A quick Olympus OM-4ti question

Lars Daniel · Oct 24, 2010

I have the OM-2 which I am very happy with, but I keep forgetting turning it off so batteries keep dying on me.
Am I right that on OM-4ti I do not have to turn it off?
(If I am right I will start looking for one.)

Les Sarile · Oct 24, 2010

I am reviewing my OM4T and unlike the OM1 or OM2, there is no "off" switch per se. You can put the shutter selector on a manual speed and the metering will not activate at all. Otherwise, pressing the shutter will activate the meter even with the film advance all the way in but I am sure the LCD makes a minimum drain on batteries.

Q.G. · Oct 24, 2010

If you can judge exposure a bit by guesstimation, trust the camera to do its work, you don't have to switch the OM 2 on, and then there is no risk of forgetting to switch it off.

The metering system will be switched on jump into action the moment you release the shutter, so if you can judge the situation, know beforehand that in a given situation, at a given aperture the shutter speed will be in a 'usable' range, you can do without the viewfinder meter that requires use of the on-off switch.

Don't know about the OM 4T specifically (i forgot...) but do know that i took the batteries out of OM 4 cameras at the end of every day using them. If i did not, they would be flat the next time i needed the camera (even if that would be the next day). Despite putting the shutter speed ring to blue B.

Les Sarile · Oct 24, 2010

Q.G. I understand that some OM4's may exhibit excessive battery drain but that it is before the OM4T and/or internal component failure. I can't even remember when the last time I changed the batteries in my OM4T and it is still good to go.

Rob Skeoch · Oct 24, 2010

This is off topic. But wasn't the OM4t one of the nicest cameras all time.

I never owned one, and they never were very popular in Canada but they seemed so nice. I remember seeing a 180mm F2 at a News Photographers Convention once and falling in love with it.

-Rob Skeoch

Vincent Brady · Oct 24, 2010

I think the camera turns itself off after 2 minutes. I know that I rarely have to renew the batteries in mine.

E76 · Oct 24, 2010

At some point during the OM4's history the circuitry was updated so that it would automatically shut off after a minute or two and not drain the battery. If you set the selector switch to "Battery Check" and it shut offs after a few minutes the camera has the new circuitry. I believe all OM4Ts have this updated circuitry, but I don't know for sure.

Pumalite · Oct 24, 2010

I don't have to turn 'On' or 'Off' my Olympus OM-4T

Allan Swindles · Oct 24, 2010

Buy an OM-4Ti, you will never regret it and you won't have to worry about switching it off, but then the OM-2 is only MAN/OFF/AUTO, surely not that difficult to remember.

Les Sarile · Oct 24, 2010

Since the camera is very dependent on it, battery life is certainly a consideration for acquiring an OM4T. Notwithstanding circuitry failure, I think it's spot metering (mine is accurate as a Sekonic 758DR) and certainly the best aperture priority metering of any manual camera that I have especially for very long exposures.

Mark Layne · Oct 24, 2010

Rob Skeoch said:
This is off topic. But wasn't the OM4t one of the nicest cameras all time.

I never owned one, and they never were very popular in Canada but they seemed so nice. I remember seeing a 180mm F2 at a News Photographers Convention once and falling in love with it.

-Rob Skeoch

Rob
I have an OM-4 lying around which has been out for repair of an erratic shutter problem twice but never fixed. I liked the camera a lot but it is in the junk box now
Mark

erikg · Oct 24, 2010

No, no On/Off on the OM-4t. Battery drain issue was fixed prior to T/Ti version. Yes, one of the nicest cameras of all time. Yes, Yes, YES. Great meter too. Just a slightly biased opinion, mind you.

nsurit · Oct 24, 2010

If you decide you would like to buy a one give me a bump. I have a nice one in box with all documentation packaging, etc. If we strike a deal, 3% to APUG. Bill Barber

Ken N · Oct 24, 2010

The OM-4 and OM-2S both have higher-drain circuits which do tend to deplete batteries even while unused. HOWEVER, it is absolutely critical that you select the correct batteries for these cameras. For example, if you put Lithium batteries in it, thinking that they should be better for cold weather (usually they are), forget it. You'll get maybe two days out of the batteries before the voltage-drop lowers them below the point where the cameras will turn on. Those are absolutely no-no.

