Olympus Pen S occasionally skipping frames

inthedark_06 · Oct 8, 2023

Hello all.
I have recently picked up an Olympus Pen S and while on first inspections all seemed to be working fine, however as I have been using it I have noticed that when I am winding on to the next frame after shooting the shutter occasionally trips and takes another photo. This has of course led to a few accidental images of the ground and/or my legs. It is not too much of a bother as everything else works fine and it only happens on the occasion, but I would like to know if it is easily repairable and where one might find the resources to attempt a repair. So as not to stumble in blindly and risk damaging an otherwise great camera.

In the small amount of information I have been able to find online regarding this issue, it could be caused by an old spring that has lost some tension. This was in an article that was describing the same problem however it was in a Pen D so it may differ somewhat.

Thanks!

P.S. After writing this I realised that I forgot to add that it also has an issue with spacing. It is only differences of a millimetre or two at most but thought it may be related.

M-88 · Oct 9, 2023

S and D have similar shutters, both are 5-leaf Copal X. One on S has fewer speeds, up to 1/250, while Pen D has 1/500 as well. I bet the principle of operation is similar for both, but frame spacing issue might indicate that there's something wrong with film advance / shutter cocking system.

By the way, these cameras are fairly simple, I serviced my D3 on my own.

r_a_feldman · Oct 9, 2023

I have the same problem with my Pen S. I have read online that you can correct the problem by loosening the four screws that hold the shutter on (they are visible from the back through the film gate) and rotating the shutter. However, I find that the shutter does not rotate and the suggestion did not work for me.

I have not followed through on this, but I think the problem is with corrosion on the linkages that are visible on the film-counter end of the camera when you remove the top. They are yellow-green on my Pen S and look like they might be sticking some.

Also, take a look at https://kyp.hauslendale.com/classics/forum/messages/2/28450.html?1690579700. I posted a picture there of the shutter with the lens removed. Watch out that you do not loose the small tube at #1. Without the ring, you cannot cock the shutter properly. The photo also shows one of the corroded linkages touching the left side of the ring at #1.

xkaes · Oct 9, 2023

I've had a similar problem with a Pen D3, but it seems to happen more often when I advance the film quickly after an exposure. I try to remind myself, all the time, NOT to advance the film immediately after every exposure -- on all of my cameras. I've never had much luck with that lesson, however.

4season · Oct 9, 2023

In general, camera repair is not for the average hobbyist. But the skills can be learned, preferably by starting with crappier cameras you won't feel bad about damaging. Because even if you are armed with the correct screwdrivers, spanner wrenches and the best instructional videos, odds are that your early efforts are going to be pretty inept.

You camera simply needs a CLA (Clean, Lubricate, Adjust). When this is done, the original springs will be plenty adequate. I have yet to encounter camera springs which had actually weakened, but I sure have encountered a lot of cameras with gummy or dried out lubricants.

MattKing · Oct 9, 2023

Moved to the camera repair sub-forum.
Best of luck in your searches for solutions.

Sirius Glass · Oct 9, 2023

I recommend that you send the camera in for a CLA [Clear, Lubrication, Adjust] and that problem and any other should be corrected plus you will a warranty.

inthedark_06 · Oct 9, 2023

M-88 said:
S and D have similar shutters, both are 5-leaf Copal X. One on S has fewer speeds, up to 1/250, while Pen D has 1/500 as well. I bet the principle of operation is similar for both, but frame spacing issue might indicate that there's something wrong with film advance / shutter cocking system.

By the way, these cameras are fairly simple, I serviced my D3 on my own.

Thank you for the suggestion.

As an aside, given that the D and S have the same shutter system, would it be possible to exchange the shutters between the two to allow for faster speeds on the S? Purely for the experiment, that is. I reckon that would be interesting.

Regards.

xkaes · Oct 9, 2023

If you are in love with your Pen S -- there were TWO versions with different lenses -- then you can get it CLA'd. But keep in mind that replacements for the Pen S can be found for around $50 and other Pen models, many with meters, sell for even less -- quite possibly less than a CLA.

M-88 · Oct 9, 2023

inthedark_06 said:
Thank you for the suggestion.

