Olympus OM4ti Reviews

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Olympus OM4ti
★★★★★
4.8
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Latest Reviews

“I owned one, an OM4 way back and loved it. It rang all...”

★★★★★

written by Hudson Hawk on 22/07/2010

I owned one, an OM4 way back and loved it. It rang all the bells and pulled all the right whistles. I was out on one awful stormy day taking shots on the moors and dropped on a large rock and it bounced into a muddy puddle as I was getting back into the car...totally messed it up, smashed the viewfinder etc. :-( I got a quote for a fix, had it repaired but then got sucked into the autofocus thing and traded for a Canon EOS. Yes i loved that camera also but.... I missed the compact design of the OM and its simple beauty. The functions were easy to use and the lenses magnificent... I progressed through many cameras all auto focus and now all digital and almost all Canon. Then I realised I wasn't spending so much time on set up therefore less self satifaction even if the results were good.
We all love new technology and what the future will bring but and this is a big but! some of us liked things just the way they were. I believe some of us prefer 'photography' as it was. I am not saying there is no skill in digital, but I defy anyone to tell me the results are as good as film in many respects.
Some of the fun has gone out of photography. Anyone can pick up a camera these days and point and shoot and get lucky.
Anyway I digress...
I now have an OM4ti and love it to bits! Still got all my other cameras but the OM is treasured above all others.
A real crime that Olympus didn't carry on what they were good at instead of trying to be clever with those awful autofocus products they produced

Strengths:
Compact, Lovely design, simple and excellent handling, awsome metering functions

Weaknesses:
an off switch, however if switch to bulb... that helps. no mirror lock unless on timer

Similar Products Used:
Pentax ME Super
Canon F1n
Canon EOS 40D

Customer Service:
Never used it.

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Guest's Response to Hudson Hawk's Review

Written on: 05/07/2011

Very helpful to one of the old B+W boys pulled towards Digital colour but still in love with BW film and needing a lighter camera than my cuurent Rolleiflex SL35E's. Thanks

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“Olympus OM4ti is an xcellent camera. Never had a...”

★★★★★

written by RayC on 31/05/2009

Olympus OM4ti is an xcellent camera. Never had a problem with mine and with all the features available it is a truely fabulous camera. It is solid and yet easy to handle. Feels rugged in every respect but have a great look.

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“olympus om4ti is easy to use, light weight, ...”

★★★★★

written by rjallen on 07/05/2009

olympus om4ti is easy to use, light weight, ergonomics, controls are positioned perfectly, sharp optics. however it is pricey, bad battery drain, obselete batteries

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“The Olympus OM4ti is one of the best SLR camera ever.”

★★★★★

written by geotrupede on 30/04/2009

The Olympus OM4ti is one of the best SLR camera ever.
Why? A precise, simple and reliable multi-exposure metering system that is still unmatched in the digital age. Nikon / Canon are absolutely trashed away.

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“The Olympus OM-4ti is the pinnacle of 35mm manual...”

★★★★★

written by Calum33 on 25/08/2008

The Olympus OM-4ti is the pinnacle of 35mm manual focus film SLR design. I have owned several OM cameras and have used many other 35mm SLRs. The OM-4ti simply has the best handling and the best metering system of them all. The camera is small and light for a professional model but is also very robust and is weather sealed allowing occasional use in the rain. Its Titanium body is much more durable than traditional brass construction. The only downside of this is that the paint doesn't seem to stick too well to the Titanium and tends to flake off. Despite its small size the camera handles beautifully and the traditional OM shutterspeed ring around the lens throat is very natural in use. Why have no othher manufacturers other than Nikon with the Nikkormats latched on to this handling nicety?

The metering system offers centreweighted, single and multi-spot options. This combined with simple to use one touch highlight and shadow compensation is impressive. The metering is thus very flexible and combined with the foolproof LCD bar graph display in the viewfinder means it is quick to use even the multi-spot option.

In use the viewfinder image is large and bright. The shutterspeeds from 4 minutes to 1/2000th of a second are more than adequate for all but sports photography and the shutter and mirror mechanism are quiet. All the controls work with precision apart from the film wind on lever which doesn't have the extremely smooth action of every othe OM model I have tried.

These cameras now sell from about £300.00 upwards and a near mint one shouldn't cost more than about £500.00 for a body. Considering the camera cost around £1500.00 new many years ago this is now a bargain in my opinion. There is a large selection of used lenses on the market and if you stay away from the exotic specification ones they are good value and tend not to have been used hard as OMs tended not to be used by press or sports photographers. For an OM system user or someone wanting to try out film photography I would definitely recommend one.

