Olympus M-1
Introduced at Photokina in Cologne Germany in 1972 the M-1 was the first in what we now refer to as the Olympus full frame OM line. As a transition model the Olympus FTL was their first full frame SLR, but it was just that and it has been thought that it was outsourced rather than built in the Olympus factories. Thirteen years earlier, the release of the Nikon F had made the 35 mm SLR the standard choice for professionals accustomed to Leica and other rangefinders, but it had driven the market towards heavy and bulky cameras. The Olympus M-1 changed this and with it began a reduction of size, weight and noise of the 35 mm SLRs. It was designed by a team led by Yoshihisa Maitani, who had already created the Pen and Pen F cameras, noted for their compactness.
Since Leica's flagship rangefinder cameras are known as the M Series, Leica complained about the name of the M-1, forcing Olympus to rename it as the OM-1 to further clarify between the brands. Because of this, today bodies and lenses with the original M name are rare (5000 bodies were made according to Olympus) and sought after by collectors.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_OM-1
Subject: Olympus M-1 with silver nose 50mm Zuiko 1.8
Image by: Leslie Lazenby
Olympus M-1
Introduced at Photokina in Cologne Germany in 1972 the M-1 was the first in what we now refer to as the Olympus full frame OM line. As a transition model the Olympus FTL was their first full frame SLR, but it was just that and it has been thought that it was outsourced rather than built in the Olympus factories. Thirteen years earlier, the release of the Nikon F had made the 35 mm SLR the standard choice for professionals accustomed to Leica and other rangefinders, but it had driven the market towards heavy and bulky cameras. The Olympus M-1 changed this and with it began a reduction of size, weight and noise of the 35 mm SLRs. It was designed by a team led by Yoshihisa Maitani, who had already created the Pen and Pen F cameras, noted for their compactness.
Since Leica's flagship rangefinder cameras are known as the M Series, Leica complained about the name of the M-1, forcing Olympus to rename it as the OM-1 to further clarify between the brands. Because of this, today bodies and lenses with the original M name are rare (5000 bodies were made according to Olympus) and sought after by collectors.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_OM-1
Subject: Olympus M-1 with silver nose 50mm Zuiko 1.8
Image by: Leslie Lazenby