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I'm not guessing -- I'm knowing. Your. Camera. Is. Missing. A. Part. Until it is replaced, the mirror will not function properly.

Try this: remove the bottom cover and watch as you move the mode switch back and forth from Auto to Manual -- you should see a small arm on the bottom of the camera move back and forth, pushing a tiny arm as it moves. That tiny arm operates a switch on the main circuit that selects Auto and Manual. It could be that that small arm isn't moving back far enough when it's moved to the Manual position -- someone may have accidentally bent it. You might try bending the end of that lever a tiny amount in the direction it moves when you select Manual mode, then replace the bottom and check. If that isn't it, it could be that the manual contacts on the main circuit are not making a good connection -- that should be included in a typical overhaul, but it's not something I'd suggest for DIY! Of course, there are other possibilities too intricate to describe -- only inspection by someone who knows OM's could tell!

You're missing a part. In the illustration, just above your thumb at the bottom of the mirror box, you will see the head of a chrome phillips screw. Just to the right of that screw is a frame with a slightly curved slot that has a wider opening at the upper end, and in that slot is a post. There should be a small black plastic tab, sort of wedge shaped, epoxied in the top end of that slot that fills that wider place in the slot, just at and above the place where you see the post. The small plastic part that is missing is part no. CA844600, and is used in the OM-1, 1n, 2, and 2n. Look throughout the camera, especially the gear grease, and see if it isn't stuck somewhere. If not, you will have to harvest one from a dead body and epoxy it back in place.

Just to confuse matters, there is some additional information I would add. Some models of the OM-1 and OM-1n used a plastic housing inside the ASA knob, while others used steel. (On all of them, the outer knurled part is chromed and shiny, so you can't tell just by looking.) In any event, with the plastic insert, it is possible to force the knob without pushing in the release button, in which case you might shear off one or more of the plastic teeth that lock the knob at a particular ASA setting. This/these plastic teeth then drop into the camera, and sometimes jam in the wind gears, either in the upper end of the camera or down at the bottom. Every OM-1/1n should be set on each and every ASA setting and the knob gently turned to see if it can be changed to the next setting without pushing in the button. If so, you will want to check carefully in the grease in the lower end after removing the bottom cover, and (if you are willing to remove the top cover) in the grease around the wind mechanism at the top end too, until you account for each and every broken plastic tooth. Until then, be aware that the camera might jam at any time.

To amplify orsetto, the OM-4, 2s,4T, etc. were designed to be instantly functional, whether the camera was "on" or not. This was not a design flaw or failure, but a feature characteristic of all Maitani's work, in consideration of it's intended professional use -- in order for later generation cameras like these to function as they do, it is necessary for certain portions of the circuit to always be active. Or would you rather miss that once in a lifetime shot because your camera was turned "off"? Setting them on the mechanical/red settings will slightly reduce overall battery consumption, but will not eliminate it entirely, even on the latest "improved" circuitry of the 4T. Place an ammeter from the top of the exposed batteries (+) to the body (-), wait 90 seconds or so without interruption, and you'll see -- it never drops to 0a drain. That's why Olympus said to use silver oxide batteries only, not alkaline or lithium substitutes -- at least, after the first few months the original 4's were sold. (Battery makers greatly exaggerated the potency of these substitute cells back then.) Lithium batteries WILL die in a matter of weeks, alkalines in a couple of months at best -- they cannot tolerate this current drain, no matter how minute -- while silver oxide batteries will usually go dead in six to twelve months even sitting in an unused body. Of course it's best to remove batteries when the camera is stored anyway -- but we all know that, right?

Here's what happened. At some point, the film was rewound into the cassette by rotating the rewind knob counter-clockwise, instead of clockwise. This puts excessive stress on the plastic parts, fracturing the collar and bending the spring that keeps the shaft from sliding freely in and out. (You're lucky that one of the legs of the rewind shaft didn't break, or even the knob itself!) The spring has (had) a flat side/end that goes into a slot in the collar and rests against the shaft to keep it in place. The original steel parts were replaced by all plastic parts not long into production, and were not interchangeable. We (at Olympus) ran out of plastic parts decades ago. The only source of replacements was donor bodies, at least for those of us who still worked on them.

