OM10 shutter fires when advancing film

mcnabb100 · Nov 23, 2013

Hi guys, I'm getting back into film photography and I'm having a bit of trouble with the camera i just purchased. It's an olympus OM10. When I try to advance the film, about half the time it fires the shutter. It only does it with film in the camera. Do you guys have any idea of how to fix this thing? Here is a video of the problem. As you can see, when it happens, the mirror starts to lift as I advance the lever. I'd appreciate any help.
[video=youtube;21s2mogm2EM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21s2mogm2EM[/video]

BMbikerider · Nov 24, 2013

This sounds very much as if something in the shutter release mechanism is sticking down and making the electrical contact so that when the film is wound on it fires the shutter. It probably needs a good clean out

Rick A · Nov 24, 2013

OM-10's were inexpensive entry level cameras and not worth repairing. Dump it and find an OM-1 or OM-2, or spring for an OM-4 for the metering system.

Xpres · Nov 24, 2013

GIve it a chance... it may indeed only need a clean out. They're excellent cameras. If it doesn't, just get another for beer money!

mcnabb100 · Nov 24, 2013

How would I go about cleaning that?

Thanks for all the advice so far

mcnabb100 · Nov 24, 2013

I've decided to just return it. Great images when I fired the shutter, but I really don't want to take this thing apart to try and repair it.

Now I need to decide if I want other om10 or something else.

MattKing · Nov 24, 2013

mcnabb100 said:
I've decided to just return it. Great images when I fired the shutter, but I really don't want to take this thing apart to try and repair it.

Now I need to decide if I want other om10 or something else.

If you like the OM10, consider an OM20/OMG. It is the OM10 with all the kinks worked out.

Or follow the advice above and get an OM1, 2 or 4.

Xmas · Nov 25, 2013

mcnabb100 said:
I've decided to just return it. Great images when I fired the shutter, but I really don't want to take this thing apart to try and repair it.

Now I need to decide if I want other om10 or something else.

OM10s are cheapest and don't eat batteries as they work ok switched off
some sellers do 3 month warranty...

mcnabb100 · Nov 25, 2013

I might not even get another olympus, I don't have any money in lenses for them, so I'm considering other manufacturers.

Rick A · Nov 26, 2013

When new, Olympus was dumping the OM-10 for $99.95 in kits with lens and flash, oh and with the FC module.

Newt_on_Swings · Nov 26, 2013

The om10 is the least expensive double digit olympus manual focus camera. Smart move to return it as a repair not done by yourself would not have been worth it. I gave an om10 with manual adapter and zoom lens away last year to someone starting out. Not a bad choice to start on as you dont have to worry about an expensive camera. I actually just gave my om40 with a 135mm lens away too. The om40 or ompc is the last of the line of double digit olympus manual focus cameras and was probably the best for their no professional line. Got all the bugs worked out, the upgraded lumi-micron matte focusing screen, esp metering, and accepts all the flashes(except the high speed sync mode on tye f280) and winders. It was one of the first cameras that i shot with (nikon em being the other). They are not that expensive either, and are fairly durable, though a coppery metal shows through when you wear through the thin paint. It also has rubberized body covering for grip.

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horacekenneth · Nov 26, 2013

I had the same thing happen with my Om-1n. Shutter fired when I advanced it (but with or without film). I operated the shutter and film advance a few hundred times and it started working again.
The next day it was doing the same thing and I ran it again a hundred times and it worked. The next day it was good. Four or five days later I tried it again and the shutter stuck (right before firing).
Not sure what to do now.
I popped the bottom open and sprayed some contact cleaner in and tried turning some gears and advancing the left shutter spool but still nothing.

John Hermanson · Nov 30, 2013

As the mirror comes back down, the mirror mechanism is not latching. So as the mirror springs are charged (as you wind) the mirror goes up and the shutter fires. Possibly would need new mirror mechanism or something has broken off inside which is preventing the latch from working. John

elmartinj · Mar 7, 2018

horacekenneth said:
I had the same thing happen with my Om-1n. Shutter fired when I advanced it (but with or without film). I operated the shutter and film advance a few hundred times and it started working again.
The next day it was doing the same thing and I ran it again a hundred times and it worked. The next day it was good. Four or five days later I tried it again and the shutter stuck (right before firing).
Not sure what to do now.
I popped the bottom open and sprayed some contact cleaner in and tried turning some gears and advancing the left shutter spool but still nothing.

was this ever solved?

GRHazelton · Mar 7, 2018

Rick A said:
OM-10's were inexpensive entry level cameras and not worth repairing. Dump it and find an OM-1 or OM-2, or spring for an OM-4 for the metering system.

Do know that the OM 4 may have a problem with eating its metering cells REALLY fast.... Check the various Olympus fora for further information. And, BTW, I think that the otherwise wonderful OM 1 requires mercury cells for its meter. There are work-arounds....

Eric Rose · Mar 7, 2018

Wow a camera with a "bump" advance lever!

Rick A · Mar 8, 2018

GRHazelton said:
Do know that the OM 4 may have a problem with eating its metering cells REALLY fast.... Check the various Olympus fora for further information. And, BTW, I think that the otherwise wonderful OM 1 requires mercury cells for its meter. There are work-arounds....

Having owned all of the aforementioned models of OM's, the battery drain of the OM-4 is greatly exaggerated, and corrected in the OM-4T. The battery in the OM-1 was discontinued, but a Wein cell replacement works just fine and lasts much longer than the mercury one it replaces. Also, having WASTED money on two OM-10's (bought together) and dumping them in a trash bin after less than one year of duty, stand by my statement as to their value.

horacekenneth · Mar 8, 2018

elmartinj said:
was this ever solved?

No, my inexperienced repair efforts damaged it worse

E. von Hoegh · Mar 8, 2018

Rick A said:
Having owned all of the aforementioned models of OM's, the battery drain of the OM-4 is greatly exaggerated, and corrected in the OM-4T. The battery in the OM-1 was discontinued, but a Wein cell replacement works just fine and lasts much longer than the mercury one it replaces. Also, having WASTED money on two OM-10's (bought together) and dumping them in a trash bin after less than one year of duty, stand by my statement as to their value.

It isn't exaggerated at all, my early OM4 would flatten it's battery in a month or less, bad ones really were quite bad. By the time Olympus figured it out, the camera and all my Olympus gear had been replaced with a Nikon F.
Also, Wein cells last some months at best, my friend has had the same Varta mercury cell in his OM1 for at least six years, I have a refrigerated stash of them which were purchased in Germany in 1998.

pentaxuser · Mar 8, 2018

Well we either never gave the OP the help he needed or he decided that repair wasn't worth it . Maybe he abandoned analogue photography altogether. He hasn't been seen since Dec 2014. Not that that matters as long as nobody wastes his time responding to that persons's problems

pentaxuser

OM10 shutter fires when advancing film

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