OM-2, OM-4 with Lithium battery?

I did a search but did not get a hit.

Can you use a CR-1/3N lithium battery in the OM-2 and OM-4?

The manual only mentions 2x SR44 silver oxide batteries.

But the OM-3 manual does specify a CR-1/3N lithium as an alternate battery to the 2x SR44 silver oxide batteries.

Never mind, I did a wider search and found my answer.

Silver oxide for the OM-2 and 4.

160mAh for one 3V CR-1/3N

175mAh per 1.5V SR44, S76, 357 silver oxide battery.

The simple math shows that the Silver Oxide units are more than double the mAh's power (Electronic OM's like these best).

Basically, use the silver oxide batteries, but due to their long storage life, one should use lithium units as the spare....

ah (light bulb goes on), now I understand

thanks Gus

Yes of course you're right LesD., I stand corrected, thanks.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/_img/content/4s1p-x.jpg

OK now I am embarassed.

A ham should know how to calculate series and parallel stuff.

You probably just forgot this basic electronic principle that current in series - as the two SR batteries are used in this case, is not additive but the voltage is doubled.

Lithium cels also maintain their power all the way up until it dies completely.

In my neck of the woods the 357 silver cells are much easier to find than SR44s.

The circuits of the OM-4/4T, 3/3T, and 2S all have a constant current drain, even when "off". Lithium and alkaline batteries cannot tolerate this, and will usually go dead in a matter of days, even if the camera sits unused.

This is not so much a problem on properly functioning OM-2/2N cameras, though the accuracy of the meter needle in the finder will fade as alkaline and lithium batteries slowly die. Auto/Off exposures, and shutter speeds themselves should not suffer, though.

The circuits of the OM-4/4T, 3/3T, and 2S all have a constant current drain, even when "off". Lithium and alkaline batteries cannot tolerate this, and will usually go dead in a matter of days, even if the camera sits unused.

 

This is not so much a problem on properly functioning OM-2/2N cameras, though the accuracy of the meter needle in the finder will fade as alkaline and lithium batteries slowly die. Auto/Off exposures, and shutter speeds themselves should not suffer, though.

Oh bummer :(

The circuits of the OM-4/4T, 3/3T, and 2S all have a constant current drain, even when "off". Lithium and alkaline batteries cannot tolerate this, and will usually go dead in a matter of days, even if the camera sits unused.

 

This is not so much a problem on properly functioning OM-2/2N cameras, though the accuracy of the meter needle in the finder will fade as alkaline and lithium batteries slowly die. Auto/Off exposures, and shutter speeds themselves should not suffer, though.

I doubt that this is the case with the OM-2/N. I don't find the meter reading changes on my OM-2N when the battery goes low (not too low to keep the camera function). If it changes the reading then Olympus did a lousy job designing the OM-2.

On the Nikon F3, Nikon designed it so that it would work perfectly with battery voltage from 3V to 2.4V. When it goes lower than 2.4V it would simply turn itself off.

I doubt that this is the case with the OM-2/N. I don't find the meter reading changes on my OM-2N when the battery goes low (not too low to keep the camera function). If it changes the reading then Olympus did a lousy job designing the OM-2.

On the Nikon F3, Nikon designed it so that it would work perfectly with battery voltage from 3V to 2.4V. When it goes lower than 2.4V it would simply turn itself off.

You are correct -- I misspoke (mistyped?). Battery fade is not a concern on the 2/2n, which do have circuitry to shut off power once it falls too low to function reliably, before meter drift would be a concern. That adjustment totally slipped my mind as it was _never_ a problem unless the main circuit had been tampered.