C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →
slr-35mm
When the OM-1 launched in 1972, full-frame SLRs were big and loud. The OM-1 was 30% smaller than a Nikon F2, almost as light as a Leica M, and had a quieter shutter than either. It wasn't a compromise camera — it accepted a full system of Zuiko lenses, motor drives, finders, and macro accessories. Maitani's design influenced every compact SLR that came after.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
Yoshihisa Maitani's argument that a system SLR could be small, quiet, and beautiful — and the camera that made every other 35mm SLR feel oversized.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Olympus OM |
| Years | 1972–1987 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/1000s, mechanical horizontal cloth |
| Flash sync | 1/60s |
| Meter | Center-weighted, CdS |
| Weight | 510 g |
| Battery | 1× PX625 mercury (meter only) |
Originally launched as the M-1 in 1972 — Leica objected to the "M" prefix and Olympus renamed the line to OM after about 50,000 units. The early M-1 bodies are now collector items. The OM-1n (1979) added an LED flash-ready signal in the viewfinder and a mechanical reset for the film-advance lever; mechanically near-identical otherwise. The OM-1 was discontinued in 1987 as autofocus took over, but it never received a direct mechanical successor — the OM-3 stayed in the same niche.
The OM-1 redefined what "professional SLR" could mean. It made Nikon and Canon engineers go back to the drawing board on size and noise. The viewfinder is one of the largest and brightest of any 35mm SLR, full stop — Maitani used a porro-prism-style design plus oversized eyepiece optics. The shutter dial is around the lens mount (not on top), a Maitani signature that lets you change shutter speed and aperture with the same hand without leaving the eyepiece.
OM Zuiko lenses are excellent and historically underpriced. The 50/1.8 (six-element) and 50/1.4, 28/2.8, 35/2, 100/2.8, 200/4 are all small and sharp. The 90/2 Macro and 21/2 are highly regarded. Motor Drive 1 and 2; Winder 1, Winder 2; data backs; Recordata Back; system flashes T20, T32; macro bellows. The system was intentionally complete.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →C41
Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →