Olympus OM1n battery

Ian51 · Dec 22, 2015

Hey all

I have recently purchased my as new OM1n and although the lens that came withit is a bit rough the body is as described. Mint+++

So it came with a PX625 battery and I switched on the meter which sprung tolife. The battery is a 1.5v so I am aware that I need the CRIS convertor to usea 1.3v silver battery for correct exposure. The needle was jittery and swungviolently on occasions so rather than delve into the depths and start checkingwiring and terminal etc. I thought I would try a commonly substituted hearingaid battery just to rule out the possibly dodgy battery that might have comewith the camera.

So heres the thing. I put a 1.5v hearing aid battery in and once again thehearing aid battery swung into life and seemed steady. That was enough for meto go ahead and order the proper battery convertor from ebay. I turned off themeter and the meter was still metering and reacting to both aperture and speedsettings. I took the battery out and it is still metering and reacting tochanges in settings.

Does anyone know if a charge is held in the meter for a while. I have left ithalf an hour and it is still metering. I was expecting the meter to immediatelyswitch off but it has not done. I did switch on and off with the first batteryso how comes it is still metering without a battery.

Imagine if I had a fully functioning meter OM1n which didn't need batteries.How cool but also how impossible.

Any ideas folks??

Bill Burk · Dec 22, 2015

Some of the linkage of the OM-1 will move the meter even without power. Nothing to worry about.

Bill Burk · Dec 22, 2015

Well. Maybe not on re-reading. Maybe the on-off switch is stuck on.

Bill Burk · Dec 22, 2015

But without a battery, it would have to be the linkages.

Rick A · Dec 22, 2015

This is what I use in my OM-1: http://www.weincell.com/
They last a very long time since all it does is power the meter.

AgX · Dec 22, 2015

Ian51 said:
The battery is a 1.5v so I am aware that I need the CRIS convertor to usea 1.3v silver battery for correct exposure.

Silver-oxide cells have 1.55 no-drain voltage.

Ian51 · Dec 22, 2015

Hey thanks for all the replies everyone. All is well. No idea how but the meter is working fine nice and steady all be it a 1.5v and switches off immediately with needle dropping down straight away. Strange, but doesn't that just add to the beauty of these mechanical marvels? Anyway one mint OM1n with fully functioning meter. Just need to find a similar condition 50mm. f1.4 or if funds allow f1.2.

Thanks for the replies and maybe it was just the swaying meter needle but I thought that only applied on B shutter speed. Oh well.

frank · Dec 22, 2015

Sounds like you've got one of those magic cameras.

Ian51 · Dec 22, 2015

That's the way I'm going AgX silver oxide and a CRIS adaptor to lower the voltage to 1.35 or better still leave it to instinct and the sunny 16 rule

Rick A · Dec 22, 2015

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

frank · Dec 22, 2015

Even without a meter, it's a great camera. Just like the Leica M2 or Hasselblad 500cm which also don't have a meter.

Ian51 · Dec 22, 2015

Hey it is a great camera Frank I love it and cant wait to get snapping. I'm planning on a large aperture 50mm and a 24mm and off I go.

I cut my teeth on an old OM20 in my youth and also rode round like a wildchild on a CB400 Four with a 4 into 1 pipe. Haha.

I checked out your web site and there are some cool photos on there. The trip looks like it was a good one too. Oh and the dark room, yes yes yes. I always wanted to set up a dark room but on the meagre wage of a gardener at 16 could never seem to get passed filling the tank up and shooting off somewhere round Britain with a sleeping bag and tarp let alone enlargers, tanks and chemicals. I have had a few bikes since too and did a 5000 mile round trip to North Africa a few years ago with my son on the back. Father and son bonding and all that.

Glad to see there are some film people still around

frank · Dec 22, 2015

Yep, you've found the right place!

Ricardo Miranda · Dec 22, 2015

Ian51 said:
That's the way I'm going AgX silver oxide and a CRIS adaptor to lower the voltage to 1.35 or better still leave it to instinct and the sunny 16 rule

There is another solution that is cheaper and doesn't involved mutilating a body: hearing aid battery ZA675 and an O ring to centre it. It is a 1.4V and constant voltage battery.

wiltw · Dec 22, 2015

Ricardo Miranda said:
There is another solution that is cheaper and doesn't involved mutilating a body: hearing aid battery ZA675 and an O ring to centre it. It is a 1.4V and constant voltage battery.

