on 10/22/03 10:17 PM, Brian Swale at bj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Hi Folks,
>
> It's so easy to get ripped off on the bay.
>
> A little while ago I bid on a little gold Olympus Epic Stylus item #2955767631
>
> The vendor didn't know if it worked though she said it made all the right
> noises. She hadn't tested it as she didn't want to spend the price of a roll
> of
> film and get it processed. The photos for the auction don't show the bad
> scratches on the top.
>
> The camera arrived in my letter-box this morning. I bought a battery for it -
> cost as much as the camera, and a roll of sale ASA 100 film for a quarter of
> that.
>
> I've never had an automatic camera before, but it seems to make all the
> noises one might expect from a camera that focuses, exposes, and winds
> on. The date etc functions also seems to work.
>
> It is too soon to tell if the auto-focus works properly, and there's no way to
> tell the speed or aperture as far as eye can see.
>
> I wonder if I've been ripped off? (;-)
>
> Brian
Seems to me you just have to wait for the pictures. I've bought cameras the
'make all the right noises' but which, for some reason, the shutter doesn't
-actually- open... no way to know until you get back an empty envelope with
a little note explaining why all your negatives night have ended up
unexposed. If the camera actually works, you have only the scratches to fret
about, and while it is nice to have everything perfect, the first time -you-
scratch it that ends anyway. At least that's what I tell myself about all
the little dings in my car now... :-(
If you get a working Stylus Epic for the price the battery you did alright
on that part, scratches and all... the pictures look like it has seen some
wear. Sometimes all thats needed is a really fresh battery to get these
'broken' cameras working again. I think the battery contacts oxidize up a
bit and the voltage drops just enough to make the owner think its broken...
but the action of sliding the battery in and out freshens up the contact.
I've repaired a couple "broken" cameras with nothing more than cleaning the
battery contacts with a pencil eraser...
--
Jim Brokaw
OM-'s of all sorts, and no OM-oney...
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