting to leak, so into the bin it went, and I popped in my MR9-adapted 386. Now to go shoot a film!

There is a small problem: When pointing the camera at a pinpoint light source, there are three images in the VF: Not only the main VF image and the superimposed RF spot image, but also an extra, non-moving ghost image left of the main VF image. Anyone have any idea what would cause this?

--Dave
 
Lovely little user. I need to get my RC sorted. I note that the self-timer lever is still there, which is depressingly rare.
 
Yes the self-timer lever is still there. And, I do not subscribe to the "Oh my God! Don't touch that!! It could jam the shutter!" school of thought. When I get a new-to-me camera that has a self-timer, I boldly/foolishly test it. (It helps that I am a bottom-feeder, buying usually $20 - $50 cameras. It might be different if I were buying $2000 - $5000 Leicas.) Anyway the result here was that the self-timer indeed works. Not planning any selfies, but I suppose it could be useful now and then if I set the camera on a ledge/table and shoot 1/15 with it to avoid camera-shake.
--Dave
 
Functionally a treasure, yes. Cosmetically, no. I should point out that a previous owner (or the charity shop who sold me this) sanded off an identification number that some even earlier owner had scratched into the bottom plate of this 35 RC. This is the second camera I've bought recently with that condition. It makes for a good bargain since these units are passed over by bidders seeking a perfect example. But the defacement doesn't bother me. No one ever sees the bottom of the camera!
--Dave
 
Doesn't bother me, either. They are engineering wonders, work well, are great to handle, and, crucially, produce both great pictures and a smile on your face.
 
What's in the bags?
P5150011 by TJ Clarion, on Flickr

Getting interesting:
P5150012 by TJ Clarion, on Flickr

Voila!
P5150014 by TJ Clarion, on Flickr

Rangefinders : 35RD; 35RC; 35ECR
Half frames: Pen D; Pen Original.

Just been collected from Luton Camera Repair, who did an excellent job (the RC repair was deferred, in case the eagle-eyed note a still-missing self-timer lever).

Shots taken at The Hat Factory's cafe, who do a stonking veggie breakfast, btw:
P5150015 by TJ Clarion, on Flickr
 
High Quality 35mm Fixed Lens Rangefinders

High Quality 35mm Fixed Lens Rangefinders


High Quality 35mm Fixed Lens Rangefinders

Top Left
Olympus 35SP
G.Zuiko 42mm f/1.7 (7 elements in 5 groups)

Top Right
Olympus Wide-S (Wide Super)
H.Zuiko F.C. 35mm f/2 (8 elements in 6 groups)

Front
Wollensak Stereo 10 (Realist 5 perf format}
Dual Wollensak Amaton 35mm F/2.7 lenses (tessar clone)

camera: Olympus E-520 DLSR
lens: Leica D Summilux Asph. 25mm f/1.4
filter: Hoya HD UV
support: hand held
softare; ACDSee Pro 7

©2014 Chris Grossman, all rights reserved
 
But the VF and the frameline window were horrid, such that the VF/RF were dim. What is that, sand?!

VF schmutz by Argenticien, on Flickr


Frameline window schmutz by Argenticien, on Flickr



--Dave


I have a very dirty frameline window, full of schmutz, as you put it. How can I have access to clean that, or do I need to open up the top? I don't really have any tools for such a job and don't feel comfortable operating anyway. Also, what do you guys do to clean the metal bits? I read somewhere that white vinegar has been used, or is that for the leatherette?
 
I have a very dirty frameline window, full of schmutz, as you put it. How can I have access to clean that, or do I need to open up the top? I don't really have any tools for such a job and don't feel comfortable operating anyway. Also, what do you guys do to clean the metal bits? I read somewhere that white vinegar has been used, or is that for the leatherette?

On my camera, the schmutz was on only the outside of the frameline window, so I merely blew and brushed it off, then wiped with a water-moistened cloth. I never opened the camera's top.

--Dave
 
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