Death of an OM-1n

[OptiKen]

Pretty much my go to camera for the past 6 months. Yesterday I headed out to a museum and started to load my camera before heading out. First I checked the battery by doing a dry run with the camera.
Dead batteries.
The mirror locked up.
I removed the lens to look inside and the frosted viewing screen fell into my hands.
Mirror still locked up.
No time to try to fix it so I grabbed my OM-2S.
Dead batteries. - meter non-responsive.
Grabbed my Canon P instead.
Wow! I had forgotten just how quiet a rangefinder is.
Perfect for a museum.
I think I will be dusting off my fully mechanical rangefinders for my future endeavors.

 

[Sirius Glass]

 

[MattKing]

For the OM-1, click the frame for the viewing screen back into place to re-seat the screen. Check that the mirror lock-up isn't engaged. Put in new batteries.

 

[OptiKen]

For the OM-1, click the frame for the viewing screen back into place to re-seat the screen. Check that the mirror lock-up isn't engaged. Put in new batteries.

Thank you Matt.
Tonight's project.

 

[klownshed]

The OM-1 doesn't lock the mirror up with dead batteries does it?

It's fully mechanical. The OM-2 does, not the 1. The batteries in the Om-1 only power the meter.

Silly question perhaps; but have you checked the mirror lock up switch on the OM-1? Maybe it got switched by mistake.

 

[OptiKen]

Silly question perhaps; but have you checked the mirror lock up switch on the OM-1? Maybe it got switched by mistake.

YES, it's a silly question!
(I will double check it tonight)
<blush>

 

[faberryman]

I''m not sure how the focusing screen fell out if the mirror was locked up.

 

[faberryman]

I''m not sure how the focusing screen fell out if the mirror was locked up.

 

[MattKing]

I''m not sure how the focusing screen fell out if the mirror was locked up.

Thanks, because your post got me to start thinking about this.
I'm guessing that maybe the mirror wasn't locked up, but rather Ken interpreted the unusable blurred image one sees when the focusing screen has been released as being a symptom of mirror lock up.

 

[ic-racer]

What they already said...

 

[OptiKen]

This is a late update. I apologize.
I tackled the camera again when I got home, using the advice from klownshed and MattKing and everything works.
Yes, I had inadvertently switched on the mirror lock-up. Yes, the battery did need replacing, and Yes, the screen popped back in with ease once I knew what I was doing.
Thank you all for helping me resurrect my favorite SLR

 

[MattKing]

Good news!

 

[Michael Guzzi]

It's a great feeling when any piece of gear springs back to life, isn't it?