OMD-E-M1 Dodgey Rear Dial

<p>I wondered if I have been unlucky or if this is a known fault of the camera.<br>

I have been utterly frustrated by the menu system and the intermittent lack of adjustment of settings, the latest being no aperture control in aperture priority mode. I have been increasingly suspicious about the function of the rear dial, having to press quite hard and somewhat upwards (making my thumb sore) to get any change of settings. Fortunately, with the front dial as an option, I have at last diagnosed the problem and transferred all functions to that. The rear dial did work a bit better when I first got the camera but it has never been very responsive. This seems to be an internal, electrical contact problem.<br>

It might seem that I have been rather slow to realise what was going on but I use the camera mostlyin manual mode, with legacy manual focus lenses, for macro, such that the aperture setting via the dial is rarely used and, using fill flash, the shutter speed is mostly constant.<br>

I have contacted the seller and indcated that I shall want a repair under warrantee after my peak summer usage.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Sounds like a defective wheel. I imagine my EM-5 is similar, and I have no problems whatsoever with either dial.<br /><br />The menu system in the Olympus cameras is kinda maddening, but once you learn it and get the camera set up for your individual use, I find the interface to be just fine.</p>

<p>Definitely a defective wheel. Have it serviced if still under warranty and I hope it is. </p>

I got a neighbor who would say squirt it with WD 40, and then laugh at his little sporting suggestion:-). Forget WD40. Harold. It need bench testing by skilled techies.....

 

 

Some are always made on Mondays in the Chinese factory and show a defect in factory spec while in use. No statistically significant dial ones I can see.,..... Not a whole lot from what I read... My E-M1 had an inactive port, the one that outputs to HDMI TV from HDMI D size mini cables (not supplied) Took me a while to 1) buy cable, and 2) send to Oly. Problem solved and apparently needed a new major circuit board.

Do not hesitate to send it in for service, after Summer,,, Mine got one week turnover and upgrade to latest firmware in process. Don't be half safe as Dial soap ( no pun) used to advertise. Send it in post haste....best thing. Give them full details. Strip off finder cup and battery, just send in body with body cover. Good luck and come back with your story of what happened, Harold. This is after all the company;s flagship and is pricey. I am buying the extended warranty, just in case......from B and H is best price right now....aloha, gs

<p>Hey Gerry, getting any good weather shots this week?</p>

Nothing like that, Sanford:

 

 

I stay indoors with a six pack....you youngsters can run in the rain and jump over fallen limbs. First storm has passed so far with little rain or wind on this island. Knock wood... Not disappointing to our school -out kids. Next Sunday we will see about second blast, which can move any which way and even maintain hurricane strength. (Pacific is large and our chain is like a pebble. thus the rare quality of a strike) Meaning hard to hit . But all islands prepared ass well as possiblr. Toilet paper and rice are the big items for the ladies For men, it is not bottled water but BEER! Semper paratis.

<p>I've been following the rowers that left Monterey for Hawaii about sixty days ago (greatpacificrace.com) and see several boats still haven't finished. Is this race a big deal there? Sorry for changing the subject Harold. </p>

<p>I don't like the mirrorless but comparing the Fuji to the Oly the Fuji's are much better made than the Oly. That what I saw just by looking.</p>

<p>Bebu,</p>

<p>I recently moved to µ 43, and The Olympus EM-5 I ended up with is just as solid as any of the Fuji products I checked out.</p>

<p>It is true that the Fuji may be more solid than some of the lower end Olympus, but they don't really compete there, as none of the Fuji stuff is "low end" so to speak.</p>

From one of their on line ad designer comments, they made two prototype new flagship models in four thirds. Son of E-5 and son of EM 5.... The mirrorless model in micro four thirds allowed an unlimited size to the eye finder screen being all electronic. That part makes sense now that electronic viewfinders are crisp and have good refresh times. Plus the ability to overlay all kinds of stuff like active histograms. One gets used to live histograms. I have great respect for Fuji but am now invested in Olympus and no regrets. We have room for several mirrorless companies. Mirrorless has inherent advantages I am learning about as we go along. Explains their popularity.

Easiest camera to see what you are getting when there are high contrasts ismy mirrorless now with an electronic finder which is as big or bigger than the DSLRs. Micro 4/3 is no slouch on its finder.... I am getting just a little prejudiced or perhaps brainwashed, whatever, but sometimes I want a quick shot. Mirrorless delivers with fewer needs to chimp. I can put up a live histogram over the photo, or do other stuff... To Sanford: My only outdoors venture today, I am not a paid dripping CNN stormchaser, no way.....<div></div>

One can downplay some of the features of the Olympus flagship E-M1, but rugged build, magnesium alloy frame, water resistant seals throughout and professional design structural members and firm solid feel dials, puts it up there with other fine cameras in its competitive bracket. I think what I see in Fuji is a trend towards the rangefinder look and feel whereas OMD- EM-1 reminds some of the beloved OM-1 of yore, a pint sized jewel of a camera. But then it is in the eyes of the beholder. We need that guy in Modern Photography who would do a strip down analysis and peek into the guts and the wiring and the ease of access for adjustment. Remember him? But who strips down anymore. We just buy and trade- some of us...heaven forbid it being called plasticky, even as plastics are getting a lot of usage in tech gear. Some are even used on our aeroplanes.. 'Plasticky' aircraft? gs

<p>I have arranged a warrantee repair after my peak use..</p>

<p>This is a known defect that happens with some of the EM1s. If you look it up on the DPR M43 forum, there have been a number of people with this particular failure. Olympus does repair the camera successfully for it, as nobody seems to be having repeat problems after it is fixed, so your warrantee repair should be pretty easy, once you get a chance to send it in.</p>

<p>Thanks, Janet. For some reason, I don't seem to have received an e-mail notification of your reply.<br>

The problem seems progressive and the dial takes a lot of pressure and persistence to get any responses. Anyway, transfering functions to the front dial will get me through my trip later this month.<br>

On features of the model, I also have an issue with its RC flash mode. I use mostly off-camera flash TTL for macro. This requires an RC flash on the hot shoe to control it. The pop-up flash supplied with the camera is ideal, except that, in the manipulations and brushing against foliage, etc which are the very nature of outdoor macro, it frequently and easily flips down again, stopping any flash function.<br>

This needs to be moderated. I am loathe to put anything underneath it so I am trying a flimsy rubber band, crossed over at the top of the unit and looped uner the viewfinder eyecup. It seems to offer just enough resistance.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I am now having trouble with the FL-LM2 pop-up flash, which I use only as RC trigger/control.<br>

I had been getting an increasing number of flash failures. Also, there were number of severe over-exposures.<br>

I have identied the cause of this to be related to a poor fit in the port under the hot shoe. Some lateral rotation makes or breaks the contact. There is no such movement in the identical port on my E-P2 (where the electronics are not compatable). Also, my VF-2 fits and works well on my E-M1.<br>

I am currently getting no response to e-mails to the seller but I have a slightly-used (my words) FL-LM2 on the way to me. Either this will work, indicating the flash male connector to be faulty, or it will not, showing the camera electonics to be at fault. I will report back.</p>

<p>My second FL-LM2 arrived today. The RC performance is slightly better than the kit one but I am getting a lot of flash failures and over- or severerly underexposures, all depending on to slight horizontal rotation. It is clearly a wiring problem behind the USB-type female socket.<br>

This will have to be repaired when I have the faulty rear dial (now solid) replaced.<br>

I wonder how many more faults will be identified by the time I send the camera for repair!</p>