Setting "B" or manual "60th"

I've got an Oly OM-2s and I can't get the exposure ring to turn to the two red speeds - B or 1/60th. Is there some sort of interlock I'm missing?

 

Thanks.

From memory (I haven't got an OM2 now) isn't there a little button to the bottom right of the lens mount as you look at it? I think you have to press it in to engage those speeds.

John is right. It's a really small button. It will say "lock" right above it. Easy to miss. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll send a pic. I'm sure there's a good reason that Oly wanted those speeds locked but they haven't been on any other camera I've owned.

They are mechanical backup speeds in case you’re out shooting and your batteries poop out. No battery power required to use them.

 

In the normal course of usage, there’s no need to go there, so they have them locked. Many camera models had a shutter speed or two in mechanical reserve back then. Better than nothing when you have no battery power.

Edited February 26, 2018 by Greg M

They are mechanical backup speeds in case you’re out shooting and your batteries poop out. No battery power required to use them.

 

In the normal course of usage, there’s no need to go there, so they have them locked. Many camera models had a shutter speed or two in mechanical reserve back then. Better than nothing when you have no battery power.

 

I guess I knew that they were the "mechanical" speeds and since I take a lot of night shots, I use bulb frequently. In particular with the OM-2S, many people recommend moving the shutter speed to Bulb when your done with the camera for the day since it shuts the meter off. Those cameras have a reputation for eating batteries, - though it hasn't been a problem with mine. Anyway, the lock makes doing that a pain.

I have read that about the OM-2S and battery depletion....

It is also worth mentioning that contrary to what one might read on the Internet, setting ring to B or 60 does NOT turn off the measuring circuit. Therefore, batteries are still drained. I had OM-2s (which is now dead) and still have OM-4 (regular, not T). Both of them had this issue.

In order to make the 2S (and 4, 3, etc.) ready to operate even when the meter display was "off", it was necessary to design the circuit with a "standby" mode. As such, even when the the camera is "off", there is a constant current drain. With silver oxide batteries, this minute drain is insignificant (silver oxides will usually last 6-12 months), but alkaline and lithium substitutes cannot tolerate even that minor drain, and will die in a matter of days or weeks. Setting the dial to the red speeds actually has a negligible effect on battery drain.

 

The mechanical or "red" speeds allow limited operation ("B" or "1/60th"), but in those settings, the meter display is disabled. Olympus didn't want users to set the camera on the red speeds expecting all features to work, and so included a "lock" on the shutter dial to prevent moving into the red speeds by accident. Note also that battery power is necessary to trigger a flash, even in the "red" speeds.

It's so frustrating to not have an off swith. Imagine how I felt when I got their flagship OM-4 and it had no 'off' position. It's like having a smart watch that doesn't tell the time!

 

And now I carry spare batteries everywhere. Double pack for night shots.