There's not much to "clean" in the OM's finder. There's eyepiece, prism, focusing screen, mirror, and...that's it. Unlike most SLR's, the condenser on OM's is built into the prism. It's solid glass -- I've never seen one "discolor". (On some early OM-1's and 2's, there was foam against the prism, leading to dissolution of the reflective coating known as "prism rot", but I don't recall it resulting in any sort of over-all color shift.) You might harvest a prism from any handy OM-10 donor and replace the one on your 2n if you want to try it. The mirror is front-silvered, and once again, I've never seen it discolor. The focus screen, being plastic, would be the most likely culprit. If that's not it.... That leaves the eyepiece. That might be your problem. The eyepiece lens of all but the earliest OM-1's were the same, from the OM-1, 1n, 2, to the 2n. Some of them have been known to separate, and that may result in discoloration. Once again, harvest one from a donor OM-10 -- same element on both. Gently dig out the epoxy on either side of the eyepiece frame, and push out. Insert into the old frame, re-apply epoxy. Easy.

Saying "professional camera" is like saying "professional car". It depends on what you're using it for! You wouldn't complain if you couldn't carry a load of bricks in your Ferrari, would you? (Anecdote: Years ago, I was standing at a camera dealer's counter as the Pentax rep was touting their latest SLR. Time after time, with every amazing and remarkable new feature revealed by the rep, a customer standing nearby raised some criticism. After six or seven such objections, the rep praised the red and green markers in the finder, showing over/under exposure warning. The customer asked, "But what if you're color blind?" After a moment's hesitation, the rep replied, through clenched teeth, "Then. Don't. Buy. The. Camera!") Most Nikon or Canon users never use or truly need any of the various finders made for them, nor, for that matter do most OM users ever change the focusing screen. It's possible if you need to, but hardly a "deal breaker" for most photographers, professional or happy-snapper. Mirror lock up to reduce mirror vibration? Some have it, some don't. Auto exposure? Self-timer? X-sync and FP-sync? Databacks? AutoWinders and Motordrives, some with rewind capability? Bulk film back? Off-The-Film exposure control, both ambient as well as strobe? You makes your choices, you pays your price! I used to know an old photographer from UPI who swore the only "professional" camera was a Speed Graphic -- these new-fangled "thirty five milly-meeter" toys weren't for "real" photographers! For me, a camera is a tool. I'm not trying to impress anyone with the name on the top. I've used 6x7's, 645's, worked with a guy who shot 4x5 cut film. But nothing has ever beat my OM-2n, OM-1n, OM-4t, and all the lenses and accessories I've got for them. Plus I can carry lots more stuff without "camera bag stoop" from a too heavy kit!

Lots of possibilities here. On the OM-1/1n, 2/2n, etc., there are two foam pads that cushion the mirror as it slaps up when released, one at either end of the front edge of the mirror box. (See the Nikon image above -- Olympus' foam is at the left and right ends inside the red circle.) This foam is made of the same stuff as is around the back cover, and eventually reverts to it's petroleum by-product origins. You can check to see if it's "gone bad" by gently lifting the mirror with a finger (being careful to only touch the back of the mirror frame never the mirror!) and gently press it against the top, then let go. It shouldn't stick. If it does, the foam needs to be removed and replaced. Next, the OM-2 is designed to "lock up" with any number of malfunctions, including poor connection of the switches that activate the camera's circuitry when the shutter is fired. Poor conductivity of the main and sub-switch is common on elderly OM-2's, and should be corrected with any thorough repair. When this happens, though, the mirror will stay up, and will not drop until the shutter dial is set to the red "B" (or, on the OM-2n, the meter switch is pushed into the "Check/Reset" position). Also, on an OM-2, as long as the mirror is "locked up" like this, it will drain the batteries until reset by setting the red "B". (Battery drain when locked up shouldn't be a problem with an OM-2n, though.) Another possibility is that the mirror lifting mechanism is malfunctioning and is unable to lift the mirror properly. To check for this, wind the camera and hold the arm that operates the lens' aperture with a finger tip, release the shutter in "B", and slowly allow the mirror to rise by letting the arm slowly rise -- don't push it up, but allow it to rise under it's own power. If the mirror reaches the top without tripping the shutter, it's a problem. This can be due to a weak or broken lifting lever spring, a missing or damaged bumper on the mirror box, a bumper spring that's come disconnected, or a couple of other obscure problems. It needs experienced professional attention. Last thing to come to mind is that the shutter is staying open for some reason. In auto or off mode without a lens, or manual mode at a high shutter speed on the shutter dial, the shutter should close quickly. If the shutter stays open (so you can see the pressure plate through the front), again, it's a problem.

