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Re: [OM] OM4 drain

Subject: Re: [OM] OM4 drain
From: clintonr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2000 22:18:39 -0600
Your first experience sounds like you were using either a double-sized
lithium battery or two alkaline batteries - they'll go dead in a matter
of days in an OM-4/OM-2s/OM-PC, et al.  Don't use them.  Period.

Testing with an ammeter will demonstrate that setting the shutter dial
on "B", turning off the piezo, setting "Manual" mode vs. "Auto" mode,
etc. have an infinitesimal effect on current drain.  Stand-by current
drain is virtually the same whatever settings you might use.  Setting
"B" will get you to stand-by mode sooner (saving perhaps 30-90 seconds
of consumption, unless the release button is frequently being "bumped"
while in storage - but even then the camera will revert to stand-by in
approx. 90 seconds), turning off the piezo will only reduce consumption
when it might have "-peeped-" (though the LED will still illuminate, it
causing far greater current drain by comparison), and stand-by drain in
"Manual" is the same as "Auto" mode.  In any event, your silver oxides
will still likely go dead in 6-12 months, even if the camera sits
unused.

The only other major consideration is use of a dedicated flash.  When a
charged or near-charged dedicated flash is attached to one of these
cameras, battery drain increases 10-fold or more.  IOW, the more you use
a dedicated flash, the shorter your battery life.



apal3690 wrote:
> 
> A couple of years ago, long before I discovered this site or knew of
> the camera's reputation, I bought an OM4.  True to form it ate
> batteries.  A new pair would last a matter of three or four weeks,
> whether or not the camera was in use.  I was advised to keep it stored
> with the shutter set to 'B', as this was supposed to 'disconnect the
> meter'.  This precaution had no effect whatsoever.  By experiment,
> however, I discovered two tricks that seem to work.  At any rate I now
> get more than six months from a pair of 357 batteries.
> 
> First, I always put the camera away with the lever set to 'Manual'
> rather than 'Auto'
> 
> Secondly, I have turned the bleeper permanently off.
> 
> I don't yet know which of these precautions works, but would be very
> interested to learn if anybody else has tried them.  Of course it may
> be that neither is any use at all, and that I've inadvertently done
> something else, like reset the electronics, which has done the trick.

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