How well do you actually know Maitani’s masterpieces?
Think you know the OM System?
Prove it.
Score 16+ and you earn an honorary place in the Hall of OM.
Score below 10 and you must load a roll of expired Jessops 200 as penance.
Make a note of your answers as you go – no cheating, no Googling, and definitely no pretending you “meant to pick that one.”
Let’s begin.
1. Which Olympus camera was originally named the “M-1” before Leica complained?
A. OM-1
B. OM-10
C. Pen F
D. Trip 35
2. The Olympus Trip 35 famously requires:
A. AAA batteries
B. A sacrificial goat
C. Exactly zero batteries
D. Solar alignment on the solstice
3. Maitani’s design philosophy for the OM-1 was:
A. “Make it digital before digital exists.”
B. “Small, quiet, simple.”
C. “Bigger is better.”
D. “We’ll add a selfie screen later.”
4. Which camera introduced Olympus’s famous multi-spot metering?
5. The XA’s rangefinder window is roughly the size of:
A. A postage stamp
B. A postage stamp that shrank
C. A grain of rice
D. A mouse’s contact lens
6. What shutter sound is the OM-1 famous for?
A. A loud clunk
B. A metallic ping
C. A quiet, elegant snick
D. A small internal scream
7. The Olympus Pen series is half-frame, meaning:
A. It shoots half the ISO
B. It shoots half the picture
C. You get twice the shots
D. You must be ambidextrous
8. Which OM body can operate fully without batteries?
A. OM-1
B. OM-4Ti
C. OM-2n
D. None of them
9. The Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 was often called:
A. “The Nifty Fifty”
B. “The Pancake”
C. “The Silver Nose” (early version)
D. “The Lens of Destiny”
10. The Olympus OM-10 originally lacked one thing:
A. A viewfinder
B. A shutter
C. A manual mode
D. A will to live
11. Which camera is most likely to fire its shutter if you look at it funny?
A. OM-2n
B. OM-30
C. OM-40
D. XA2
12. The Trip 35 chooses exposure using what?
A. A CdS meter
B. Your aura
C. A selenium cell
D. Witchcraft
13. The OM-3 is:
A. The world’s first autofocus OM
B. Fully mechanical
C. A myth invented by collectors
D. A type of yoghurt
14. Which camera has the sliding clamshell cover?
A. OM-2
B. XA
C. Trip 35
D. OM-40 Program
15. Which feature made the OM system famous among professionals?
A. The gold trim
B. Tiny size for an SLR
C. It came with free film
D. It could turn into a drone
16. The OM-4Ti improved the OM-4 by:
A. Adding Bluetooth
B. Titanium top and bottom plates
C. Making it twice the size
D. Letting you call your mum
17. Which of these Zuiko lenses is known as a “sleeper” legend?
A. 50mm f/3.5 Macro
B. 40mm f/2
C. 200mm f/5.6
D. 38mm f/8 Experimental Biscuit Lens (not real… yet)
18. The Trip 35’s red flag appears when:
A. You’re lying
B. The light is too low
C. You haven’t eaten breakfast
D. The camera senses fear
19. Which OM camera was marketed heavily to beginners?
A. OM-1
B. OM-10
C. OM-3Ti
D. OM-666 (discontinued for obvious reasons)
20. Maitani designed cameras with what core idea in mind?
A. Machines should disappear so photography can happen
B. Add as many buttons as possible
C. A camera should weigh at least a brick
D. Everything should be orange
Answers
1-A, 2-C, 3-B, 4-D, 5-B, 6-C, 7-C, 8-A, 9-C, 10-C,
11-B, 12-C, 13-B, 14-B, 15-B, 16-B, 17-B, 18-B, 19-B, 20-A.
Scoring
18–20 correct – OM Grandmaster
You may correct strangers’ exposure decisions in the street.
You probably already own an OM-3Ti.
14–17 correct – Zuiko Scholar
Solid knowledge.
You can identify a silver nose from across a pub.
10–13 correct – Trip 35 Enjoyer
You know enough to be dangerous, but not enough to lecture.
Good balance.
6–9 correct – XA2 Casual
Fun, friendly, occasionally confused.
We like your energy.
0–5 correct – Please load a roll of film immediately
You need healing.
Start with the OM-1.
Conclusion
However you scored, the point was never perfection.
Olympus cameras were designed to be learned slowly, handled often, and trusted in the field — not memorised like exam material. Maitani believed a camera should disappear once it’s in your hands, leaving only the act of seeing.
If this quiz sent you down a rabbit hole, good. That curiosity is the OM system in a nutshell.
Load a roll.
Go outside.
Listen to the shutter.
The cameras will forgive you.
They always do.