But the CRIS MR-9 involves zero modification of the body, it is a metal housing with electronics to take silver oxide cell declining voltage down to the constant voltage to mimic mercuric oxide. Being silver oxide, it does not have the timed life after activation that an air cell (hear aid battery) is subject to.

Ian51 · Dec 22, 2015

Yeah that's the way I've gone with the o ring and 1.4v hearing aid but it was a quick and cheap fix to check out the meter. Now I've got confirmation that the meter is ok I'm going for the long term solution of the correct voltage and longer battery life. The camera is immaculate so I may as well restore to its proper state. It will be my daily camera. No more digital from now on. No more downloading hundreds of pictures hunting for a one off. My take is finding a couple of well thought out shots, framed and consideration of depth of field, lighting etc. out of a roll of film might be more productive and certainly more exciting. Who knows I might even get the chance to see some of them appear at the bottom of a developing tray. The kit is so cheap to pick up second hand in the UK.

Ricardo Miranda · Dec 22, 2015

wiltw said:
But the CRIS MR-9 involves zero modification of the body, it is a metal housing with electronics to take silver oxide cell declining voltage down to the constant voltage to mimic mercuric oxide. Being silver oxide, it does not have the timed life after activation that an air cell (hear aid battery) is subject to.

I didn't say the CRIS solution was a "modification of the body", did I?
I had in mind the diode solution.
I was just offering another solution.

frank · Dec 22, 2015

Diode, CRIS, hearing aid battery: all viable solutions. Even a handheld meter.

All I'd really need is my OM1 with 50 and 28.

Ricardo Miranda · Dec 22, 2015

Ian51 said:
Yeah that's the way I've gone with the o ring and 1.4v hearing aid but it was a quick and cheap fix to check out the meter. Now I've got confirmation that the meter is ok I'm going for the long term solution of the correct voltage and longer battery life. The camera is immaculate so I may as well restore to its proper state. It will be my daily camera. No more digital from now on. No more downloading hundreds of pictures hunting for a one off. My take is finding a couple of well thought out shots, framed and consideration of depth of field, lighting etc. out of a roll of film might be more productive and certainly more exciting. Who knows I might even get the chance to see some of them appear at the bottom of a developing tray. The kit is so cheap to pick up second hand in the UK.

As we are in the same country, have a look at a Poundland for a pack of 4 ZA675 batteries.
They are labelled "Kodak".

Ian51 · Dec 23, 2015

Oh thanks for that, I'll check them out 25p each cant be bad and it will keep me going for a few months until the adaptor arrives.

wiltw · Dec 23, 2015

Ricardo Miranda said:
I didn't say the CRIS solution was a "modification of the body", did I?
I had in mind the diode solution.
I was just offering another solution.

Ricardo, the way your initial response was worded, it sounded as if the CRIS involved modification to the body.

Ian51: That's the way I'm going AgX silver oxide and a CRIS adaptor to lower the voltage to 1.35 or better still leave it to instinct and the sunny 16 rule

Ricardo: There is another solution that is cheaper and doesn't involved mutilating a body...

so I merely added information regarding the nature of the CRIS solution for other readers better understanding of it. Had you stated, "There is another solution that is cheaper and it also, like the CRIS, doesn't involve mutilating a body...I would not have bothered to add clarity.

Ricardo Miranda · Dec 23, 2015

Ricardo, the way your initial response was worded, it sounded as if the CRIS involved modification to the body.

Yes, you're right Wiltw.
I've realised later that the quote made it look I was referring to CRIS.
Sorry about that.

Arvee · Dec 23, 2015

deleted

digital&film · Dec 23, 2015

www.zuiko.com

thuggins · Dec 24, 2015

wiltw said:
But the CRIS MR-9 involves zero modification of the body, it is a metal housing with electronics to take silver oxide cell declining voltage down to the constant voltage to mimic mercuric oxide.

The MR-9 adapter is not a bridge circuit, it is just a resistor to drop the voltage of the silver cell. Unlike alkaline cells, both silver and mercury cells have an essentially constant voltage over their life.

Regarding the Zuiko 50's, the f1.2 is well known as the worst of the bunch. The f1.4 is good, the f1.8 MIJ is the best.

Olympus OM1n battery

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