Olympus M-1

Olympus M-1.

To most people, it's just an OM1. Yet weirdly I am addicted to this particular version.

If you have read my previous post, M-SYSTEM items were manufactured prior to the release of the OM1. The story was that Leica sued Olympus or Leica asked Olympus to add an O to their cameras and items. Anyways, that was history.

I remember I first heard about the M-1 some years ago. At that time, I always tried to look for one but they were not that readily available. On sites like eBay there weren't any of these for sale.

Then a few years ago, one usual window shopping day around the camera stores, I spotted this...

Without any hesitation, I bought it. Though you might notice that the black paint around the ON OFF switch was gone, that's an M-1!

So I headed home happily and tried to use the camera and found that the meter was faulty but it's still an M-1!

I kept the camera for a while and then I revisited the store and I spotted another set! How strange! Either they didn't show up at all or they kept popping up. So I returned mine, pay the outstanding amount and got another one with functioning meter. This time, it had a dent on the corner.

So my first encounter with the M-1 wasn't really that successful.

Externally, there's not much difference between the M-1 and the OM1.

Then I kept this first M-1for some time and tried to find out more about this beautiful SLR.

For the next few years and till now, my addiction to the M-1 has really worsened a lot.

After reading Mark Dapoz M-1 site, I became more and more interested in the M-SYSTEM gears.

I gradually got more and more M-1.

The actual production number of the M-1 is uncertain, I contacted Olympus Japan and see if they could answer my question but they said they don't have any documentations on that. Some say it's 5000units or 52000units.

So how do you check if it's an M-1?

There are several ways.

A. Externally

1. It should take no motor drive, so on the bottom cover there should only be the battery cover while on the OM1 there are two covers.

2. Back cover should have a smaller film pressure plate

The top one is an original M-1 back cover while the bottom is from an OM1, you can see the smaller film pressure plate. According to other websites, if you remove the plate, you can check the production date of the camera.

3. There are four screws around the film curtain on an M-1 while there are only two on an OM1. (To be confirmed)

4. There's a screw on the side of the mirror box on an M-1 while there's no such screw on an OM-1. (Needs more samples to confirm) Also you can see the slot screws on the mount of the M-1(A commonly used technique to check if it's a genuine M-1) and the cross point screws on the OM1.

5. Slot screw instead of cross point screw on rewind knob lever. This can be a good check if it hasn't been changed.

6. Rewind knob

This is probably a great way to check if an M-1 is a real deal.

It is because Olympus has strangely made some M-1 with dot rewind knob but some with line rewind knob.

So far, most of the M-1 I have seen have dot style rewind knob. I managed to get one with line rewind knob but I have repainted it. I am going to get another one (It's on the way actually XDD).

To me, it's probably the best way to prove it's a real M-1 because I don't see red line rewind knobs on OM1. (Needs more samples to check though)

7. The light meter pulley (That's how I call it). Top is M-1 and bottom is my OM1.

You can see that pulley in both photos.

However, in this borrowed photo, you cannot see the pulley. Instead, it's covered up.

So I have done some research on that. Now this is important.

In very early OM1 bodies, they actually have the same pulley as seen on M-1 bodies.

B. Internally

1. With that pulley thing, we can move on to internal differences. If you dare to open up the top cover, you can actually swap an M-1 top plate onto an early OM1 body because they share the same switch mechanism. (If it's the early OM1 only and you have to be lucky.)

Top M-1 and bottom OM1