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“ My dad loved this camera, but (due to financial...”

★★★★★

written by on 19/02/2008

My dad loved this camera, but (due to financial difficulties) sold it in order to help pay for me to go to university! I am trying to track one down to give back to him for his 50th birthday which is coming up soon. I live near London........ can anyone suggest anywhere i could get hold of one in decent enough condition??

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04042008's Comment

Written on: 04/04/2008

I have one you can buy.

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“I own many Nikon Cameras and I love them but the first...”

★★★★★

written by captainburke on 18/04/2004

I own many Nikon Cameras and I love them but the first camera I ever owned was a Olympus OM4ti I sold it and all the rest of my Olympus gear when I was hard up and had no choice I will always regret it. The only reason I now have Nikon cameras instaed of Olympus is because unfortunately Olympus sold out and decided to go down a different route than professional photography. I can honestly say that the OM4 was truely a superb camera and I would recommend it to anyone.

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“I was surprised to see the Olympus OM4ti here as it's...”

★★☆☆☆

written by Burke Stores. on 17/06/2003

I was surprised to see the Olympus OM4ti here as it's been discontinued for some time by Olympus. If you have the camera already, it's a great collectible, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to a new buyer as a user camera. For one thing, it's expensive, even used, and the camera is no longer in production, so getting it repaired or accessorized could be a problem. Zuiko lenses, while very good as new purchases, are relatively small in number, now well-used, and don't take kindly to rough use, so you could be waiting a long time to find extras. Then too, the lens line was largely limited to wide angle and standard lenses and has a distinct lack of good, fast telephoto and zoom options. When you add up what you'd spend on a complete rig, you could get a modern pro 35mm setup with much more to offer and much better flash results. The Olympus 4ti SLR is really more of a collector camera.

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John Orrell's Response to 108019_Burke Stores.'s Review

Written on: 02/10/2003

I don't think you do this camera justice. The fact that it's no longer made is irrelevant. And new lenses were made upto February this year. The OM4Ti was only discontinued last year
<br>
<br>Some of the best and most legendary cameras ever made are no longer in production, such as Spotmatic and Nikon F, and haven't been for my entire lifetime. It doesn't make them any worse cameras.
<br>
<br>You do well to point out that you can get a whole heap of modern autofocus gear for the same price as a relatavely-simple OM kit. It's a valid point worth noting, because if you're after an autofocus/multiprogram/does-everything-but-make-the-tea camera, then this camera is NOT for you. Neither is a Leica M, Nikon FM or much medium-format gear. Your money is better spent elsewhere.
<br>
<br>But, I still maintain that if you want a light, compact SLR with all the IMPORTANT features on it, which will keep its value and last you a lifetime, then there's not much comes close. Except maybe other OM cameras.

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Tony Hill's Response to 108019_Burke Stores.'s Review

Written on: 14/11/2004

How can you say Olympus did not make fast Tele lenses, just take a look at the Zuiko 250mm F2- Zuiko 180mm F2- Zuiko 350mm F2.8. Still fast even now.

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Captainburke's Response to 108019_Burke Stores.'s Review

Written on: 18/04/2004

My first camera was an OM 4 not a Ti and I loved it to death when I was very short of money one day I had to sel it I still cry now. I am now a litttle better off and am a proffesional photographer and own many nikon cameras. I will never forget my OM4 it was certainly as good as a Nikon. The proof is in the puding as they say. I would recommend the OM4 or OM4 Ti to any one who has an interest in photography. The only difference between Nikon and Olympus is that Nikon hasnt sold out yet.

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Bonesmalone's Response to 108019_Burke Stores.'s Review

Written on: 11/04/2004

To say the Zuiko lenses don't respond well to rough use is doing them a very great injustice. Please just take a second to compare them to pretty much any other consumer SLR lens currently being made by any of the top manufacturers. They contain as much plastic as is possible to cram in to the construction, the latest Canon EF offerings barely have any metal on them at all. If they could make the optics out of cheese then they'd do it rather than make a long-lasting reliable lens. Now look at the general quality of Zuiko lenses and how well they've lasted and take a large bite of humble pie.
<br>
<br>Tom

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145110_Randall's Response to 108019_Burke Stores.'s Review

Written on: 27/02/2004

Agreed, this camera is a collectible. Diehards may well argue otherwise, but the fact that Olympus no longer makes film SLR gear IS relevant when it comes to obtaining parts and new lens offerings. Nikon still offers manual focus and autofocus lenses for its new and old cameras, so that comparison is apples and oranges.

