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Re: [OM] Flash/OM-4 question

Subject: Re: [OM] Flash/OM-4 question
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2001 09:12:37 +0000
At 00:04 9/1/01, Paul Schings wrote:

On Sat, 1 Sep 2001 00:28:31 +0200 "Ralf Loi" <ralf_loi@xxxxxxxxxx>
writes:
Scenario: one day I was shoting with flash (T32), and after the shot
the camera (OM-4) was dead: no lcd in viewfinder and pressing the shutter
button did not illuminate the lcd. After powering off the flash,
switching the camera to manual and then back to auto the camera was finally ok. The batteries were weak, but I did not realize immediately that because
after this problem the camera worked ok. Off course when I checked the
batteries, a non continuos "beep" came from the camera, so I changed the batteries and after the camera worked ok also with flash.
What I cannot explain is: the reading without flash was around 1/15, so
I tought that for this particular shot I could have or a correct slide
(in the case that all was good) or at least a 2 stop under exposed slide.
But this slide came out full black! What could happened? The camera was on auto and also the flash was on auto (TTL auto). Is this a normal behaviour?

We should probably wait for John H. or Clint to chime in, but my guess
would be the batteries were too weak to hold the 2nd curtain open and it
traversed with the 1st curtain resulting in no exposure. Can't say I've
ever heard of this happening in an OM before though.

Paul has cited my best guess on this. I've had flash (and self-timer) malfunction with weak cells in the OM-4. After a couple minutes they recover for a while. Replacing them with new ones puts everything back to normal. Ensure you are using #357 or SR44W watch cells. A very close second best are the SR44 camera cells (all silver oxide). DON'T use alkalines. The OM-4 relies on nearly full voltage from its cells. Alkalines have a gradual voltage drop over their life. At about 1/2 - 2/3 of their normal life there's not enough voltage to operate the AE system and shutter and you can get intermittent behavior much like you described. The silver oxide last much longer.

If this is a full black slide, then the closing curtain did not travel until you recovered the electronics, grossly over-exposing the frame. This has happened to me with weak and dead cells before. I've also had the non-continuous beeping . . . also a sign of very nearly dead cells.

Tips:
(a) Put OM-4 shutter speed ring on red "B" or "1/60th" whenever putting the body in the camera bag. It switches off the viewfinder electronics and keeps accidental depression of the viewfinder illumination button or partial shutter release from draining the cells. (b) Turn OFF the beeper by rotating the self-timer in the opposite direction from the self-timer position. It puts a drain on the cells to operate it, albeit less than the self-timer and especially the viewfinder illuminator. Note: The beeps it makes as the controls are operated annoy me, but some users like the audible feedback from it. If so, leave it on, but remember that it pulls some power.

-- John


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