Olympus OM4-Ti Repairer

[Svenedin]

My OM4-Ti is getting on in years and has started to play up. I have had it new since 1992 and it has never gone wrong...until now. I have 2 OM4-Ti's but this is my favourite having travelled with me extensively.

It has 2 faults: firstly it "flattens" batteries quickly (a month or so). It never used to do this so I investigated the simple remedies -cleaned battery contacts, ensured a tight contact with spring to no avail. It will work for a few weeks with new batteries but then randomly reports the batteries are "flat" even when they are not.

Secondly, there is something wrong with film transport onto the take up spool. Not sure exactly what is wrong but the guide pin is not guiding the film properly as the film reverses onto the take-up spool. Consequently, the film advance is quite rough and sometimes the film comes adrift when loading a new film.

Anyway, I sent the camera to Newton Ellis in Liverpool, UK and they have returned the camera as not repairable due to lack of available parts. They tell me that the camera needs a new circuit board and some "plastic parts" for the film transport.

The camera is usable but getting annoying.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a specialist repairer? Ideally in the UK or Europe but could be anywhere. Lack of spare parts may mean this camera has had it which would be a shame.....

PS: I have made enquiries with Luton Cameras in the UK and John Hermanson in the USA and I am waiting for replies.

 

[Hilo]

I am in The Netherlands and have sent mine to John. It is a bit of a wait, and expense, but so worth it.

There is or was someone in Hamburg called the OM doctor. Never used him though.

My problems with my three OM4Ti's was always with the electronics. Magnets needed to be cleaned, or replaced . . . it could be your electronic circuit just needs to be cleaned. John should have the right parts though.

Should you find someone in the UK, can you let us know ? Thanks

Michael

 

[Svenedin]

I am in The Netherlands and have sent mine to John. It is a bit of a wait, and expense, but so worth it.

There is or was someone in Hamburg called the OM doctor. Never used him though.

My problems with my three OM4Ti's was always with the electronics. Magnets needed to be cleaned, or replaced . . . it could be your electronic circuit just needs to be cleaned. John should have the right parts though.

Should you find someone in the UK, can you let us know ? Thanks

Michael

Thank you Michael. Yes maybe it is just cleaning or whatever. My camera spent time in Africa and the hot, humid environment is very unkind to electronics. It certainly destroyed my short-wave radio amongst other things.....

 

[Frank53]

I have sent several camera's to the OM Doktor over the years and he has always done a great job at very decent prices. Last time was about a year ago, but don't find his website now.
Maybe someone here knows whether he's still around.
Regards,
Frank

 

[Svenedin]

Update: John Hermanson says the high current drain suggests it needs a replacement circuit and he does not have this part.

Luton cameras said they would look at it for me but if it does indeed need a new circuit board then they cannot obtain the parts either.

 

[baachitraka]

http://www.om-doktor.de/

 

[Svenedin]

http://www.om-doktor.de/

Thank you. I have e-mailed Frank Timmann at OM Doktor in Hamburg, Germany.

 

[miha]

Luton Camera did a grear job on my XA. http://www.lutoncameras.co.uk/

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

You could try Miles here: http://www.mwcamerarepairs.co.uk/

 

[Svenedin]

Well, I found another OM4-Ti but this one has a different problem. It appears that this one has a mechanical issue and it is off for professional repair tomorrow. I got it for a good price given the fault but before buying it I asked the repair chap at Newton Ellis what he thought. The fault is that on "B" setting the shutter will sometimes open and shut even if the shutter release button is still being held down. It does this about 50% of the time. Everything else works fine so fingers crossed.

 

[Svenedin]

Frank Timmann at OM Doktor got back to me and said send the camera so it is off to Hamburg. Now I have 2 x OM4-Ti's both in the post to repairers! Lucky I have a third that is fine.

 

[Svenedin]

Long story. I sent my OM4-Ti to Frank in Hamburg but the parcel was never delivered and was eventually returned. It sat at home for many months until I decided to send it again. Now the camera is on the way back from Frank and is successfully repaired (film transport, electronics). Frank has succeeded after the UK repairers I tried said the camera was not repairable. Good man!

