How to repair Olympus Pen EM "Half-Frame" Film Camera Battery Door? *Pictures

Found this amazing Olympus Pen EM Film camera at a thrift store.

However, the battery door seems to be missing its latch or the battery spring seems to be missing. Please see attached photos of the battery compartment.
Whenever I put 2x AAs into the camera, they fit loose.

How can I find parts, or repair this neat little half-frame camera?

Thanks a lot!

Yep, there should be a plastic insert and metal (chromed brass, usually) contact/spring strip in that door. The plastic bit could be 3D printed; might be a little trial in error in getting the fit right, but it should only take about 20 minutes of machine time (that is, you'll spend longer CAD drafting the model than printing).

The insert might be two parts with a small spring of some kind, too. Hopefully someone will turn up to has one, to at least see what you're supposed to have.

After looking at the manual, the batteries go in both positives ends up. The piece that is missing then connects each battery to one of the little nubs sticking up. I highlighted the nibs and the part that contacts them in yellow on this screenshot.Making a piece to replace exactly what is missing is not a easy task. To start I would make two jumper wires (Flat pieces of metal or aluminum foil may work as well) and see if I could tape them to the battery tops and and then the nibs and see if the camera works. It would be difficult to just hold them there. If it does work I would try a AA battery holder. Cut it down so you only have one side and then solder the leads to the nibs sticking up. The best solution would be a donor camera that has the piece. However, you would still want to verify it works before going through the trouble.

I think it would be possible for someone better with 3D CAD than me to produce that insert and the latch that goes with it.

Bazza D said:

The best solution would be a donor camera that has the piece. However, you would still want to verify it works before going through the trouble.

Click to expand...

You're probably correct, donor camera is the sensible route.

Donald Qualls said:

I think it would be possible for someone better with 3D CAD than me to produce that insert and the latch that goes with it.

Click to expand...

.I think having the plastic part fabricated would be simple. The problem I see is not the plastic parts but more the metal connectors.

Cool find, and mildly collectable I think. But judging by age and general condition of the camera, I think it will need a full CLA, and there are likely corroded wires in need of replacement.

Call me crazy, but if it were my find, I might go off on a different tangent: Rather than attempt to restore what was apparently a flawed design, maybe I'd try outfitting it with lithium batteries + miniature 1.5V voltage regulator. The camera-wiki article doesn't specify what it's incurable problem was, but it wouldn't surprise me if AA battery life was terrible. The missing bits could be replaced in any number of ways, but the funnest might be to treat it as an art project and craft missing bits out of walnut, brass, or whatever you have on hand.