Bought for £25 in untested condition, this Olympus Six was to see if there was a better lightweight 120 folder than my trusty Kodak 66. The Olympus is far better looking, but how does it shoot?
Well, when it arrived it didn’t work, so that had to be overcome first! The shutter did fire (which is a positive), but only on 1/200th irrespective of what speed it was set to. Luckily these old shutters are easy to access to assess the issue. It turned out to be the time mechanism had dried up grease or build up of crud on it’s gears. After soaking in Isopropyl alcohol and working it though many times it started to move more freely.
Olympus Six
The Olympus Six was introduced in 1940, but this version, the Six V or Chrome Six V came out in 1955. It is a dual format 6×6 or 6×4.5 viewfinder camera for 120 film, with a lovely sleek top and quality Zuiko 7.5cm f3.5 lens. On paper it should be a superior camera to my Kodak 66, but only a roll of film will truly tell…
With Autumn in full swing (but not at it’s peak yet) the film of choice was expired Fuji NPH 400 that I have a stock of and know it still works well.
Olympus Six - Fuji NPH400
Really happy with this first frame, it is always a relief after fixing a camera that it all works properly! I have had mixed results from the Fuji NPH400 - not an issue with the film, just what conditions suit it, and these conditions really suit it. The colours are great.
The Zuiko lens is really good, and has captured really good detail. This first one from the Deer Park is the only shot from the roll that was hand held, as I planned to shoot on a tripod to get the best out of the camera to see what it could produce.
Olympus Six - Fuji NPH400
Again, I really like this shot, and my only criticism is I should have focused closer so the whole branch resting in the dry stream bed was in focus. The camera is quite impressive though for a 70 year old folder.
Olympus Six - Fuji NPH400
Definitely needed the tripod in the woods! The Leningrad 4 light meter was only just registering enough light to give a reading. This is one of the best from the roll I think - good focus, good sharpness, gorgeous colours and nailed the composition.
Olympus Six - Fuji NPH400
Shooting the Olympus Six was effortless - it is a simple camera with a nice sized viewfinder which is clear, shutter speeds top out at 1/200th which is fine if you have the right film loaded for the conditions, and the maximum f3.5 is irrelevant as I don’t shoot wide open very often anyway as I like most of the scene to be in focus.
All in all the Olympus is a great camera - it has the looks and the ability, but how does it compare to my trusty Kodak 66?
Positives for the Olympus are obviously it looks far nicer, and it has the ability to shoot 6×4.5 with the included frame mask, but there are some things it loses out on to the Kodak. The first thing is the way the front folds out - the Kodak flips out at the press of a button on the top and is ready for action so fast, whereas the Olympus has a quite fiddly catch on the front the requires you to turn the camera around and get your finger nail in to release. This may be a small thing, but in practice it does make a big difference.
The biggest disadvantage to the Olympus though is not a physical difference, but an emotional one! My Kodak 66 has been on so many trips with me, and been exposed to temperatures from -10 to +40 degrees, in rain, snow and desert dust and with the exception of one roll, has performed faultlessly and produced great images of my travels.
I will keep them both, but for foreign adventures in the future, it will still be the Kodak that is the first choice.