CameraWorth.com

Olympus OM-1

The Olympus OM-1 is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera introduced in 1972, designed under Yoshihisa Maitani as the debut body of the Olympus OM system. It was positioned as a notably compact and lightweight full-frame SLR at a time when professional bodies from rival makers were larger and heavier.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the OM-1 have ranged from about £44 to £190, with a median around £80 across the sales on file. As of today in 2026, most clean, working bodies sell for double-digit sums at saleroom level, and the value is strongly condition-led: examples with a seized shutter, corroded battery compartment or foam rot tend to sit at the bottom of that range, while tidy, tested bodies with a working meter are what push the price toward the upper end.

Variants

Select a variant to filter the sales history below.

Variant Years Edition Sales Price Range
(black) 0
n 4 £35 – £60
NASA 1 £3,600 – £3,600

Sales History

Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.

Prices updated: May 2026

Date Price Source Variant
May 2026 £90 Special Auction Services
Mar 2026 £69 Flints Auctions
Feb 2026 £225 Flints Auctions
Feb 2026 £125 Flints Auctions
Jan 2026 £62 Flints Auctions
Sep 2025 £81 Flints Auctions
Sep 2025 £69 Flints Auctions
Sep 2025 £75 Flints Auctions
Aug 2025 £188 Flints Auctions
Aug 2025 £50 Flints Auctions
Aug 2025 £62 Flints Auctions
Aug 2025 £19 Flints Auctions
Jul 2025 £25 Flints Auctions
Jul 2025 £60 Special Auction Services
Jun 2025 £44 Flints Auctions
Jun 2025 £100 Flints Auctions
Mar 2025 £50 Flints Auctions
Mar 2025 £119 Flints Auctions
Mar 2025 £81 Flints Auctions
Mar 2025 £106 Flints Auctions
Feb 2025 £81 Flints Auctions
Jan 2025 £60 Special Auction Services n
Jan 2025 £70 Special Auction Services
Jan 2025 £50 Special Auction Services n
Oct 2024 £62 Flints Auctions
Sep 2024 £162 Flints Auctions
Aug 2024 £138 Flints Auctions
Aug 2024 £100 Flints Auctions
Jun 2024 £80 Special Auction Services
Feb 2024 £60 Harper Field Auctions
Aug 2023 £150 Flints Auctions
Aug 2023 £80 Special Auction Services
Aug 2023 £70 Special Auction Services
Jul 2023 £80 David Duggleby
Jun 2022 EUR 5,000 Leitz Auction
Jan 2022 £68 Flints Auctions
May 2021 £1,600 Harper Field Auctions
May 2021 £55 Harper Field Auctions n
Jan 2021 £105 Flints Auctions
Jan 2021 £136 Flints Auctions
Jan 2021 £149 Flints Auctions
Jan 2021 £124 Flints Auctions
Feb 2020 £35 Harper Field Auctions n
Aug 2019 £15 Harper Field Auctions
Nov 2016 EUR 3,600 Leitz Auction NASA
Nov 2001 £82 Christie's

Frequently asked questions

What is an Olympus OM-1 worth today?

Based on UK auction hammer results, a typical OM-1 body is worth around £80, with the overall price band running from roughly £44 for rough, untested examples up to about £190 for clean, fully working ones.

How much does an Olympus OM-1 sell for at auction?

Recent UK saleroom results show the OM-1 sells for between £44 and £188, and single-body lots without a lens tend to cluster in the £60–£120 range.

Does condition really affect the price?

Yes — a working meter, clean prism and functioning slow shutter speeds are the main drivers of value, and bodies with prism corrosion or a dead meter consistently sell for less than half the price of a tidy, tested example.

Is the OM-1 the same as the OM-1n?

The OM-1n is a later revision of the same camera with minor updates including a flash-ready signal in the viewfinder; both appear in UK auctions and tend to sit within the same price range.