First impression: Olympus 35RC

Posted on by mack505

It’s been an interesting month. I’ve been shooting a lot of film, and I indulged in a bit of Gear Acquisition Syndrome on eBay. One of my new toys is an Olympus 35RC.

The 35RC is a pocket 35mm rangefinder manufactured in the 1970s. There is a detailed review here.

First impressions are of a nicely sized, nicely weighted camera. The aperture control ring is a bit small and difficult to handle, but the automatic mode makes it unnecessary to adjust it often. I had my doubts about the accuracy of the meter because of a non-standard replacement battery. It seemed to be overexposing in the house.

After a quick dusting, I loaded a test roll of 200ASA and headed out.

The meter seemed to behave outdoors, shooting close to sunny 16. The wind is smooth and quiet. The lack of a mirror makes the shutter release with a gentle click and no vibration. As this is my first rangefinder, focusing took a bit of experimentation. Beth and I shot most of a roll along the Topsfield Linear Common.

If the shots come out well, this one should figure high on my regular carry list. I’ll post a few once they are developed.

UPDATE: Highlights of the first roll are here.

 

Published by mack505

3 thoughts on “First impression: Olympus 35RC”

  1. I pulled out my ’70s vintage Pentax K1000 the other day, but was too cheap/chicken to go buy some film for it. After reading this, I may just have to go and  get a roll or two. Please let us know how your shots came out – for better or worse.

    Thanks for the post.

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    1. Thanks, Capt. This is only the tip of the iceberg. I’m having a ball with antique film stuff.

      Film is cheap & you’re a good photographer. Go for it! (I have a good reference for a mail order lab if you need one. )

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