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Re: [OM] Older Battery Eating OM 4's? Serial Nos.

Subject: Re: [OM] Older Battery Eating OM 4's? Serial Nos.
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2001 12:56:26 +0000
At 04:02 3/9/01, John Hermanson wrote:
Unless the 4 has had a 4T circuit installed, they all eat batteries.  get
the seller to turn the battery test on.  If it shuts off automatically in 30
seconds, it has the  latest (and last) circuit.

John  Hermanson

I believe this is a matter of how quickly it eats them. There may be some confusion here between a "normal" OM-4 and one with a defective circuit that drains them down in a matter of days, not months.

Be certain that an OM-4 is truly a defective battery eater, and that you have not inadvertently stored it with something pressing on the viewfinder illuminator button (right side of prism housing). This can happen even inside a "never-ready" case and it *will* suck the batteries to zero very, very quickly. You can prevent that by placing the camera in "Manual" mode and turning the shutter speed ring into one of the two "red" mechanical positions (1/60th or B). This viewfinder illuminator will not illuminate with this combination of settings.

I have an OM-4 with one of the circuits that does not shut off the check tone. Battery consumption has never been a problem. The cells last at least six months, normally closer to a year. My OM-2S seems to run for a decent time also (depends on how much I use a flash as it has the green flash-ready LED). Regardless of body you *always* have a spare set of cells, right?

If you're expecting battery life like the OM-1[n] which will run nearly forever, and has spoiled those who have one (I measure mine in years, not months), then look for something other than an OM-2S or OM-4. Don't go with one of the new Wunderbricks or zoom P&S's with all the whirring motors and film winders though. *They* are battery eaters, and many use expensive batteries that go kaput much, much faster than my OM-2S or OM-4 uses them.

-- John


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