At 12:08 12/18/00 , you wrote:
>When you guys refer to battery drain on the OM2/OM4's being very high what
>do you mean precisely? Does new batteries run out in a week, a month, 6
>months or what? Would be interesting to get it quantified.
>
>Thanks,
>Evert
Evert, this applies to OM-2S and OM-4 bodies in particular. It only
affects some, but not all of them, the extent of which I do not know. I
have an OM-4 and the cells in it last six months to a year depending on how
much I use it, especially with the self-timer and for long exposures in AE
mode. The OM-4 is always stored in the mechanical 1/60th shutter speed
position, and in Manual Mode which has the least possible drain. On the
OM-4, there is a small button on the right side of the prism that activates
a tiny lamp to light up the finder display in very low light. It will only
stay lit for a few seconds unless the button is held down. When putting
the camera in a bag, ensure this button cannot get accidentally get
depressed. I'm not certain how many of the OM-4's have been classified as
"battery eaters" when this was the real problem, but suspect there are at
least a few.
If the cells have been in the body for a number of months, I will replace
them before doing any critical work where a mirror lock-up due to dead
cells cannot be chanced. Otherwise I don't worry about it other than
*always* having a spare pair of 357 cells.
The "battery check" position doesn't help much in predicting when the cells
will poop out. Severe cold weather (sub-freezing) will also pull battery
voltage down. I have had cells quit on me in outdoor temperatures of 10F
and below until they were warmed back up to room temperature.
-- John
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