Little review of the Olympus RC

Just got the Olympus RC..


POSITIVES...
very solid metal build quality; apart from the lens glass breaking I
can't see what harm can come to this camera. I have always been
puzzled by people who complained about the "plasticky" feel of the
Minox compared to the Rollei 35, but if the Rollei 35 (never handled
one) is like the Olympus RC then I understand now.

Can see both aperture and shutter settings in viewfinder.

Fully mechanical feel and operation. Fully manual operation including
aperture, focus, shutter and ASA.

B shutter mode and ability to use standard cable release. I have liked
the night photos that the olympus XA took with its meter and aperture
control automation.

Looks beautiful. Nice minimalist retro looks.
http://tuaupe.50megs.com/images/olympus_35rc.jpg



NEGATIVES...

uses mercury battery which is no longer available, not sure if
replacements are adequate. The batteries though are only needed for
the meter.

If you're used to the XA this is a considerably bigger camera and not
really as pocketable. I'm not sure that it's much smaller or lighter
than a pentax zx/mz-m. I am horrified though by the size of the
Yashica Electro 35 GSN compared to the Olympus RC.
http://www.barefoot.idv.tw/img_about/compare_electro35_35rc.jpg

Over the XA, the RC offers a more solid build and a fully manual
override. Maybe also a slightly more professional impression as I can
only guess not many people below a certain age have commonly seen this
camera. Same can be said for the XA but the XA decidedly looks P&S or
like a little toy. Does anyone know if the Olympus RC has better
optics than the Olympus XA? The XA is certainly easier to use and more
pocketable, and somewhat cuter or more adorable.

This is my main complaint about it though, the aperture dial on the
lens is a little hard to turn ergonomically. Quite hard actually for
regular use, compared to the Minox or the XA. I think this is a camera
that probably encourages setting the aperture to a certain value and
varying the shutter speed, which is a little confusing for "sunny 16"
but probably makes sense. The shutter dial though is quite nice.


P.S. How does the Rollei 35 compare to the Olympus RC and the XA in
size? is it in between the two? to which is it closer?
Also, What camera comparable to the RC has the best optics with a
rangefinder and full manual? Does the Minolta 7sII have a better lens?

 

Mike

Contact me, off-group. I'll give you the scoop on the Oly RC, and many more
rangefinder's.

QLP

 

I have a 35 and an XA:
http://www.pbase.com/len04/compacts

The XA is fractionally smaller than the Rollei, but is much more
pocketable owing to its lack of protruding bits when closed up.
When ready-to-shoot the Rollei appears quite a bit bigger because
its lens has to be pulled out to 40mm from the film plane - the XA
has a telephoto design.

- Len

 

Check EBAY. There are a few solutions, depending upon what battery you
need.

Yeah, the Yashica is a tank of a camera. I have two Yashica GT cameras. I
even think these might be heavier than a few SLRs with a similar lens
mounted.

Manual override is nice to have, and something that I miss on the Yashica
GT.

It could be the age of the camera, and some wear, affect the feel of the
controls.

Pretty close in size, though the controls on the Rollei 35 are different.
Ergonomics might be a bigger issue than just size.

I think there was a Minolta 9, or similar number identification, that you
might want to compare. Overall, there are more Canon and Yashica
rangefinders in some locations, or on EBAY, though if you look long
enough, you can find the other types. There was also a Konica S3 that was
well regarded, though it is tough to find, and costs more than some
others.


<http://www.agstudiopro.com> Coming Soon!

 

There was also a Konica S3 that was

Hi Gordon,

Isn't the Konica S3 a fully automatic camera? I really like that the Olympus RC
is a fully manual camera.

 

Actually, shutter priority. I thought it would be good to mention it, since you
are looking into older rangefinder cameras. It is a compact, high quality
rangefinder, with a fairly nice lens.

Fully manual control is definitely useful in many situations. Of course, the
obvious solution would be an old Leica, or Nikon rangefinder, though a good
example of either of those would cost more than ten fixed lens rangefinder
cameras.

Good luck in the hunting for other cameras.


<http://www.agstudiopro.com> Coming Soon!