Olympus OM-1 Film Camera

My uncle gave me his Olympus OM-1 from 1973. The first thing I noticed was how small and light it was compared to every other film SLR I've held. Yoshihisa Maitani designed it specifically to be a compact camera that professionals would carry all day without fatigue. The viewfinder is bright. The focus screen shows a split-image circle in the center that snaps into alignment when the subject is sharp. The tactile focusing experience is why I keep shooting film even though my phone takes better photos in almost every measurable way. The mechanical shutter doesn't need a battery to fire. As long as the springs and gears hold up, the camera works. After 50 years, mine still sounds crisp at every speed. The body is all metal with a black enamel finish worn to silver on the edges where my uncle's hands gripped it for decades. Those wear marks feel like a record of every photograph he took. The camera forces me to slow down. I get 36 exposures per roll and each one costs about $0.50 when you factor in film and developing. The cost per frame makes me think before I press the shutter unlike digital does.