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“I have had many cameras over the years and my OM4-Ti...”

★★★★★

written by howesey. on 18/12/2002

I have had many cameras over the years and my OM4-Ti is still one of the best manual SLRs I have come across. Its metering system is bar-none the most accurate and possibly the best you can get. Olympus have great accesories to go with their OM range as well. Hats down, it's a great camera!

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“Possibly one of the best manual-focus SLRs any money...”

★★★★★

written by John Orrell. on 01/09/2001

Possibly one of the best manual-focus SLRs any money can buy, the Olympus OM4Ti offers a performance, durability and build that puts to shame modern plastic SLR wonders.

Its multi-spot metering system has never been bettered by anyone. Its titanium housing makes the camera very light and robust. In terms of durability, it will probably out-live silver-halide film, just as used OM1s out-lived the mercury batteries their meters needed. Such is the quality of products from this company...

But the flies in the ointment are that it is ridiculously overpriced as a new product (at least here in the UK), some of its features are now dated (ok we can live with 1/2000 maximum shutter speed but 1/60 flash-sync is surely someone's idea of a joke) and Olympus itself appears to have all but abandoned OM support.

Would I recommend it to a complete stranger? No. I don't know what a stranger's priorities would be. I would recommend one of the auto-wonders from Nikon/Canon/Pentax/Minolta instead, because with these more up-to-date SLR cameras a good photo is but a click away. With the OM4Ti, you have work at it a bit. It's a thinking man's electro-mechanical masterpiece, for photos that don't have to be rushed.

Having said that, I will never swap it and it will probably be the last silver-halide camera I will ever buy.

Now, if only Olympus would pull a digital back out of the hat with a 24mm x 36mm CCD; wow that would be something...

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Kraut.'s Response to John Orrell.'s Review

Written on: 28/10/2001

I have to disagree.The F 280 is not the only flash as far as I recall there is an CT32 from Olympus?.When I bought my OM 4 ,I did not want to spend a lot for a flash if i did'n t have to.I bought the Metz 32CT4 it is identical to the CT32 from Olympus the specs as well as the way it looks.The metz 32ct4 just does not have the little round interconect but one can get a vast amount of shoes to make this flash work like any OEM flash with any brand of camera.It Has the same feature as the CT32 form Olympus it even comes with the bounce grip witch aslo can take 4 DD bateries.Speaking of 1/60 flash sync,Using a flash like the CT32 form Olympus or Metz,The camer will keep the shutter open for 1/60 but the camer will turn the flash off when it reads enough light.Conclusion olumpus contolls the flash speed making it unneccesary to have a different flash sync.Thus I never run into a situation where 1/60 flash sync was a problem.I do agree that the camera is expensive as an OM4ti when I bought mine the OM4ti was 1600.00 Deutsch mark (800.00 Pounds)yet I bought the OM4 Black witch is unfortunally discontinued for a long time for 1200.00 Deutsch mark(600.00 pounds).I do not want to be ignorend In what situation would you need a different flash sync (using the right flash)and at what speed ? Cheaper rivals ? considering 1)The feature 2)the acessories I do not think that there is a real rival.Look deeper into the accesories there is a vast amount of it of course not sold at a camera retailer.since this camera is also used for Medical and geologie there is for examlpe a fiber optic witch gets used instead of a lense,it is used for inserting into small pinholes or openings to take picture of a persons insides or to take picture inside of caves or egyptian grave sites witout braking it open.But there is more than just that.On the other hand you not also pay for the features of acamera, you also pay the the workmanship,Development and support.It's like saying a VW is a cheaper rival of a Rolls Royce well both are Cars right?

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5325_Kraut.'s Response to John Orrell.'s Review

Written on: 30/10/2001

Actually I have no choice then to agree with you.I wrote my own review and responded to your's from what I knew. after I responded I actually went to the olympus web in USA and in Germany to see what's new. Well what is new more then half the products are not offered anymore. As mentioned in my review I actually bought my OM4 in 1985 in Germany, at the same time I bought everything I wanted with it 16mm fisheye from sigma,80-200 F4.0,28mm,and 500mm from Tokina,Lens reversing adapter,Recorddata Back,winder 2, the Metz 32ct4 as well as several screens.Once I imegrated to Canada in 1990 I hardly found any Olypus SLR accesories from Olumpus and even less 3rd Party.I thought it isn't as popular here,This may have been the beginning of the end already.The last thing I bought was another screen and only because it was a sell off.I'm disappointed about the lack of support form olympus today after viewing the sites.I also searched for the camera and had to learn that the body gets sold today for 2400.00 deutsch mark (1200.00 pounds)I almost fall of my chair considering I paid half of that.I actually have to contact olympus because my recorddata is getting to the end of it's Date (till 2002)I want to see what are they going to do.Well it did not outlast film yet but outlasted my data back :).anyways I see your point now about different flash sync times. I guess I did not yet encounter the situation it may have to do with the fact that by using nothing higher than asa 64 I have the problem of posible under exposer,I tried higher up to asa1600 and did not like it.As I said my comments and review had been based on what I learned between 1985 and 1989 My opinion about the camera is the same but my opinion about Olympus after visiting the sites has changed.Will see what they say once I e-mail them about my data back,I'm going to do this Today.