As an aside, given that the D and S have the same shutter system, would it be possible to exchange the shutters between the two to allow for faster speeds on the S? Purely for the experiment, that is. I reckon that would be interesting.

Regards.

I don't think it will be physically possible, because of the difference of shutter speed rings on those two cameras. But Pen D is a good camera in its own way, so may be worth looking into. D2/D3 models, specifically.

inthedark_06 · Oct 12, 2023

r_a_feldman said:
I have the same problem with my Pen S. I have read online that you can correct the problem by loosening the four screws that hold the shutter on (they are visible from the back through the film gate) and rotating the shutter. However, I find that the shutter does not rotate and the suggestion did not work for me.

I have not followed through on this, but I think the problem is with corrosion on the linkages that are visible on the film-counter end of the camera when you remove the top. They are yellow-green on my Pen S and look like they might be sticking some.

Also, take a look at https://kyp.hauslendale.com/classics/forum/messages/2/28450.html?1690579700. I posted a picture there of the shutter with the lens removed. Watch out that you do not loose the small tube at #1. Without the ring, you cannot cock the shutter properly. The photo also shows one of the corroded linkages touching the left side of the ring at #1.

Have you posted any guides on how to remove the top cover? I think I'm part way there but something is still stopping it.

Thanks

4season · Oct 12, 2023

inthedark_06 said:
Have you posted any guides on how to remove the top cover? I think I'm part way there but something is still stopping it.

Thanks

There's one screw hidden under a flat spring which is part of the accessory shoe. IIRC, you lift up the folded-over front edge gently, then slide the spring out of the way.

inthedark_06 · Oct 13, 2023

4season said:
There's one screw hidden under a flat spring which is part of the accessory shoe. IIRC, you lift up the folded-over front edge gently, then slide the spring out of the way.

What kind of tool would slot in there? It's a very narrow gap and I'm a bit concerned about scratching the top cover badly.

Thanks

4season · Oct 13, 2023

inthedark_06 said:
What kind of tool would slot in there? It's a very narrow gap and I'm a bit concerned about scratching the top cover badly.

Thanks

I work carefully with a hobby knife, but suppose you could improvise something out of non-scratchy material, like a sharpened bit of plastic, a wooden chopstick, or even a spudger. There's very little force needed, just lift the edge of the spring enough to clear, and slide it out of the way. Suppose you might even try lifting the spring from above using adhesive tape.

inthedark_06 · Oct 13, 2023

4season said:
There's one screw hidden under a flat spring which is part of the accessory shoe. IIRC, you lift up the folded-over front edge gently, then slide the spring out of the way.

I've managed to remove the spring with almost no damage, but it look like I need to undo part of the frame counter? I did try that earlier but it just turned the dial instead of undoing. Thoughts?

4season · Oct 13, 2023

inthedark_06 said:
I've managed to remove the spring with almost no damage, but it look like I need to undo part of the frame counter? I did try that earlier but it just turned the dial instead of undoing. Thoughts?

Yup, that metal disc in the center of the film counter, with the two holes is a screw. You will likely find lots of online resources suggesting that you use some sort of improvised tool to remove it, like needlenose pliers, dividers, or a spanner wrench intended for much larger fasteners, such as lens retainer rings. None of those work particularly well, and odds of slipping and scratching the chrome are oh, about 95% when you are first getting started.

How are your skills with CAD, 3D printing, and building stuff from scratch? I create some of my own specialized tools in this manner. The original tool was no doubt supplied by Olympus to their techs, but I have never seen one offered for sale, at least not in the USA.

inthedark_06 · Oct 13, 2023

inthedark_06 said:
I've managed to remove the spring with almost no damage, but it look like I need to undo part of the frame counter? I did try that earlier but it just turned the dial instead of undoing. Thoughts?

4season said:

Yup, that metal disc in the center of the film counter, with the two holes is a screw. You will likely find lots of online resources suggesting that you use some sort of improvised tool to remove it, like needlenose pliers, dividers, or a spanner wrench intended for much larger fasteners, such as lens retainer rings. None of those work particularly well, and odds of slipping and scratching the chrome are oh, about 95% when you are first getting started.

