Mount And Blade Claimants

I can dedicate the first mini-review of a camera to "small" at home: the amazing Olympus 35 RC. It 's amazing how the concept of economic compact was different in the 70s. The standard of quality, especially for what concerns the optical was much higher. And this tiny Japanese rangefinder falls in its own right among the best compact period.
optics which are not interchangeable, is an E. Zuiko 42mm f/2.8 that, in spite of Spartan appearances, reserves big surprises. The optical scheme is an elegant 5 elements in 4 groups that provides incredibly crisp images and contrast the virtual absence of distortion and vignetting. I quote the authoritative

Let's start looking. The machine is very portable 109x70x50mm for only 410 grams, a small record for the time, especially given the technical characteristics. fits comfortably into the pocket of a jacket, making it perfect as a machine that you always have with you. Solid and compact thanks to the metal body has an aesthetic overall very nice.

Ken Rockwell
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By using an advanced 5-deign element, and the perfect normal focal length, Olympus is Able to give the immortal 35RC incredible optical performance of Far Beyond That mere mortal cameras.

The shutter is very simple and quiet, allowing time to 1 / 500 to 1 / 15 in addition to posing B.
The machine is equipped with a precise meter cell with CDS located externally on the optics and, for this interesting and rare type of compact, works both in shutter priority and manual.

Use the RC 35 is very simple.

Entered the film and rotated the outer ring on the front of the lens to select the correct ISO (25 to 800) you can leave. To activate it, simply turn the small ring between the body and lens and switch "OFF" to "A". In this way you can begin shooting in shutter priority.

The viewfinder provides all the necessary information. Top

the time scale, selectable with the command at the top of the body.

Below the scale of the diaphragms, automatically selected in "A" or manually through the small ring on the optics.
On the left of this scale is the "red zone" which operates both in cases of overexposure than underexposure.
At its heart is the area dedicated to rangefinder for focusing. The rangefinder is not the level of a Leica but it is well made, well-contrasted and visible.

It 'important to note that the exposure in manual mode is deactivated. It may seem like a flaw, but that actually lets you take and always with battery. To activate the meter, as in most modern SLRs, just exercise slight pressure on the shutter button. A choice truly innovative for its time and very functional, so that nowadays it has become the standard.

We see some negative aspects:


batteries. How many machines of 40 years ago 35RC mounts the usual 1.3V mercury batteries, now outlawed for years and virtually impossible to find. There are two solutions: either to calibrate the eposimetro to use alkaline or use the 1.55V to 1.35V Zinc-Air found on the net about 9 euro each. Maintenance. On Ebay A very strange behavior of my car is that in "A" do not shoot at f/2.8. If I want to shoot wide open I have to switch to manual mode. I do not know if the other RC35 behave the same way.

the machine is easily between 30 and 50 €. My but needed some minor surgery: the calibration of the unit, the replacement of the seals and clean the battery compartment. All operations, including those who have little practice, you can do on their own without the intervention of a photorepair. Filters. Inexplicably, the thread of this machine is 43.5 mm. Is virtually impossible to find filters. But on ebay I found a rubber lens hood of this diameter ... sin then went to cover the unit on.

block for under / over EPlace. In "A", if there is too much or little light, the hand Aperture ends in "red zone" and locks the shutter button. It seems easy to understand, but this often creates confusion, as the red zone is located immediately to the left of the wider aperture and in case of overexposure seems a contradiction. maximum aperture.

Closest focusing. is not a real flaw, since the finder is the norm, but it is considered that the minimum distance of focus is 90cm.

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  Another interesting aspect is the integration with the flash. I've never experienced directly, but other features seem to be well made by Olympus. Here
• if chewed English, find many information about it.
  
On the front, above the brand is also a lever for the self-timer (between 9 and 10 sec.). Another feature
• "genius" of the machine is the AE lock. In practice, made the meter reading, if you continue to hold the shutter button halfway down, the couple time / aperture remains unchanged until the time of shooting. Simple and intuitive.
  
conclusion.
• The Olympus 35 RC is a gem can be yours for just €, I can only advise.
  The quality of optics, as mentioned above, it is amazing and the ability to have full control over exposure will satisfy even the most demanding photographers. Its strength is in my opinion, their small size, which makes it a machine "every day" with few compromises.
• My shots with the Olympus 35 RC:
  photostream
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