Olympus OM System Close-up and Macro Equipment

The Olympus OM system, which was introduced in 1972 and remained in production until 2003, included a range of lenses, lighting, stands and accessories for close-up and macrophotography that has never been equalled by any other manufacturer. This Web site aims to illustrate and document the system, and includes original photographs, descriptions of the equipment, and reproductions of the instruction leaflets and manuals,

Macrophoto Group
Lens Group
Flashphoto Group
Finder Group
Photomicro Group
Case Group

Olympus OM Macrophoto Group

Extension tubes and bellows

Copying and macro stands

Lighting

Close-up lenses

Close-up lenses

Olympus OM Lens Group

Macro lenses

Bellows macro lenses (manual)

Bellows macro lenses (automatic)

Olympus OM Flashphoto Group

Macro flash

Olympus OM Finder Group

Focusing screens and viewfinder accessories

Olympus OM Photomicro Group

Camera and eyepiece adapters

Photographic eyepieces

Microscopes

Olympus OM Case Group

Macrophoto/Medical Cases

Olympus M System Close-up and Macro Equipment

When the OM-1 camera was first introduced at Photokina in 1972, it was actually called the M-1. However, Leitz had been using the M1 designation for one of their rangefinder camera since 1959, and they asked Olympus to change the name. By the time that Olympus agreed, a small number of items had been produced and sold with the M SYSTEM logo instead of the common OM SYSTEM logo, and these are of interest to collectors. The name change took place in January–February 1973. The following relevant M SYSTEM items are known:

M-1 camera body
Zuiko Macro 38mm f/3.5 (only a box is known, and it contained an OM lens)
Extension Tubes (boxes only; the Tubes do not bear a logo)
Auto Bellows
Slide Copier
Roll Film Stage (box only; the Stage does not bear a logo)
Macrophoto Stand B Adapter

For more information, see The Olympus M-1 Information Page by Mark Dapoz and Wide Angle's Olympus Catalogue by Jaap Korten (select the Collection link).