Adapters

minicoop1985

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Question: I have an Olympus EVOLT E-450 and an OM-1n (50mm f1.8 and plan on a few more lenses). Is an OM-4/3 lens adapter (use OM lenses on 4/3 camera) worth it? Anybody have any experience with using old manual lenses on a DSLR, Olympus or otherwise? I've seen Canon/Nikon users do it before. I also know that due to the crop factor, the 50mm becomes 100mm. Thanks, everyone.
 
Thanks! I take it you've tried, looking at your signature, or at least you know something about Olympus stuff. Did you have to hold the DOF Preview button on any of the lenses? Or does the adapter trigger the aperture? There's some pretty good glass out there for the OM system, and it would be great to have stuff that works for everything. Given I've been using my OM-1n quite a bit lately, manual isn't an issue.
 
The adapter doesn't "do" anything aside from physically allowing you to mount an OM lens.

You set the aperture by turning the ring on the lens.

IIRC I was using the OM 50 f 1.4 lens in aperture mode ? (having a senior moment here :) )

Set the aperture with the lens ring and the camera (E-510) would automatically meter and set the shutter speed.

There are versions of adapters that have a focus confirmation chip > Olympus OM Lens TO Four Thirds 4 3 Lens Brass Adapter Dandelion Focus Confirm | eBay

With my eyesight I found the viewfinder on the E-510 problematic for manual focusing so I never got around to trying a chipped adapter.

I did own and use the Olympus adapter and a $25 knock off, they both worked. Obviously the Olympus one was better machined and had a smoother fit but...

Cheers, Don
 
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I guess I phrased my question poorly. When I turn the aperture ring on my Aires, the aperture opens/closes. When I turn it on my 50mm OM lens, it doesn't close at all and remains wide open until the shutter is pressed or the DOF Preview is pressed, but I think you actually answered my question anyway. If the aperture/DOF actually changes when you take a photo as opposed to remaining wide open, it must be working. If you take your lens off and play with the aperture ring while staring into the lens, you'll probably see what I mean. And I totally agree about the viewfinder. I'm 27 with better than 20/20 vision and I can't manually focus with a viewfinder on a DSLR. My OM-1n I can because of the little half circles. I'm so glad my E-450 has live view using the main sensor.

I had no idea a focus confirmation adapter existed... That, I may have to take a good, long look at...
 
That link has some great information in it. Thanks!

I don't know what's going to be around when I can upgrade. I don't plan on heavily investing in glass for this thing (maybe for my OM) because the next best thing is bound to be right around the corner and may not use any semblance of the 4/3 system. Then again, I may have this thing for an awful long time, so maybe I will invest in 4/3 glass after all. Time will tell, of course.
 
Update: I just snagged a Vivitar 35-105mm f3.2-4 "Macro Focusing Zoom" lens for OM cameras for all of $4 on eBay. Normally, I'd ask for opinions first, but it was $4. If I hate it, I'll probably stuff it on a shelf as decor and not regret buying it. If I DO like it with my OM-1, then it will make a great 70-210 (figuring for X2 crop factor with 4/3 sensor) lens on my E-450 too.
 
I have a single OM lens, a 28mm. When I put my Olympus OM lens to Canon EF adapter on the lens, the adapter depresses the stop-down mechanism on the back of the lens--thus rendering the external OM stop-down button INOPERABLE...the lens f/stop MUST be set only by the aperture ring...

This is not a big deal when using a mirrorless/EVF type camera, since the auto-gain feature allows working at stopped-down apertures with little real effect. I think this is what you are asking...so, no, one does not have to press-in the OM lens's stop-down button...the adapter causes the lens to stop down to whatever f/stop is set on the LENS's f/stop ring.
 
Ah, OK. That makes perfect sense. I do plan on finding an OEM Olympus adapter ring, but honestly, that's got to be how it works too. Supposedly, the camera can be used in Aperture Priority mode with an adapter that measures the position of the little blade that sticks out of the back of the lens denoting where the aperture ring is set, but the fact that the aperture must be controlled by the ring on the lens is most definitely true.
 

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