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Re: [OM] Merits of trading down, from an OM3TI to an OM3?

Subject: Re: [OM] Merits of trading down, from an OM3TI to an OM3?
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 22:45:42 -0400
Wow, a lot of this is counter to what Ive learned here and elsewhere, and my 
personal experience.

On 9/28/2013 8:43 PM, Andrew Fildes wrote:
> The battery drain problems were mostly solved by then.

The OM-3 is a mechanical camera. I thought it didn't suffer from the battery 
drain problems of its sibling OM-4. 
Certainly it doesn't suffer from the mirror staying up due to low batteries, as 
the shutter is entirely mechanical.

> To check for a good one, you hold the battery check on and if  the squeal 
> cuts out after thirty seconds, it's the new circuit.

This is indeed true of OM-4 bodies. As I understand it, however, these are 
bodies that have had the circuit replaced 
when it failed. There are quite a few of these floating around. In fact, it's 
possible to buy an OM-4 with a newer 
circuit than an early OM-4T(i).

>   Many sudden flat battery problems were caused by the camera bag pressing on 
> the check lever and using up the battery on the 'OK' sound.
> Also, as there is no off switch on many OM's, the trick was to use wristwatch 
> grade batteries - SR44SW. These are designed for a constant slow drain.

This is exactly wrong. For many years, the watch industry insisted on use of 
low drain batteries because sealing 
technology was only reliable for them, but not for high drain versions. The 
SR44SW is, like the original 357, a high 
drain battery, designed for brief, high current applications, exactly what the 
OMs' shutters need.

The low drain equivalents, the SR44 and 303, do not have as flat discharge 
curves and their drain limitations lead to 
falling below the minimum OMs will tolerate under the load of holding the 
second curtain open long before the batteries 
are actually discharged. The voltage drops, the camera decided the batteries 
are dead, and locks the mirror up. They do 
not last as long in OMs as the high drain versions.

The Sony SR44SW and Energizer 357 were the gold standard for years. Energizer 
messed with their line, replacing two 
models with a 303/357. It is indeed reasonably high drain, but with a discharge 
curve more like an alkaline.

As I recall, they later came out with a 357/303, which seemed much like the 
original 357. I don't know what's happened 
with the Sonys.

>   Regular SR44's or alkalines can go flat pretty quickly. It's what Olympus 
> recommended but most people didn't know the difference.

Yup, it's just your explanation that's wrong. Alkalines and Lithiums are pretty 
useless, any silver oxide is better, and 
the true high drain, flat discharge curve ones are the best.

> I've bought a few 'faulty - mirror locked up' OM's in my time. people test 
> them with a battery off the bench and it still doesn't work. OM's REALLY like 
> to have fresh batteries installed and often sulk if you try partially 
> depleted or cheap, substandard batteries.

Yup, the surprise was when it wasn't just batteries. :-)

Power Me Up Moose

-- 
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
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