om2n meter issue

A om2n I just received from KEH seems to have a problem with the meter. I've compared it to every camera I own,

and while all others meter a subject at 125/5.6, the om2n meters the same subject at 30/5.6. The camera is

consistent with itself, reading the same way in aperture preferred and manual. I'm using new silver oxide

batteries. The thing is, this is the second om2n I've received from KEH, and the first one had the same

overexposure problem by about the same +2 margin. Am I doing something wrong? Should I send this one back too?

Thanks for your time.

Are you sure your "other cameras" meter correctly ? Maybe compare reading of a grey card with reading of a external handheld incident lightmeter...

Good point. Camera's can't be used as for comparison unless they've been calibrated recently. Still, 2 stops is a lot. When I do an overhaul, I advise customers "the meter in this overhauled body may not agree with your not-overhauled equipment". John, www.zuiko.com

Also, try sunny 16. Get a cheap grey card and meter off it in full fun, should be around 1/500s and f/16 using iso400 on the dial. You can use your hand as well. I have semi-fair skin and my hand seems to read about 1/2 a stop or so faster then a grey card (When I meter off my hand I just close down by 1/2 a stop).

Maybe that is half a stop slower? Anyway, using the exposure from my hand would yeild about a half stop of overexposure, so I close down by half a stop.

And you're sure they are silver oxide batteries? That would be MS76, KS76, SR-44W, G-13, 357, 303 among others. Wrong batteries are A76, LR44 (alkaline) and single lithium cell CR1/3N. These two types came out after the camera was designed and can cause meter errors of 2 stops or more. John, www.zuiko.com

"Wrong batteries are A76, LR44 (alkaline) and single lithium cell CR1/3N. These two types came out after the camera was designed and can cause meter errors of 2 stops or more."

 

I have Nikon F3 and F2A bodies. They were designed in the late 1970s to use MS76 batteries. However, I use CR1/3N lithium batteries in my F3s with no problems whatsoever.

 

Now to address the original poster's problem... I would send the camera back to Keh for a refund or exchange. And have them pay for the return shipping!

thanks for all your input. at this point i'm fairly certain it's the om2n that's out of whack, not my other cameras, all of which are reading the same way, including a newish dslr with fresh batteries. also i am using MS76 batteries, so that shouldn't be a problem.

 

i'm leaning toward sending it back to keh, but before i do, would a good CLA fix the the problem? the camera looks to be in fine shape otherwise, but my experience with old bodies leads me to think it'll need a CLA sooner or later. perhaps i'll just get it done now. might be worth it in the long run.

If it were me, I wouldn't invest any more money in something that may not work even after a CLA. And you wouldn't get the cost of that refunded if it ends up still not working. It sounds as if you had some expectation that the camera would work when you bought it. There are tons of OM-2Ns out there that will work and they don't cost a lot of money. I'd cut my losses now; send that one back for a refund and buy something that actually works.

Nikon is Nikon. We're not talking about nikon, right? There are several Olympus camera's that require certain batteries. Do you think I just pull that statement out of thin air? I worked for Olympus in the Woodbury Service Department when the 2N came out. I remember the technical bulletins from Japan making it very clear that only certain batteries could be used. Silver oxide good, alkaline and alkaline bad. There's no point complaining about a camera malfunction if the wrong batteries are in the camera. XA and OM-2 / 2N require silver oxide batteries only. OM-10, G, 20, 30, F,, XA-2 can take silver oxide AND alkaline and lithium. If camera meter is REALLY off 2 stops (but just like the other body you got?) send it back to KEH. John, www.zuiko.com

the news is good, i think. my om2n problem seems to have mysteriously passed. i'm not certain why. perhaps the new batteries needed to settle in

a bit? maybe a result of playing around a bit with the exposure compensation dial? but the camera seems to be metering correctly now, or at least

within a half stop of all my other cameras. i took it out for a walk yesterday and really enjoyed my shooting. it really does handle beautifully. we'll

see how things work going forward, but i'm holding on to this one for now. john, i'll keep you bookmarked as my go-to guy for all things olympus.

thanks again.

Good to hear it, enjoy your camera! John, www.zuiko.com

The battery issue gave me some hope, having found one of my two OM4s consistently over-exposing (spot meter) by one stop, having previously been OK. On checking the batteries of both they are from the same box of SR44s.

The ONLY Olympus slr model that is affected by battery type is the 2/2N. If the spot reading in your 4s are off, then they may need calibration. John, www.zuiko.com

That was my conclusion. Batteries would have been an attractively much cheaper option!