The newer 4T has a different circuit than the older OM4. It was not
because all of the older 4's had defective circuits ... they were just
of different design. One of the main differences is that when using the
T series flashes the ready light does go off after several seconds on
the 4T. This was the biggest drain on the batteries to my knowledge. I
remember when this was an issue. However Oly did have some quality
control issues on bodies built in production runs from around 1985 to
about 1987 on the 4 series and some 2s's. I'm sure most of these
defective units would have either been repaired under warranty or later
and would more than likely not have survived this many years. As far as
the battery drain ... well it does not necessarily mean that the
circuits are defective. It was the way they were designed. I guess
they got many complaints from people who thought the batteries should
last for a long time. So they made the circuits more energy
efficient. If you aren't planning on using the body for long periods of
time it's probably a good idea to remove the batteries (especially in
high humidity climates) to avoid corrosion. From my many years of
shooting with OM bodies I can say for sure that replacing batteries in
the bodies are by far my least expensive cost of operation. Batteries
in flashes are a different issue. If you buy the silver oxides from a
commercial source they end up costing less than about a buck each. Even
with heavy shooting with flash on an OM2s they will last through 40 to
50 rolls of film. So they are a very insignificant part of operational
costs. So if my math is correct they cost about a nickel per roll of
film. Not worth even thinking about the way I see it.
Phillip Franklin
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