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Re: [OM] OM4Ti Failure

Subject: Re: [OM] OM4Ti Failure
From: Joel Wilcox <jowilcox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 13:10:07 -0600
Adi,
It would be helpful if you could explain in more detail why you think the spring was the problem element. You say you pressed it. I think I might have pulled it a little to increase the tension against the batteries. In any case, it's hard to understand how the camera could go to frame 34 and then give up, not respond to a change to new batteries, but then come to life after a flick of the spring. Perhaps the wonder is not that it quit but that it worked in the first place.

I would be suspicious that your older batteries are marginal (from use, basically) and that your new batteries are also marginal perhaps because they are old and "faded" even if unused. Also, what was the environment like at the time? A marginal set of batteries seems to act up quicker in high humidity. You were using SR44s or 357s, weren't you?

Anyway, I'm having difficulty coming away with the universal lesson from your narrative. Keep an eye on the spring, I guess, but an eye for what exactly?

Thanks for sharing your experience with the OM-4T and I'm sorry it was not a good one. I would feel exactly as you do.

Joel W.

At 01:07 PM 1/19/2002 -0500, you wrote:
Dear adi

So get the contacts gold plated: http://www.goldplater.com/
No corrosion then. Except for the batteries...

Tom

On Saturday, January 19, 2002 at 23:32, adi <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote re "[OM] OM4Ti Failure" saying:

>
> Today was the first time I would be using my OM4Ti on a professional
> assignment. After extensive testing, I had concluded that it would be
> suitable for the event coverage I would use it for. One roll went through
> and it was fine. I took pictures of people talking, laughing and eating. The
> next roll went along slowly and surely. The flash fired, the exposures came
> spot on.
>
> Frame 34, I fired, the mirror went up but did not come down. the flash didnt
> fire. I depressed the shutter release, no exposure scale in the viewfinder,
> nothing, camera was dead, moments were happening before my camera but I was
> stuck, I panic. I reached for my Leica, I carry on, but in available light
> this time, holding my breath, squeezing off low light exposures. I smile,
> but under my breath I curse my dead OM4Ti. Why Olympus?- I cry in my mind.
> My OM4Ti feels like a useless brick.
>
> I bring it to the corner, load new button batteries, nothing, I load the old
> ones, nothing.
>
> I put the thing away. 20 minutes later, assignment over, and saved by my
> Leica.
>
> I am looking at the Om4Ti, figuring out what went wrong, I take out button
> batteries, wipe them down, load them again, nothing.
>
> Then I depress the little spring in the battery chamber, I load the
> batteries again.
>
> Om4Ti comes to life.
>
> Moral of the story, make sure battery contacts are good.
>
> But I am fazed by this experience, This was a new camera, it should not have
> failed. I take care of my stuff. Not a small thing like this.
>
> Never had a camera fail on me like this. Disapointed.
>
> Long live my Leica. Never failed.
>
> --Adi
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