You MUST use Silver-Oxide batteries!!!!

I wrote about this on my website in this article:

http://zone-10.com/cmsm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=429&Itemid=1

I had an OM-4 for several years, but now have an OM-4T (USA version of the OM-4Ti), an OM-2S and an OM-3Ti. The OM-3Ti doesn't need a battery to operate the shutter, but the meter does require it. I seem to be replacing the batteries in the OM-4T and OM-3Ti about the same time because I am a heavy user of the multi-spot metering capability.

Ken
www.zone-10.com

Q.G. · Oct 25, 2010

And when you do get an OM 4, turn the "beep" off.
Annoying little feature, that can't be good for the batteries either.

Rick A · Oct 25, 2010

The beep on the OM-4 can be turned off, that helps extend battery life. The 4t has the updated circuitry, as do some of the later 4's. Both models automatically turn on with a slight depression of the shutter release button, and turn off after two minutes of non-activity(dont touch that button).

John Hermanson · Oct 25, 2010

OM-4Ti meter turns off automatically in 90 seconds but there is still baseline battery drain , VERY low in T/Ti compared to plain 4 (about 1/6th as much). Same goes when comparing OM-3 to 3Ti. Setting shutter speed dial to B/60 prevents meter from turning on if release button is depressed slightly but does not turn off the baseline battery drain. If batteries are going dead quickly in a plain OM-2, there is something wrong. Leaving it set to auto or manual has a very slightly drain but still, if using silver oxide batteries, you could leave meter on for a long time without killing batteries. John

Lars Daniel · Oct 26, 2010

Thanks all, this was very informative.

Les Sarile · Oct 26, 2010

How professional is an Olympus OM4T you ask? Check out this article called OM-4Ti Crash Test Results at http://brashear.phys.appstate.edu/lhawkins/photo/crash-test.txt. Not something I would subject my OM-4T or any other camera I own!

Bill Burk · Oct 27, 2010

I have the early OM-4 and it always had battery drain problems. I sent it to Olympus America twice and they sent it back with my batteries on a card with a lame excuse that I should not keep my flash in the hotshoe powered on.

Over the years, I learned the best thing for me is to use Alkaline A76's because the cost of Silver Oxide - considering my specific camera's consumption pattern - was unacceptable to me. Yes, they only last a short time. For a week in the mountains I would bring 12 cells in two separate containers. One set of 6 would stay in the middle of my pack, insulated from temperature extremes. The other set of 6 in my pants pocket. I would always need new batteries at the start. Sometimes they would die twice in a day. Sometimes cold weather would cause them to die. But typically I would hit a stretch of 3-4 days without them dying. Then they'd die on my last morning. I usually had a couple left by the end of the trip.

Ken N · Oct 28, 2010

The flash ready light in the viewfinder is powered by the flash itself, except in the OM-2S and some Original OM-4 bodies which get their power from the camera batteries. There was a modified circuit which was made availabe for a while. My OM-2S was upgraded. The way to tell if your OM-2S has the modified circuit is the color of the light. Green is standard, red is upgraded.

Vince Curletta · Mar 20, 2018

nsurit said:
If you decide you would like to buy a one give me a bump. I have a nice one in box with all documentation packaging, etc. If we strike a deal, 3% to APUG. Bill Barber

Hey Bill - I saw this old message. Do you still have an OM-4T in good condition? Just wondering. Vince Curletta

benjiboy · Mar 20, 2018

Les Sarile said:
Q.G. I understand that some OM4's may exhibit excessive battery drain but that it is before the OM4T and/or internal component failure. I can't even remember when the last time I changed the batteries in my OM4T and it is still good to go.

There was a fault in the original OM4's C.P.U. that caused excessive battery drain.

A quick Olympus OM-4ti question

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