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5320_John Orrell.'s Response to John Orrell.'s Review

Written on: 29/10/2001

Kraut: Thank you for your response. Firstly, I didn't say the F280 is the only flash unit that will work on the OM4Ti, I said that to my knowledge it was the only one that enabled you to synchronize at speeds higher that 1/60th second. I too own a T32 flash (I think that's what you call a CT32) and in truth it is probably a much better flash-unit than the F280. But, among other things, a fast flash-sync is needed for 'fill-in' flash on sunny days where the shutter cannot be slowed down to 1/60th second without causing overexposure but where you still need the flash to fill in any shadows to avoid silhouettes. This can only be done with an F280. Most cheaper cameras (such as the Nikon FM2) can sync at upto 1/250th second without the need for specialized flash units. Okay, at the time the OM4Ti was launched is was the first camera that, using the F280, could sync at any shutter-speed, but other manufacturers' technologies have moved on while Olympus have chosen to rest on their laurels and get left behind in this area. I agree that there are a good, quality accessories to be had for the camera, and I also agree that, on quality terms alone, it is certainly on par with rivals' offerings. Don't forget, I gave the camera a 10/10 overall marking: I really do like it very much! It cannot be ignored, however, that Olympus has virtually abandoned OM support, except for pro-grade lenses and the specialist products you describe, with no obvious developments on the horizon, and when a manufacturer gives up on its own products it's usually a sign that the camera's days are numbered. That generally signals the end for third-party support, and then even the most loyal of owners tend to move on to rival technologies. In terms of workmanship, I too think this camera cannot be bettered. Like I said in my review at www.camerareview.com, buy this camera and you will have bought a camera that will probably outlive the availability of film. However, its few weaknesses such as the slow flash-sync and virtually non-existent development and support from Olympus mar an otherwise perfect score. I hope that explains my markings.

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“I Bought my Olympus Om 4 in 1986 in Germany, This...”

★★★★★

written by Kraut. on 19/08/2001

I Bought my Olympus Om 4 in 1986 in Germany, This camera allowed me to take professional pictures. The main feature is that it can have a long term exposer from up to four minutes, that allowed me to take pics of the niagara falls at night I just placed the camera and clicked each picture took aprox. 3 minutes to take with an asa 64 slide film the outcome was perfect. It has all the features i want. The spot metering came in handy several times too when I took Pics on the Mountains with my 16 mm fisheye. the feature that I can change the screens is also somthing I make a use of to make focusing easier.
This is not a camera for the person who only takes the odd family picture and is not sure if it is or not focused. this camera is for people who still like to have some influence on the outcome of the pictures because no automatic camera knows what to do in every situation and I do not need autofocus nor do i want to be limited by a small choice of lenses. in 16 years it broke once due to the mist in the air at the niagara falls. I'm still happy with it and I would never sell or replace it with something other then an OM 4TI.

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Odessey's Response to 3565_Kraut.'s Review

Written on: 19/11/2003

i also own an original om4 since 1984 , time after time it given excellent pictures. This camera lets you 'paint' with light as photography should be. The metering system is the best giving you full control over quality. I havn't found any other camera to match it yet! This is not a automatic gimick computer camera but a pure working machine made in solid metal.

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“The OM4ti is an pro quality camera. Shamefully...”

★★★★★

written by William. on 18/05/2000

The OM4ti is an pro quality camera. Shamefully overlooked because it has no auto anything except an aperture priority. The Zuiko lenses are amongst the best on the market especially the macro lenses. If you do close up or product photography you cannot choose better. It is lightweight and rugged-ideal for harsh environments such as mountaineering. The OM4 offers full flash sync with the F280 flash gun-the first camera to do this. All zuiko lenses have depth of field preview. All in all this is an excellent camera with an extensive system to back it up.

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