Olympus OM-2N1979

History

The OM-2 (1975) was Yoshihisa Maitani's answer to a professional-grade SLR that was meaningfully smaller and lighter than the Nikon F2 or Canon F-1. Its defining technical feature was OTF metering: rather than metering through the lens with the mirror up, the OM-2 used a sensor pointed at the film plane during exposure to read light reflected off the film surface itself. This allowed genuinely accurate metering in difficult flash situations and at long auto exposures.

The OM-2N arrived in 1979 with refinements: a brighter viewfinder screen, a more reliable OTF flash system compatible with the T-series Zuiko flash units, and the addition of multiple-exposure capability. The black-finish version was produced for the same 1979-1984 production run. It was not listed separately in all markets; in some regions it was a special order item. The OM-2N was superseded in the aperture-priority role by the OM-4 (1983), which added spot metering and multi-spot averaging.

Why It Matters

The OM system represented the most complete compact professional SLR ecosystem of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Zuiko lens lineup covered from 16mm fisheye to 1000mm telephoto, all in a mount small enough that OM lenses are notably shorter than contemporaneous Nikon or Canon offerings. The OTF flash metering on the OM-2N was ahead of its time: TTL flash control via a sensor reading the film plane was more accurate than guide-number calculation and became the template for subsequent TTL flash systems industry-wide.

The black body finish carried associations with professional use across multiple camera brands in this era - Nikon F2 Black, Leica M bodies, Pentax LX Black. For the OM-2N the black version is rarer and correspondingly more sought by collectors, though the photographic performance is unchanged from chrome.

Lenses & Accessories

The OM mount is a 42mm diameter bayonet with a 46mm flange distance - notably short for an SLR, enabling compact lens designs.

Key Zuiko lenses for this body:

• 50mm f/1.4 Zuiko - the standard fast normal; excellent wide open
• 50mm f/1.8 Zuiko - lighter and very sharp; most common kit lens
• 28mm f/2.8 Zuiko - compact wide for street work
• 100mm f/2.8 Zuiko - classic portrait length in OM system
• 24mm f/2 Zuiko - fast wide; sought for low-light use

Flash system:

• T20, T32, T45 - Olympus T-series TTL flashes with OTF compatibility
• T-series compatibility is essential for exploiting the OM-2N's OTF flash metering

Accessories:

• Motor Drive 1, Motor Drive 2 - adds 4-5 fps; confirms the OM-2N was positioned for professional workflow
• Data Back 1, Data Back 2 - date/data imprinting
• Various interchangeable focusing screens (Olympus offered ~12 types)

OM mount lenses are adaptable to Sony E, Micro Four Thirds, and other mirrorless mounts via passive adapters with no electronic coupling loss (the mount is entirely manual-only anyway).

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• The OM system generally was used by photojournalists and documentary photographers in the late 1970s and 1980s who needed a smaller kit than Nikon F or Canon F systems.
• The OM-2N's OTF flash system was adopted by medical and scientific photographers for close-up and macro work where consistent flash exposure was critical.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Olympus OM-2n
• Wikipedia: Olympus OM-2