How are your skills with CAD, 3D printing, and building stuff from scratch? I create some of my own specialized tools in this manner. The original tool was no doubt supplied by Olympus to their techs, but I have never seen one offered for sale, at least not in the USA.

Click to expand...

I'm decent with 3D modelling and printing and I enjoy making things but I no longer have access to a 3D printer. I managed to shift it with a lens spanner that I had to jerryrig with a bent nail to be able to get the points close enough and it did scratch the top of the screw a bit. That is however the least of my concerns as the screw snapped. I am unsure if this is due to age, or if this one screw out of the rest happened to be a lefty-tighty screw, or if something else happened. I can live without a frame counter though and I'm not planning on selling this camera so it doesn't worry me too much. It is still a bit frustrating though. I suppose now I've learned.

Thank you very much for your help. I really enjoy learning new things but especially knowledge I can apply to my hobbies.

4season · Oct 13, 2023

inthedark_06 said:
Thank you very much for your help. I really enjoy learning new things but especially knowledge I can apply to my hobbies.

Good luck! I found that my earlier repairs kinda sucked, though they were good enough to yield functional cameras. With practice, I began to suck less. Sometimes, it's even possible to turn a goof into a work of art, for example, a non-matching replacement screw, but highly polished, might become a thing of beauty in it's own right.

The top cover of my Jenaflex had developed a crack along the side of the pentaprism, and some of the gold-colored lettering was missing. I left a visible seam of grey epoxy where the crack had been, and subsequently filled in missing portions of fake gold lettering with genuine gold leaf - fun stuff! I now regard it as a kintsugi camera.

inthedark_06 · Oct 16, 2023

4season said:
Good luck! I found that my earlier repairs kinda sucked, though they were good enough to yield functional cameras. With practice, I began to suck less. Sometimes, it's even possible to turn a goof into a work of art, for example, a non-matching replacement screw, but highly polished, might become a thing of beauty in it's own right.

The top cover of my Jenaflex had developed a crack along the side of the pentaprism, and some of the gold-colored lettering was missing. I left a visible seam of grey epoxy where the crack had been, and subsequently filled in missing portions of fake gold lettering with genuine gold leaf - fun stuff! I now regard it as a kintsugi camera.View attachment 351064

I've had to put it down for a few days due to other commitments, but I'm back to trying to repair this Pen S. I've got it down to just the shutter ring, I have the top cover off, and I haven't been able to remove the shutter body yet. I think it's the flash sync terminal?

Edit: Having just looked at it a bit more, I think it may actually be the linkages at the top that are stopping me from removing the shutter body. I am a bit apprehensive to remove those linkages for the moment though.

How do I remove the shutter ring to access the parts behind it?

r_a_feldman · Oct 19, 2023

I have been traveling, so I was not able to reply earlier.

I have not been able to remove the shutter from the body due to the flash sync post not clearing the opening. You can access the shutter mechanism without removing it, however. I will try to post photos tomorrow, when I am back home. Meanwhile, look at Rick Oleson’s diagram in the thread linked to in my first post.

r_a_feldman · Oct 21, 2023

If you have completely removed the lens, your Pen S should look like this:

Unscrewing the brass ring nut #1 (RH thread) with a spanner will allow you to remove the shutter speed ring, exposing the shutter mechanism.

If you still have a black ring (which has the focusing helicoid) on top of #1, remove it (also RH threads) first, then remove #1.

Your camera should now look like this:

The flash sync contact is #2, at lower left. As I mentioned, I have not been able to remove the sync contact to remove the shutter from the body. #3, at left, is the shutter release.

Once again, be careful not to loose the cylindrical roller #1. If you do, you will not be able to properly cock the shutter.

r_a_feldman · Jul 13, 2024

After almost a year, I have gotten back to working on my Pen S and have found a fix for the winding problem.

I added a 1mm-thick slice of K&S Metals 3/32" OD brass tubing (red arrow in the attached image ) around the cylindrical roller (#1 in second image in Post #21 and pointed to by the yellow arrow in the attached image). It has the effect of pushing the cocking mechanism farther in the direction it gets moved when you wind on film and cock the shutter. Not elegant, but it works.

Olympus Pen S occasionally skipping frames

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