> Ok, so the om-4 rarely fails, new shutters aren't available, new circuit
> board risky. Now I have a couple questions:
> 1. What are the odds of my new (used) om-4 failing?
Olympus doesn't publish their MTBF's (Mean Time Before Failure), of
course.
But the most important factor in any particular device's life-span is
usually
enviornment - including it's use and abuse. A camera that is well cared
for
is _likely_ to work longer than one that is "rode hard and put up wet".
Beyond
that, your guess is as good as anyone's, when a particular OM-4 is gonna
die!
> 1. Has anyone ever had an om-4 fail (either shutter or circuit)? What did
> it take for that to happen?
I like to compare a camera's circuit (or a computer, or whatever) to a
light
bulb - eventually, it's _gonna_ burn out! The OM-4's circuit is like
hundreds
of tiny lightbulbs, packed into a bunch of tiny IC's. Eventually, one
of those
little bulbs is gonna go out, and, *ping*, something stops working.
Usually
the whole camera dies, but sometimes it's just one function, like the
flash sync
or part of the meter display. Fortunately, IC's are full of logic
circuits,
which are much more reliable than lightbulbs, but the idea's close
enough for
most folks to understand.
> 2. Why couldn't I put in a new circuit board myself (I can operate tiny
> screwdrivers and a soldering iron with precision)?
Just to get an idea, take off the bottom cover - there's only four
screws,
and the only things loose inside are a couple of seals. Now, multiply
what
you see by about 100, and you've got an idea of what's involved in
removal
of the top cover. Multiply _that_ by another 100, and you'll have an
idea
of what's involved in taking the body apart. Only then you can start
taking
off the old circuit board (it winds all around the inside of the body).
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