 

[CMoore]

That is a good story...Congratulations.!

Going forward with Film Photography, your post highlights one of my biggest "fears".......the shrinking number of qualified camera techs.
I have been repeatedly disappointed. I have found just a few that i really trust.
Twenty years from now, who will know how to repair a :
Nikon F2 or F3
Olympus OM-1 or OM-4
Minolta SRT or MD Series
or the Canon F or A series
???????

 

[BrendanD]

The moral of the story is you can't have too many OM bodies as a back up.....

 

[Svenedin]

The moral of the story is you can't have too many OM bodies as a back up.....

Absolutely, I have 5 now!

 

[Dali]

That is a good story...Congratulations.!

Going forward with Film Photography, your post highlights one of my biggest "fears".......the shrinking number of qualified camera techs.
I have been repeatedly disappointed. I have found just a few that i really trust.
Twenty years from now, who will know how to repair a :
Nikon F2 or F3
Olympus OM-1 or OM-4
Minolta SRT or MD Series
or the Canon F or A series
???????

You raise a good point. I wonder if I should not get rid of my Olympus gears before it gets impossible to repair.

 

[BrendanD]

Absolutely, I have 5 now!

Cough..... 5 here with me (OM1 black, OM2n black, OM2n chrome, OM3, OM4Ti black). One being serviced (Om4Ti black) and one on the way (OM3Ti).....

 

[BrendanD]

You raise a good point. I wonder if I should not get rid of my Olympus gears before it gets impossible to repair.

Just buy some back ups...

 

[Svenedin]

Cough..... 5 here with me (OM1 black, OM2n black, OM2n chrome, OM3, OM4Ti black). One being serviced (Om4Ti black) and one on the way (OM3Ti).....

Excellent. I did have an OM2n years ago but now just 4X OM4-Ti's and one OM3-Ti.

 

[BrendanD]

Excellent. I did have an OM2n years ago but now just 4X OM4-Ti's and one OM3-Ti.

An OM2n with a 21mm f3.5, 40mm f2 and 85mm f2 is my 'minimal and simple' kit.

 

[Svenedin]

An OM2n with a 21mm f3.5, 40mm f2 and 85mm f2 is my 'minimal and simple' kit.

An OM2n with a 21mm f3.5, 40mm f2 and 85mm f2 is my 'minimal and simple' kit.

I don't have any of those lenses as they are too expensive. I often use a 35-105mm or 35-70mm zoom for the convenience of not having to change lenses. My minimal kit of primes is less wide than yours; 24mm f2.8 (often substituted with 28mm f2.8), 50mm f1.4, 100mm f2.8.

 

[baachitraka]

3 x OM-1n chrome
1 x OM-1n black
1 x OM-2n black (need CLA)
1 x OM-SP

 

[Svenedin]

3 x OM-1n chrome
1 x OM-1n black
1 x OM-2n black (need CLA)
1 x OM-SP

Good to know there are other OM enthusiasts about......

 

[Billy Axeman]

Another good repairer in the Netherlands is Kamera Service:
http://www.kamera-service.info/index.php/en/

The web site is Dutch/English/German.

My experience is they can repair almost everything analog, old and new.
I had a Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.0 and a Pentax-A 50mm f/2.8 Macro CLA'd by them.

Just drop a mail to Will van Manen to ask if they can repair your item at hand.

 

[Svenedin]

Another good repairer in the Netherlands is Kamera Service:
http://www.kamera-service.info/index.php/en/

The web site is Dutch/English/German.

My experience is they can repair almost everything analog, old and new.
I had a Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.0 and a Pentax-A 50mm f/2.8 Macro CLA'd by them.

Just drop a mail to Will van Manen to ask if they can repair your item at hand.

Excellent. Thank you for that lead. My experience is that there are people out there so if one (or even two) repairers say they can't do it then don't give up.