All four of these machines are heavy-duty portables meant for serious typing. Ultimately, if I were to recommend a machine to someone, and if size were not an issue, I would say go with a standard over a portable. That said, these portables are as close as one can get to the feel of a standard typewriter (of which the Olympia SG1 is my favorite).
First I would say that a personal preference for one machine over another is just as much about personal ergonomics as it is about the machines themselves. For example, I would say that the Erika 10 and the Olympia SM9 are superior machines when I am typing well. These machines are sensitive to the touch, requiring little effort to operate.
When my fingers exert too much effort, my typing suffers on them. Overall, I would say that a polished typist, who follows touch-typing methods, would flourish most on an Erika 10. (A more detailed review appears typewritten at the bottom of this post.)
The Hermes 3000 is the best known high-quality typewriter. If I had to buy one machine on a small budget, I would not go with a Hermes. They are beautiful, high-performance machines, but they are overpriced. That said, you could trade in your silly iPhone for two or three Hermes typewriters. Get your priorities straight!
The Optima Elite 3 is perfectly engineered. The typing-action is beyond responsive, and, if you are in the zone, this machine will go 0-60 mph in five seconds. Mine has a few quirks, but these have nothing to do with the model itself.
Back to the issue of money: if you are patient, you can find an SM9 for a cheap price, and it is as good a machine as any. If money is not an option, buy a Hermes if you like a modern ergonomic feel. Buy an Optima for perfect balance. Buy an Erika for touring Monaco, but keep it covered in the garage.
My desert island pick? Either the Optima 3 Elite or the Erika 10. The former is a Volkswagen Beetle, and it will never quit. The Erika is a luxury Bentley, which intimidates me in a way, but there is no mistaking its high quality.
*This review has its limits. I have yet to try an Alpina or a Halda. Those are intriguing to say the least.
More review:
The Untimely Typewriter:Daily Writings Against the Tides of Distraction 
Great comparisons.
My best typing SM9 received a new home soon after I got it. My neighbor is a disabled Vietnam Veteran and author. He liked did not have a typewriter any longer and liked the SM9. I still have other SM9s.
I have typed on an Alpina. It had to be the best manual typewriter I ever used. I generally prefer Underwood, Smith-Corona, Royal, and then European ones in that order. The Alpina seemed to be a combination of the easy quickness of an Underwood with the silky smoothness of an Adler J4. Wonderful typewriter.
Even though I have about 9 or 10 H3k typewriters (different typefaces and versions) I’m not a big affectionado. I don’t like the mushy action. They are way over rated as well as way over priced, and the knobs fall off.
One day I hope to at l east get to type on the other models.
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Giving away an SM9—I doubt I’ll ever be so generous. I stumbled upon a nicely priced Halda standard last night. I went for it, but now I have to unload a standard. Space is limited and I want to break even.
What I don’t like about some of those Alpinas is that later models appear to feature a plastic carriage-advance lever. What’s the deal with that?
By the way, is it my imagination that typewriter prices are rising? It’s harder and harder to find a good deal.
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It’s not your imagination that prices are rising markedly. I see a real difference from when I first started looking, 17 months ago.
Now I want all four of these typewriters! One question: how confident are you that your comments on these models apply to all examples of each model? Have you typed on several of each make?
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Right. That’s the question. I’ve used two SM9s and plenty of other Olympias. Mine required little to no cleaning. So that’s a factor. I’ve used only one Optima, but Frederic Durbin is a huge fan of them, and he pumps out novels. I’ve used two Erika 10s and they both were amazing. So, my estimation is based partly on personal experience, partly on confirming my reactions based on what I’ve read.
But, yeah, someone else might have a Hermes ten times better than mine. Someone else might have a SM9 that was doused in WD40. The other day I listened to a podcast that put down the Underwood Champion. I found that judgement questionable. (I think we sometimes dismiss typewriters that are easier to find.) I like my Champion a lot.
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By coincidence, I was able to type on two SM-9s and a Hermes 3000 yesterday afternoon. They were both fine typers, but the feel wasn’t for me. I thought typing on the Hermes was like driving a bumper car. Everything was soft, and too easy. The SM-9s were better, but still somehow a little too tame. I thought to myself that if that was the feel I wanted, I might as well be using an electric.
Still want to try the Optima, and particularly an Erika. But they’re a bit hard to come by in QWERTY. Part of being “a polished typist, who follows touch typing methods” is that you want the letters to be in familiar places. A QWERTZ layout is like a piano keyboard with an E flat where you expect an E.
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I can get used to a QWERTZ after a while, but it takes a little time—and then it is awkward switching back to QWERTY. I can see what you are saying about the Hermes and SM7. I feel that the SM7 would be brilliant if I learned to lighten my touch. I play guitar and piano: I really like to bang on keys. If you are like me, the Optima would be best. The Erika is amazing, but it also requires a lighter touch. It’s like going from a guitar to a violin. The Erika is probably the best, but I may not be refined enough for it—if that makes any sense. But what a beauty. I saw an Olympia SG1 on Shopgoodwill and on OfferUp the other day. Just putting that out there.
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Interesting that you should mention that, as I’ve been on the lookout for an SG1 for several months. They’re not rare, but I wouldn’t trust most people to ship something that big and heavy, so it would have to be within pickup range. I’ve got my eye on a local Goodwill auction that ends Tuesday evening; that SG1 is filthy (as they all are in my experience) and is missing the paper support (again, as is almost universally true), but I don’t see any chipped chrome or bent parts. It may have been intended for an accounting office, since it’s got an extra-wide, but not grotesquely wide, carriage (the center mark is at 72) and decimal tab stops. Someone has put in the minimum bid, and I haven’t decided how high my own offer should be.
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I saw one on OfferUp that looks good. From Pennsylvania.
I just bought a Halda standard from a UK seller. I was hesitant, but the machine looks to be in great shape and the seller has excellent ratings for selling all kinds of stuff. Fingers crossed.
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I just got an Optima Elite 3. It’s identical to the one that Mark Petersen put on the TWDB, down to the colors, the decals, and the attached external base:
https://typewriterdatabase.com/19xx-optima-elite-3.1612.typewriter
Like him, I’d say it types very well but not great. It’s worth getting it a tune-up, though, to see if it improves.
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Fantastic. I hope you like it. For me there’s a consistency in the key pressure from the beginning to the end of the key strike, which adds a sense of control for me. In contrast to Mark’s evaluation, I’ve read how it’s weird that East German machines maintained quality in spite of Soviet conditions.
I was using my Erika 10 yesterday. It always takes me a while before I adjust to a machine. The Erika requires a light, snappy touch. It’s entirely different.
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I have a couple of Rheinmetalls (also East German). The 1958 model might be the best typer I have–the snappy action really brings me joy. For some reason, the 1961 Supermetall is not the same. Maybe these machines were all the same as they left the factory, but have acquired their personalities over time.
My Optima manual says: “So as to be able to attain a flowing key typing, a light, elastic and an equal chopped – off touch is necessary. The machine has been arranged so from the first and thus allows rapid typing.”
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