Lens mount
Olympus OM mount
Olympus OM is the compact 1972 bayonet with a 46.0mm register designed by Yoshihisa Maitani for the OM-1 system.
- Type
- bayonet
- Flange distance
- 46 mm
- Introduced
- 1972, Olympus M-1, renamed OM-1 in 1973
- Status
- Discontinued in 2002 with the OM-4Ti and OM-3Ti. Digital OM System cameras use Micro Four Thirds instead.
About the Olympus OM mount
The Olympus OM mount arrived in 1972 on the M-1, renamed OM-1 a year later after Leica objected to the name. It is a bayonet with a 46.0mm flange distance, one of the deeper registers among 35mm SLRs despite the famously small bodies. Yoshihisa Maitani's design moved the shutter-speed ring to the body around the lens mount and the aperture ring to the front of the lens, so an OM lens is operated from the front rather than the rear. Zuiko lenses are labelled by their optical construction letter: Auto-S for standard, Auto-W for wide, Auto-T for telephoto, and MC or the later plain Zuiko marking for multi-coated production.
Olympus made OM bodies until 2002 and lenses for a few years after, then adopted Four Thirds and later Micro Four Thirds for digital, so OM glass has no native digital body. That makes adapting the only route, and the 46.0mm register makes it an easy one: a plain ring reaches infinity on every mirrorless system. Silver-nose single-coated early lenses and later multi-coated versions share the mount, and collectors track serial numbers to separate them.
Aperture control
Automatic diaphragm with the aperture ring at the front of the lens, next to the filter thread. Many Zuiko lenses carry their own depth-of-field preview button.
Adapting it
Plain adapter ring. Turning the front aperture ring stops the lens down directly on an adapter.
Olympus OM lenses in the catalog
| Lens | Focal length | Aperture | Years | Used value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympus OM-System Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.4 | 50mm | f/1.4 | 1972-1980s | $70 to $280 |
| Olympus OM-System Zuiko Auto-S 55mm f/1.2 | 55mm | f/1.2 | 1972-1984 | $300 to $900 |
| Olympus OM-System Zuiko Auto-W 24mm f/2.8 | 24mm | f/2.8 | 1975-1980s | $90 to $300 |
Adapting Olympus OM to a modern body
Frequently asked
Can Olympus OM lenses be adapted to mirrorless cameras?
Yes. Olympus OM has a 46mm register, longer than any mirrorless mount, so a plain mechanical adapter reaches infinity on Sony E, Fuji X, MFT, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L-mount. Plain adapter ring. Turning the front aperture ring stops the lens down directly on an adapter.
What is the flange distance of the Olympus OM mount?
The Olympus OM flange distance is 46mm. It is a bayonet introduced in 1972 on the Olympus M-1, renamed OM-1 in 1973. Discontinued in 2002 with the OM-4Ti and OM-3Ti. Digital OM System cameras use Micro Four Thirds instead.
How much do Olympus OM lenses cost used?
The 3 Olympus OM lenses in the LensVault catalog range from $70 to $900 used. The least expensive is the Olympus OM-System Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.4 at a typical $130. Values are estimates from recent sold listings and dealer pricing, not appraisals.