Switching the dial to manual mode allows complete control over both shutter speed and aperture, just like an OM-1. In manual mode the shutter speeds range from 1/1000 of a second to the slowest setting of 1 second, although Bulb mode allows for exposures of any length. The bad news is none of the T-Series flashes will do TTL flash with the OM-2. You need the OM-2n for that. The OM20, also known as OM-20 and OM-G, was a 35-millimeter single lens reflex (SLR) film camera with an electronically controlled horizontal focal plane shutter manufactured by the Olympus Corporation of Japan in 1983. It was a competitively priced alternative to the OM10 with additional functions, and capable of using the same lenses and accessories available in the OM system. This film camera requires a pair of SR44 or LR44 batteries to operate, and without battery power, the film advance lever and shutter will appear jammed. Essentially an OM-20 with auto-focus capability. With a normal lens there were lights in the view finder to help the user with manual focusing.

The OM-20 also features an aperture priority system when set in automatic mode, which is excellent for beginners. Even today Olympus’ cameras don’t seem to get the respect that they might deserve. I’ve often wondered if this is fair. So when I found a late 1970s OM-2n at the local thrift store with a price tag smaller than the cost of a cup of coffee, I had to buy it and see for myself.Legendary Olympus designer Yoshihisa Maitani’s entire professional life’s pursuit was miniaturization. In his earliest days developing the Pen half-frame camera (Olympus’ first major sales success) he was driven by the compactness and quality of his Leica camera. For the rest of his life he pushed Olympus to design and produce smaller cameras with better lenses. The culmination of this pursuit (and the final Olympus camera that Maitani personally designed) was the Olympus XA. The OM-4 featured a built-in spot meter [of a narrow acceptance angle, see Canon FTb] (2% of view; 3.3˚ with 50mm lens) and was the first camera capable of measuring eight individual areas and averaging them. The light meter used a dual-concentric segmented silicon photo-diode to provide spot or centerweighted readings. It used a graduated linear LCD for the shutter speed at the bottom of the viewfinder to precisely indicate its readings versus the actual camera settings. The Olympus OM system has a long history of both exceptional and under appreciated machines. While the OM1 was received by professional photogs, the press, and industry insiders as a marvel of miniaturization, design, and engineering, the brand didn’t seem to gain such a strong reputation with the casual user. Despite what Olympus had achieved in designing the OM, the company’s cameras were often considered by the masses to be somehow less than the cameras of Canon and Nikon. The Olympus OM-G (also known as the OM20 in other markets) was introduced in 1983 as a consumer 35mm SLR. While the OM-1, OM-2 and others were the professional line, the OM-G was of the cheaper options. However, that doesn’t mean it was cheap junk.

The film advance lever is on the far right of the camera. It’s not as strong as in the previous cameras, but it’s very stable and easy to use. There’s a film rewind button on the front of the camera. It was Olympus's first step towards an autofocus SLR camera. It was a true autofocus with one lens only, the 35–70mm AF zoom which had a motorized focusing ring, using three AAA batteries to operate it. With the other OM-mount lenses, correct focus was assisted with an indicator in the viewfinder. While the bokeh is fun to play with, I’m pleasantly surprised at how sharp these lenses can be when they’re stopped down. While I do love the shallow depth of field and lots of bokeh, there’s something about a crispy shot of an old car that just gets to me. Final Thoughts With its 5-FPS motor drive, it's the fastest SLR in its class - and the strongest, for such blazing speed demands rugged precision far beyond the ordinary. Yet it's also the lightest SLR in its range - a benefit you'll appreciate every time you raise it to your eye... which tells you it's the brightest of its breed, thanks to its unique Lumi Micron-Mate focusing screen, silver-coated prism, and multicoated reflex mirror. Unlike the viewfinder needle in its predecessors, this camera uses LED displays to show the shutter speed and exposure compensation.

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A focal length of around 100mm is often preferred for extreme close-up ‘macro’ photography. Due to this lens’s shorter focal length, the minimum focus distance drops from about 30cm to 20cm. However, those distances are measured from the focal plane, which corresponds to the position of the image sensor at the rear of the camera. With the more compact build of MFT cameras and lenses, the actual working distance between the front of the lens and the subject remains entirely usable, at about 10cm. Olympus professional-level cameras don’t get the sort of talking time enjoyed by the robust and versatile system machines that Nikon and Canon produced for photojournalists and war reportage. But that’s not because they weren’t as good or as capable. Olympus has long created cameras and systems capable of working for a living, most obviously in their OM series of 35mm SLRs. Over thirty-odd years, each of the flagship cameras in the OM line offered all the features of their era, plus a full range of lenses and attachments for all uses; microphotography, dental photography, laboratory use – the list goes on. The OM System 28mm f/3.5 is well regarded as one of the best 28mm lenses ever to come out of Japan. It’s a distortion-free wide-angle lens, and though the sluggish maximum aperture might turn off some shooters, those who overlook this supposed fault will be shooting one of the best lenses ever made.