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[OM] Re: 2SP battery drain

Subject: [OM] Re: 2SP battery drain
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 07:28:08 -0500
John Gruffydd said:
My son's (fairly early) 2SP seems to be one of those with an unhealthy
battery appetite! We found the only way around it was to remove the
batteries if the camera was out of use for a while. Setting to "red
60" or B didn't seem to help.
------------------------------------
Hi, John.
Maybe, but I think it quite possible that the poor 2SP is getting a bad 
rap here.  I've stated this before on this list but it bears repeating.

Sometime in the late 80's I bought a used 2SP to complement the OM-1 I 
had owned since the 70's.  Not until the 30 day return period had 
elapsed did I realize that this @%@$# camera ate batteries.  Even if I 
didn't shoot any pictures with it, the batteries would be dead in about 
6 weeks.  It was clear to me that the camera had to have some sort of 
low grade short circuit that was draining the batteries.

I chalked it off to bad luck and resigned the camera to a closet where 
it sat unused for 8 years... until I discovered this list and the 
constant mention of silver oxide batteries and especially the Everready 
357.  I thought, how could a silver oxide battery behave so much 
differently than an alkaline battery?  But, eventually, I bought some 
357's and hauled the 2SP out of the closet.  Amazingly, the 6 week 
battery life unused turned into 6-12 months with 357's or any other good 
silve oxide battery.  I then found there were plenty of low cost sources 
on the web for 357's and bought a bunch for less than a dollar apiece. 
My annual budget for 2SP batteries is now about the same cost as a roll 
of film.  The difference in battery life has to do with the voltage 
curve as the battery is consumed.  Silver oxide maintains its voltage 
level until it's nearly exhausted and the electronically controlled OM's 
are critically dependent on a minimum voltage.

Then I discovered how much I love the 2SP and went out and bought 
another.  They're the two bodies that are almost always in my camera bag 
now.  One usually wearing a 35-70 Zuiko and the other usually wearing a 
70-150 Kiron.

I hope your 2SP "problem" turns out to be the same.

Chuck Norcutt


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