It is not necessary to remove any meter components to remove the front casting from the body casting of an OM-1/1n. Remove top and bottom covers. Remove MD Switch from bottom. Unsolder white sync wire from FP switch on bottom, slide clear insulation tube and unsolder red wires at union. Unsolder brown meter wire from meter circuit on top. Untuck brown wire from along front of prism. Lift mirror and remove felt strip along right edge (back latch side of camera) along black cover plate below mirror -- lift black cover plate from right edge, then slide cover out lens mount opening. Remove right side (back latch side) leatherette, lift left side leatherette to self timer lever (no need to remove). Remove four screws holding front casting revealed under leatherette, and two rear-most screws, one on either side of eyepiece. Just for grins, usually set the shutter speed dial to "1000", though that is not absolutely necessary. There are now two concerns/impediments to removing front casting: First, the black plastic frame holding the galvanometer will barely clear the bezel of the rewind release mechanism just above the self timer, but it will clear it. Second, just to the right of the rewind release bezel, immediately behind the mirror lock-up device, is a chrome tab to which is attached the free end of the nylon cord that pulls against the meter coupling ring. It may be necessary to gently bend this chrome tab up slightly in order to clear the body casting, and to avoid severing the nylon cord. More importantly, when reassembling the front casting and body casting, be sure you do NOT pinch or trap this nylon cord between these two castings. Also, when replacing the front casting, thread the red and white sync wires into the same opening from which they were removed, being sure they clear the mirror lifting mechanisms and the FP sync switch.

Use two silver oxide batteries only -- no lithium or alkaline substitutes. When left in the camera, silver oxides usually die in about 6-12 months. Lithiums and alkalines usually die in a week or so. The 2s (and 4, 4T, etc.) have a constant current drain, necessary to make the camera instantly operational any time you push the release button -- no "boot up" delay or switch to turn the camera "on" first. Lithiums and alkalines cannot tolerate this current drain, and so die very quickly. Removing the batteries is a good idea if leaving a camera idle for an extended period, no matter what battery it uses. Leakage happens.

The cover with the red lens is over the switch that sets the electrical self-timer (tab away from the lens) and silences the "beep" (tab toward the lens). Without it, it's easy to accidentally move the switch (with the cover in place, the tab must be slid upwards to unlock and move the switch in or out). There is also a possibility of light leak. I'm loathe suggest it, but you might want to cover the opening with opaque tape.

I cannot imagine the braided nylon coupling strings in the meter stretching. Looking inside the lens mount, the round roller just past 12 O'clock should be barely visible, resting against the outer surface of the coupling ring's cam. If not, there is a mechanical fault in the mechanism. (Normal orientation shown in image below.) There are many possible problems, far too intricate to describe. But realize that the plastic frame that holds the meter assembly in place (necessary for reliable operation) began to craze and fracture decades ago, to the point where repair today is questionable. Still, there may be a chance if someone familiar with early OM-1's is able and willing to check it out.

The RD was the first compact repair I learned when I went to work for Olympus! I worked on OM-1's for a few months, then our "compact" tech quit, so someone had to take them over. That was just before they sent me to Olympus/LA for training in the "new" OM-2. Hated RD's at first -- even then, still under warranty, oil from the helicoid grease was migrating into the shutter, necessitating a total and complete disassembly for cleaning. After a few dozen, I finally decided I was going to become proficient in them. After that, they became a challenge, not a chore. I got to where I'd knock them out in less than two hours, easy. That is the only reliable solution, by the way -- complete and total disassembly, down to the blades. Any less -- flush cleaning, etc. -- and the problem is likely to reoccur. Sort of like the OM-10 sticky shutter magnet, but I digress. My Kyoritsu EF-511 tester blew up, or I might still be working on them! Anyone know someone with schematics on the EF-511? CRIS says they threw them out.

Oil will not help. In any way. Please don't. There is far too much to describe, and far too many possible faults, to even begin to offer a solution online. Even successfully re-installing the transfer gear alone (the one that goes over the silver spring, "A") once the actual fault is corrected (wind gear problems? shutter curtain problems? mirror problems? Impossible to tell without inspection!) is something that is best demonstrated, not described. You've got to install the spring into the underside of the gear, then with the shutter and wind set properly, hold the spring in place just the right way with tweezers and flip the gear over and lower it in place so as not to pinch the spring, then.... Well, if we were sitting at a bench, I could show you, but there would be no point until the original fault was corrected. Something an experienced tech could likely correct as part of a routine overhaul.