Venturing into the world of film can be daunting, and choosing a camera to get you started can be a challenge. Here’s a recommendation that might save you some time.
Choosing your first analog camera is no easy task, especially if you’re on a budget. Film isn’t cheap, and when combined with the cost of developing and scanning your negatives, you don’t necessarily want to drop a load of cash upfront.
For this reason, your first camera is unlikely to be a Leica M6 or a Contax T2. There are a ton of budget options out there, but finding a balance between ease of use, convenience, and lens choice — not to mention aesthetics — means that the choice can feel overwhelming.
Introducing the Olympus OM-10
Released in 1979 and discontinued sometime around 1987, the Olympus OM-10 was a (relatively) small, easy-to-use camera targeted at entry-level photographers. But don’t let the term “entry-level” fool you — image quality is excellent, and the range of lenses and accessories puts many other systems to shame.
So why the OM-10 when there are so many other options out there?
1. Price
Olympus must have made hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of these cameras in the 1980s, and as a result, they’re easy to track down, whether that’s through eBay, Etsy, or second-hand camera stores. The OM-10 is probably one of the cheapest options out there, and I’d argue that it delivers the best value for money, especially for those who want to go a step further than a basic point-and-shoot.
You’ll regularly find one for under a hundred dollars, and if you’re lucky, that might also include the 50mm f/1.8 lens. More on that later.
Some would argue that the OM-10’s reputation for reliability is unmatched, which also explains why there are still so many of them on the second-hand market. I’ve bought two via eBay in the last couple of years, both shipping in a matter of days from Japan to my home in France, and both arrived in perfect working order.
2. Ease of use
If you’re pondering film for the first time, the likelihood is that you’re not going to start shooting big projects or working commercially; instead, you’re going to be feeling your way with day-to-day images and creating memories. As a result, having a camera that’s ready to go and requires little thought is essential.
The OM-10 is aperture-priority and features an excellent light meter that never seems to suffer from age. You can manually set the ISO (great if you want to push film), and there’s even an exposure compensation dial for snowy conditions or backlit subjects.
In short, it’s easy to pick up and start shooting; simply keep an eye on the shutter speed indicator inside the viewfinder to ensure that you’re not risking blur due to lens shake. A compact point-and-shoot might be smoother, but that comes with other compromises, such as the loss of interchangeable lenses and control over the depth of field.
Batteries are a pair of easy-to-find LR44/76s, and they last forever. If in doubt, there’s a battery check beep to ensure that your camera’s not about to die.
If you’re not used to manual-focus lenses, it takes a bit of getting used to — and admittedly, focusing doesn’t feel as natural as with the Canon A cameras — but turning the lens to line up the focusing patch is straightforward once it becomes familiar.
Loading and rewinding are a breeze.
3. Lenses
Olympus produced millions of OM cameras, starting with the M-1 (quickly renamed after grumbles from Leica) in 1972, through to the OM-2000 that Wikipedia assures me was made up until 2009. As a result, there is a plethora of choices when it comes to glass.
Taken using either the 50mm f/1.8 or the 35mm f/2.
Most cameras ship with the excellent Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, which for the price is arguably one of the best nifty fifties ever made. It offers a solid balance of sharpness and character, and you will struggle to spend $50 on a lens and get better performance.
4. Convenience
For such a solid performer, this camera is surprisingly compact. A shade more compact than the Canon A cameras, it’s also noticeably lighter — and significantly less of a brick compared to the meaty Pentax 1000. Carrying this camera is little effort, and it’s so sturdy that you can chuck it in a bag without much concern.
For what it’s worth, it’s hard to find one on sale without a strap. And if you’re lucky, you’ll bag yourself one of those gorgeous Olympus canvas straps with leather details.
5. Excellent for Beginners
Aperture priority with a shutter speed dial is the perfect combination for anyone learning photography. For anyone that’s unfamiliar with the exposure triangle, you only need to explain that they need to turn the aperture dial so that it never drops below 1/60th and never exceeds 1/1000th, and they’ll be halfway to understanding the relationship.
In addition, this is a camera that can grow with you. They’re a little harder to track down, but it’s possible to buy an adapter — a tiny plastic box with a dial — that slots onto the front of the camera alongside the lens to give you control over the shutter speed. It’s not the most elegant, but it’s effective. The light meter remains functional, giving you a recommended shutter speed in concert with your selected aperture.
6. Aesthetics
There was no shortage of beautiful cameras built before plastic arrived and introduced the endless ugliness of ergonomics, and the OM-10 is up there with the best. The lack of a shutter dial makes the top panel tidier, giving it a cleaner overall feel.
In Conclusion
I can’t recommend these gorgeous little cameras enough. There are a ton of great film SLRs out there, but for me, none are as compact and convenient as the OM-10. When you also consider the price, reliability, and availability, it’s an excellent choice as your first film camera.
