lindsay_carter Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 I have an OM-1n, and the film speed indicator is completely off. When I'm shooting a roll of 320 TRIx film, I have to set my camera for ISO 640... I've heard that Olympus has stopped calibrating these old cameras... does anyone know if this is really true... or of any alternative places where I could get it fixed? It was my grandpa's and then my mother's and now mine, I don't think it was ever cleaned or calibrated, but I love that camera. Likewise... if anyone knows of any good "newer" alternatives that are similar to my beloved, let me know. Thanks for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neild Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 I got mine calibrated in a shop specialising in second-hand repairs - it's in Sydney (Australia); you don't mention your location, but if you can get to Sydney, I'll let you know its location... (or you could simply take it to your local shop?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neild Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 P.S. If you have lenses, you won't want to look for another brand of camera. The OM-1n is a wonderful camera when working well - you could do much worse, so I'd recommend getting it fixed!! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_kapla Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 It has been my experience that with all of my OM bodies, including the 1n, I must calibrate the meter especially when shooting slide film. John Shaw's books on Nature Photography has a chapter on meter calibration. Check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_shihanian Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 There's a few good Olympus repairmen in the U.S. John Hermanson in NY - www.zuiko.com/ Essex Camera Service- NJ- (201) 933-7272/ Clint at Photosphere in Dallas, TX. Essex will most probably be a faster turn-around. Ive used both John and Essex and all 3 are honest and fair. John and Clint are Olympus factory trained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas_green1 Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 well, depending on what the repair costs, I'd either get the OM fixed, or buy another one. I consider the OM-1n to be the finest manual metering 35mm SLR ever made. Better than the Nikon F2, Canon F-1n, Minolta SRT-102, and Pentax MX, which are the other contenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgh Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 320 to 640 isn't really "completely off". It's only one stop difference. Not bad for a 20+ year old CdS meter. You don't mention what you're using for a battery, but the OM1n was designed for 1.35V mercury cells which are not available anymore in many countries. If you're using one of the substitute cells, these often have slightly different voltages which could account for the meter difference. If the meter is consistent, that is, 640 instead of 320 and 200 instead of 100 etc, simply set the film speed dial at double the film's rated ASA speed. This will work fine unless you shoot film faster than 800. The OM1n that I bought in 1981 overexposed a little to my preference when it was new, so I always set the dial at 500 for Tri-X rated at 400. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_oleson Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 It sounds to me like you've probably got an Alkaline battery in it. The OM1 meter circuit uses only fixed resistors, and generally does not need adjustment or correction unless a component becomes damaged; but it is sensitive to battery voltage, and I've had them read as far as 2.5 stops off with Alkaline batteries. <br><br> <a href="http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-111.html">Take a look at this page for a correct-voltage battery solution that only costs a dollar, and see if this doesn't fix your problem.</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 Ditto what Todd and Richard suggested. It may just be a simple matter of installing a suitable battery. I use size 675 zinc air hearing aid batteries. Accurate enough to meter appropriately for Kodachrome 64. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholas_t. Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 Apparently the meter cells lose their sensitivity after some time, both of my OM-1s were completely out of whack. One was non-linear as well, being 2 stops at one EV and about 1 stop out at another. I fixed the problem by removing them ;-).<p> Good cameras, ancient metering system... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsay_carter Posted February 22, 2004 Author Share Posted February 22, 2004 thanks a lot for your responses... I am using an alkaline battery (and I'm going to try out what that website said tomorrow when i'm more awake and technically inclined)... I live in the states, so I think going to sydney would be a bit expensive just to get my camera fixed... hehe... not to say that I wouldn't love an excuse to go to sydney some day. Yeah, I really do love my olympus... I don't like those nikon... or is it canon rebel cameras... everyone here has them, and I've borrowed a friend's once... it just doesn't feel right. peace. and again much thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip_williams Posted February 25, 2004 Share Posted February 25, 2004 The other easy options for replacing the PX625 mercury batteries are a Wein Zinc-Air cell (6 mo lifetime after opening), CRIS adapter ($~$30, but works great), and internal circuit conversion when you do a CLA ($10 + $100 CLA). You can also buy mercury batteries from foreign suppliers sometimes. These options will give you exact voltages to ensure that the meter responses are correct. The Zinc-air cell is the easiest, but costly in the long run as the batteries get chewed up whether you use them or not. The chemical reaction is good for about 6 months after you pop the top on the battery's vent holes. The CRIS is the easiest, but more expensive as a start-up cost. Skip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas_green1 Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 You don't need the Wein Zinc-Air cell. You can use GENERIC 675 Zinc-Air hearing aid batteries, which are electronically identical to the Wein cells, only they cost about 75 cents each. You'll need a spacer to make the 675 Zinc-air cells fit in the chamber. But fortunately, the perfect spacer is a #9 rubber O-ring, available at any plumbing supply store, such as Home Depot (they cost 29 cents at Home Depot) and one can be permanently snuggly seated in the OM-1n battery chamber, or removed easily if you want to go another route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Doug -- this sounds like an inexpensive route. Do these batteries also go for about 6 months? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_oleson Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Yes, I get typically 6-8 months out of a Zinc/Air hearing aid battery in my OM1, and the metering is accurate. :)= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas_green1 Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 I live in a dry climate (San Diego), so I only get 2-3 months or so out of the Zinc-Air Hearing Aid Cells or the Wein Cells. Nonetheless, at under 75 cents a battery (I buy them in an 18 pack for $10.99 at Costco), they are my preferred solution. I have used them in various Minolta SRTs, Olympus OM-1 and OM-1n, Canon TX and FTb, and Nikkormat FTn & FT2 with excellent results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas_green1 Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 One other key point: Zinc-Air cells don't begin to wear out until you pull the tabs off of them to expose them to air. After that, time and dehydration, not load, wear them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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