Repairing (and explaining) my Olympus Pen Half-Frame Camera
Added 2021-09-30 22:08:57 +0000 UTCHi!
I have a video just for you. I very nearly made a video about this camera, but haven't decided how I want to first introduce the subject of analog photography. Should we go before the days of film and get into the really obscure stuff like... camera obscura (see what I did there?) or should we start with something like a box camera (a la Kodak Brownie)? Or maybe start with 35mm and work our way backwards? I don't know!
But I do know this is one of my very (favorite) cameras. It's not gonna win any awards for, well, anything but it's dang clever. And honestly the photos it takes have been pretty impressive!
Oh, and very very shortly I'm going to post an addendum to this video because I went a little deeper after I filmed this. I took a couple of photos and will explain in a simple post.
'kay bye
Comments
When you do your feature video on these cameras, please do explain how the hot shoe can work without a battery in the camera. Does that make it more of a "cold shoe"? ;)
Matt Whitlock
2021-10-05 18:52:38 +0000 UTCI'm pretty certain I never touched those screws when I was first in the camera, and I didn't see any signs of threadlocking any anything I disassembled here. The really strange thing is (which I didn't really explain in the video) it just suddenly failed. I had presumed something "popped" because it was nice and clicky mere hours before it failed, but it could be it got even looser with time and I'm not remembering that.
Technology Connections
2021-10-01 14:23:24 +0000 UTCThread locking paint is absolutely necessary for the bolts which may loosen over time. That's why all that blue/red paint on the threads of the bolts in the new electronics. Use the thread locker!
Andrey Pivovarov
2021-10-01 13:15:33 +0000 UTCThanks for sharing your repair. I had a feeling a ball bearing was going to be involved in the detent system, but was pleased to see the eventual fix was even simpler! As someone else said possible those screws work loose under use if theyβre not locktited into place (and maybe someone removed them previously?). But yay, two working cameras and a demo model for explanations \o/ Ewen
Ewen McNeill
2021-10-01 06:27:03 +0000 UTCHuh. I wonder if the camera had originally been assembled with some sort of thread locker? Then after your previous service, it could have jiggled itself loose over time :/ Or maybe they were just really aggressive with the torque on initial assembly.
Calvin Walton
2021-10-01 02:00:41 +0000 UTCYay! I'm amazed at the ingenuity inside these cameras. Hope to see more! :) Question - when you said the selenium cell wasn't dead on the parts camera, do they "go bad" with age? Or is it just a matter of they stop working because people break them?
Nick Loh
2021-10-01 01:57:58 +0000 UTCHell yeah I'm always down for film content!
2021-10-01 00:21:58 +0000 UTCMaybe that feeling of de-ja-vu was because after one too many you decided to open the camera up and loosen those screws...
2021-09-30 22:40:06 +0000 UTCJust for me how did you know? π
Kevin Bost
2021-09-30 22:20:36 +0000 UTC"What was going on with those old-timey guys with the cameras where they hide under that hood and take photos somehow??" Is probably a pretty interesting hook for the layperson Also I sometimes get a camera obscura effect on my bedroom wall oppozitd the window when it's sunny out and my curtains have a small opening. I wonder how many other people have seen that effect and wondered what it is...
Gord Allott
2021-09-30 22:14:32 +0000 UTCOooooh! Half frame is a real treat, and those Olympus pens are a lot of fun. I'm currently repairing some fairly old cameras myself, it's always interesting seeing how simple a lot of the mechanisms in older early 1900s cameras were. Always good to see more film photography fun from ya
Dylan Packard
2021-09-30 22:13:21 +0000 UTC
