Olympus 35 rd

Olympus 35 RD. Compact, full featured Rangefinder. It competes with the Leica CL, at far less cost.

It came back right before Thanksgiving. Turns out I like this camera a lot! The 35 RD was part of a more elite group of compact rangefinders like the Minolta Hi-Matic 7sii that have semi-auto exposure plus full manual override. Having the ability to control exposure exactly how I want it is a big plus. Of course, I rarely do that with this camera.

Olympus 35 rd

It was when Olympus made the call to launch their final Hail Mary in the competitive 40mm fixed-lens rangefinder game. Olympus engineers aimed to better the already well-received Olympus 35 SP and replace it with the RD short for Rangefinder Deluxe in hopes of making their last professional rangefinder one for the ages. Alas, Olympus came up a few yards short. The result is that the RD is something of a rarity these days. Even if its contemporary competition presents a better over-all package, in many ways the 35 RD remains the premier Olympus rangefinder. Chief among them is the 6-element F. Zuiko 40mm f1. When shooting in bright daylight, a hood is necessary to reduce these optical aberrations. Fortunately, the 49mm lens thread is common and finding a cheap hood on eBay should prove quite simple. Though it may seem tiny at first glance, in use the viewfinder is surprisingly bright and free of distraction. The 40mm frame-lines are vibrant and are given ample padding due to the 0. Parallax correction is handled via supplemental frame-line indicators, which is a bit of a disappointment compared to the true parallax corrected finder of the Canonet QL17 , and with a close focus minimum of 2. Like other popular players in the space, the Olympus 35 RD sports a common CDS metering cell on the front of the lens, making it convenient for filter use; a feature refinement from the filter-unfriendly placement on the SP. This meter is capable of an exposure index of 25 — ASA and was designed to be powered by the now frowned upon 1.

The result is that the RD is something of a rarity these days.

What makes this important to me was the claim it sported a 41 megapixel camera. Should be interesting to see just what the image quality will be. Being the contrarian that I am, I have decided to do an in depth review of a 64 megapixel pocketable point and shoot camera, sans phone. To get 64 megapixels requires one further step, you must scan the 35mm film it uses. I found this little beauty in an antique store here in Calgary. It was just sitting there looking very lonely and forlorn so I just had to buy it and take it home. Yes my parents had problems with me bringing home puppies and kittens too.

Olympus 35 RD. Compact, full featured Rangefinder. It competes with the Leica CL, at far less cost. These 70's cameras were comparatively modestly priced and not well sealed against dirt. After 30 years, the finders usually fog or haze up. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. Do not use one of these on a regular basis without making sure the finder is as clean as it gets. I had it cleaned anyway when I was doing a shutter lubrication. What's that you ask? A great way to get accurate flash shots.

Olympus 35 rd

It was when Olympus made the call to launch their final Hail Mary in the competitive 40mm fixed-lens rangefinder game. Olympus engineers aimed to better the already well-received Olympus 35 SP and replace it with the RD short for Rangefinder Deluxe in hopes of making their last professional rangefinder one for the ages. Alas, Olympus came up a few yards short. The result is that the RD is something of a rarity these days. Even if its contemporary competition presents a better over-all package, in many ways the 35 RD remains the premier Olympus rangefinder. Chief among them is the 6-element F. Zuiko 40mm f1. When shooting in bright daylight, a hood is necessary to reduce these optical aberrations. Fortunately, the 49mm lens thread is common and finding a cheap hood on eBay should prove quite simple.

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So shutter priority it is. Even if its contemporary competition presents a better over-all package, in many ways the 35 RD remains the premier Olympus rangefinder. A few shots seemed fogged, most likely due to condensation on the outer lens filter. It was possible, but worked better if I took my glasses off. Already have a WordPress. It may be slightly feathered on the edges, but it also brings a lot of contrast and makes focusing a delight. When shooting in bright daylight, a hood is necessary to reduce these optical aberrations. After it, this style of camera was phased out, replaced by the XA series, and then autofocus cameras. However I like the ability to use fast lenses for their wide open shallow depth of field look. Appreciate the comment. Or find a changeable-lens rangefinder like a Leica, if you want to plunk down that kind of change. Thanks for the tip!

The Olympus 35 RD was the last 'classic' fully manual mechanical shutter fixed-lens rangefinder to be introduced by Olympus. It can be used in shutter priority autoexposure mode or manual mode which does not function with the built-in meter.

Like other popular players in the space, the Olympus 35 RD sports a common CDS metering cell on the front of the lens, making it convenient for filter use; a feature refinement from the filter-unfriendly placement on the SP. On the downside I found it hard to focus with my glasses on. For photos from my Olympus 35 RD, see the dynamic flickr album below. Olympus 35 RD. Comment Reblog Subscribe Subscribed. Blog at WordPress. Reset Password. It is my opinion that if Zeiss had made the S a rangefinder history would have been somewhat different. After 30 years, the finders usually fog or haze up. This is a big deal for me. It was possible, but worked better if I took my glasses off. One of the side-benefits of getting back into film photography is that someone may gift you a camera. Stephan February 15, at pm. A few shots seemed fogged, most likely due to condensation on the outer lens filter. On the main aperture rotating ring there is a green thunderbolt.