At 16:42 4/12/02, you wrote:
I have a 2S with a green led in the viewfinder for the flash. I
understand that a modification can be made and it results in a red led. What
are the other effects of this modification? Surely it is more than a led
color issue? Does it partially address the battery drain issue? Is this
still available? Is it normally done as part of a CLA? Any idea of expense
involved? Sorry about all the question but I want all my equipment in
optimum condition. Thanks
Rich
Rich,
Yes, it's more than color. The other OM's use power from the flash cells
to illuminate the Flash-Ready LED in the viewfinder (exc. OM-1/OM-2 which
do not have this feature). As originally designed, the OM-2S powers it
using the camera cells. The LED color is green. The modification converts
the camera to powering it from the flash cells and changes the LED to a red
one (makes it easy to tell if the camera has had the modification performed).
Its greatest effect is with users like Ken Norton who talked about
continuously "toasting batteries" in his camera. When shooting events like
weddings, there's typically a flash in the shoe turned on for many
hours. For most of the rest of us, we don't rack up tens of hours per week
with a flash turned on in the hot shoe; it's not a big issue. Like a
number of others on this list I have a "green LED" OM-2S and get about the
same life from #357 watch cells in it as I do in the OM-4 (which powers its
LED from the flash): about 9 months to a year. If I send the OM-2S in for
CLA or overhaul at some time in the future I will request the
modification. At this time the camera definitely does not need a CLA, so
it will wait until then.
BTW, the "battery drain" issue with OM-2S and OM-4 circuits comes up all
the time. Yes, there are a handful of OM-2S and OM-4 bodies that do
develop a problem. However, the problem is *not* the magnitude a scan of
the list archives would lead someone to believe. IMHO the three biggest
contributors to their badly overblown reputation are:
(1) NOT rotating the shutter speed ring into one of the two "red"
mechanical shutter speed positions when the camera is stuffed into a camera
bag, or otherwise stored when not in use. Both have a viewfinder
illuminator for which the button is on the right side of the prism
housing. If this button is inadvertently depressed in a camera bag, it
WILL drain the batteries VERY quickly. If the shutter release is partially
depressed, it will keep the viewfinder powered. While not as bad as the
illuminator, it will also drain batteries quickly. Rotating the shutter
speed ring into the "red 60" or "B" position *immediately* turns off the
viewfinder illuminator *and* the display. Neither can be activated until
it's rotated to an electronic shutter speed. Puting the shutter speed ring
into one of the "red" positions when storing the camera, especially in a
camera bag, is simply a good habit with the OM-2S, OM-4, and OM-4T. So is
*always* rotating the rewind knob before opening a camera back (albeit this
doesn't affect battery consumption). After consciously doing it for a
while it becomes a subconscious act.
(2) NOT using Silver Oxide SR44W or #357 watch cells. Next best are SR44
and MS76 Silver Oxide camera cells. The watch cells have the best voltage
fall-off curves (better than the Silver Oxide camera cells) and will power
the camera effectively unil their bitter "end of life." Those who insist
on trying to save money by using alkaline or lithium cells in an OM-2S,
OM-4, or OM-4T, which have the *worst* voltage falloff curves, are doomed
to replacing them very frequently, spending more on them over time, and
bitterly ranting about how they have a voracious battery-eater.
(3) Comparison of the OM-2S and OM-4 with the very battery friendly OM-1
and OM-1n. These cameras *only* use the cell to power the meter and the
drain is relatively low. Batteries in them last nearly forever. It's
unrealistic to expect an electronic shuttered, LCD viewfinder, electronic
self-timer camera body to be as friendly with its power
consumption. Compare 6 months to a year with what most users experience
with a program mode, auto-focus, integral flash, integral motor drive,
power zoom P&S or Wunderziegel, and the cost of the mega-battery it
requires, a 6-12 month life-span for a pair of #357 watch cells in an OM-2S
is a bargain.
-- John
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