worth repairing --- again?

[jerry_green1]

<p>I have an OM1n black body but the shutter always jams. Have had it repaired twice by agent years ago but jams again almost immediately. Trouble started when I slipped on wet icy wooden steps of ski hire shop in Les Deux Alpes and fell on backpack with camera inside, Its in pretty good cosmetic cond but it seems they are worth very little on ebay and I also have an OM4ti and an OM10 plus a Rollei 35 but I love the simplicity of it and can't bear to throw it away. Whats to do --- is this type of incurable shutter problem after a heavy shock common?</p>

[Greg M]

<p>A competent repair person should be able to fix whatever is wrong and not have to continually revisit the issue, assuming they have access to any parts needed and don't take short-cuts in the repair that are not long-term solutions, but typical repair/CLA's on these type camera do amount to a good-sized percentage of what they are worth. Eventually you just have to ask yourself if you aren't better off finding a clean, working unit.</p>

[paul_wheatland]

<p>sometimes nostalgia stands in the way of economic sense! I've fallen into the same trap on several occasions.</p>

[john_hermanson2]

<p>Repair price has no relation to what the item may be "worth". Value has to be determined by the owner. I've seen cameras that have been unjammed by tripping a lever, but why did that lever jam in the first place? If camera was dropped hard enough to bend the body, then I'd say it may not work reliably at all. If the actual cause of the defect is not addressed, then you're likely to have repetitive problems. John</p>

[Greg M]

<p>"value" would be a more appropriate term than "worth"!</p>

[john_robison3]

<p>Just send it to John at Camtech. He'll give you a honest recommendation to either repair, it will be done right, or to seek another body. Sometimes, but not always, he has used bodies for sale. Camtech is the authority on Olympus repair. By the way, is this the same body you fell on when it was in your backpack about 3 years ago? Perhaps the main casting is cracked.</p>

[david_carroll4]

<p>From a strictly financial point of view, almost no OM-1 is worth CLA'ing, given how cheaply they can be obtained on the auction site ($20-60 for a working body). However, it's not always about dollars and cents. I bought my OM-1n used in 1986, and it's fairly "brassed" and dinged - in other words, not worth much in terms of cash - but I'm not about to part with it. It was worth it <em>to me</em> to have it CLA'd and converted to use modern batteries (Camtech), simply because it has accompanied me on many travels and never let me down. It's a small price to pay for another couple of decades of service.</p>

[steve_lane2]

<p>My sentiments exactly David; I purchased my OM1n back in May 1982 and it has been at my side for most of the time, and always accompanies me on travels. I have photographed many things with it, including the birth of my Son, so it is of great sentimental value to me now. I sent it to John at Camtech a couple of years ago for a complete overhaul, so it should be good for many years now. In order to keep this camera working, I would be prepared to pay far more tha what it is actually worth, or what it cost to purchase it new. To me, its 'worth' has transcended monetary value.</p>

<p>Regards, Steve.</p>

[john_hermanson2]

<p>Sorry, but a $20 - $60 body is not a working body. Overhaul almost always needed with stuff slipping out of the shoot on ebay. John</p>

[keith_anderson7]

<p>It's like buying a new car because your old $1500 car needs a $1600 repair. More than the car is worth? Yes, but a new car is $20,000+ and after you pay interest on the loan, maybe $25-30k, plus the headache of 2-6 years of monthly payments. It has little to do with repair cost versus value, and more to do with "what do you do if you don't fix it??"</p>

<p>I had a K1000 that I loved. Dead simple, but it's the one I learned on and I felt the simplicity was a huge virtue. I didn't want to pay $200 for a CLA and new foam, so I bought a $90 one from eBay in "excellent" condition. It certainly looked excellent on the outside, but it too had a light leak (needed a CLA and new foam) and also had a faulty shutter. I needed to spend $275 to fix the one I bought to save money. Oops!!</p>

<p>I'd send your Oly in for repair but make sure you send it to someone who knows the issue you're having and promises you won't have continued issues with it after they fix it.</p>

[david_carroll4]

<p>John, when I say a "working body", I mean one in which all of the functions nominally operate, as opposed to one labelled "for repair/parts". Obviously the Ebay definition of "working" covers a continuum from pristine to barely operational, but still technically "working". I have encountered examples from both ends of the spectrum. I have a number of Ebay-derived cameras that, once the inevitably degraded foam and seals were replaced, have operated flawlessly and continue to do so. I accept that with older ebay cameras, you never really know what you're going to get, regardless of the sellers' pitch. However, that uncertainty goes both ways - it could as easily be a perfectly functioning gem as an almost DOA piece of junk.</p>

[jim_baker6]

<p>Obviously if your camera cannot be repaired then that's that. Your repairer (e.g. John) should be able to advise you on the repairability. That said, I would have repaired a camera I liked and knew to be OK without worrying about the cost of a similar second-hand model on ebay or anywhere else. I like the assurance that of having a camera that has served me well and which has just undergone a repair+service. This is particularly the case with an OM-1n which seems to be so simple and well designed that, terminal problems aside, it can usually be restored to perfect working order. </p>

[scott_paris4]

<p>Camtech is at: http://www.zuiko.com/ </p>

<p>If they can't fix it, they will say so; if they can, you'll have an essentially new camera that will serve you for another 20 years.</p>

<p>(I have no connection; just a happy customer.)</p>