E-P1, The good, the bad and the ugly

[George S.]

Small hard plastic insulated coolers ( like the six-pack of drinks size ) can be very effective in keeping your camera body many degrees cooler than the rest of the car 's interior. You usually don't have to be so concerned about the lenses, they can handle more heat for a longer time, and can be left in the camera bag in a shady area of the car- so just put the electronic bodies in the cooler.

 

[Trius]

Pickett, I don't think anyone is saying it's categorically not a camera fault.

Given the reports of differing behaviour with regard to the heat icon and lock-up, I suspect there is either a logic or hardware fault in some of the samples. It's disappointing, but hardly rare for a v1.0, new platform product.

 

[George S.]

The E-P1 manual gives the maximum temperatures as 104 degrees F for operation and 140 F for storage. We all know that 104 is very easy to reach in a locked vehicle, 140 is also reachable. ( I'd also assume it's not that difficult to get the camera to 104 on a sunny summer day while using it )
I guess you all better be sure that the camera is indeed off in a closed vehicle.

 

[julio1fer]

It's a hot camera, no doubt.

Try taking the batteries out and installing them again - sometimes this trick resets restive electronic sensors. If not, then Olympus will take good care of it. They are betting a lot on this camera.

The trunk is the best part of the car to leave a camera. If parked in the shade, it is hard to believe that it overheated while in the car. Power dissipation in the sensor is a far more likely cause.

If overheated to the point of failure, the camera would not power up. You have a milder problem.

 

[Trius]

How could it have reached 104F (much less 140F) with the car in shade (no incoming passive radiation) and the ambient temperature 19C? Honestly.

 

[astroman]

You got a problem with your camera, and a problem with your attitude. I have been using my camera here in the hottest days every recorded in Seattle at over 100 F and am not having a single problem.



My advice? Return the camera, get rid of the rest of your "imperfect" things and get a wood stove, very reliable.

Chill out is right. Never could figure out why people like to make such harsh comment at others on this forum.
Nothing better to do I guess

 

[Keith]

I actually thought that outburst by Avotius was a little out of character ... perhaps he was having a bad day and should be cut a little slack, like the poor Olympus! 😛

As for version 1 cameras being beta tested on the public ... there'd be a few M8 owners biting their lips while reading this thread. :angel:

 

[Trius]

Fred: Go back and read post #14.

 

[Oscar Levant]

I have not handled one of these yet, but is it possible you could have damaged something when you took off the leatherette and replaced it?

Personally, I would have just left it alone, and not started modifying it until I tried it for a couple of months.

 

[M4streetshooter]

As for version 1 cameras being beta tested on the public ... there'd be a few M8 owners biting their lips while reading this thread. :angel:

Biting lips and jumping outta my seat at the same time...
shooter

 

[monochromejrnl]

I have not handled one of these yet, but is it possible you could have damaged something when you took off the leatherette and replaced it?

Personally, I would have just left it alone, and not started modifying it until I tried it for a couple of months.

just speculation, but is it possible the OP covered up vents in the body when he added the leather covering, causing it to overheat at a lower temp?

 

[Pickett Wilson]

There are no vents covered up with the coverings. They actually only cover a small part of the camera.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Olympus should take note, though, at the loyalty of their customers in their refusal to blame the camera for the problem.

 

[kuzano]

Source of problem.... Hmmmmm

Source of problem.... Hmmmmm

OK... this issue of overheating of the EP-1 is popping up occasionally around the internet. I don't know about just on RFF, but on the 4/3rds sites, it's coming up.

Now, I also know that many buyers want a "black" version, and the closest we seem to be able to come is the leatherette cover.

Putting my head around this, I wonder:

1) you left the camera in the car. Raises my question, was it, or could it have come to be, in direct sunlight during that time. Winter weather has little to do tempering the effect of direct sunlight streaming through a car window on a black or dark object.

2) In addition, I wonder... once the camera is overheated, how possible is it that the leatherette covering is holding the heat in the camera, and not letting it bleed off.

I suspect we are going to see more of this issue on camera's where the leatherette is applied. Perhaps also if a black model comes out, overheating will be an issue until Olympus does something about the low threshold at which these new cameras seem to be warning people about temperature.

These are the bugs that keep me off new items, until the chaff settles out.

If I were in your position, once the camera has had the leatherette pealed off (you did this) I would be tempted to stick it in the refigerator overnight, check it then, and call Oly.

I would definitely not put the leatherette on a new one until it proved itself out.

One of my prerequisites for equipment is that it works, pretty much flawlessly when I spend this kind of money. Pretty is a secondary consideration, and not often one I spend extra money for.

I'd bet the problem boils down to the leatherette and possibly a couple of hours in the sunlight while in the car. However, I'm fairly confident there will be other stories of failure with this camera until issues are wrung out. You're not the only one experience overheating warnings.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Doesn't Olympus sell a half case for the camera, though? It would seem that would be a bigger problem then a small piece of leatherette stuck on the front.

 

[Trius]

Agreed. Like I said, with the wildly varying reports of heat issues with the E-P1, I suspect there are some teething problems.

 

[lngu81]

I returned the camera the shop this afternoon and waiting to pick up a new one on Thursday. It's a faulty camera, because the temp indicator still displayed up to the point of returning to shop. Like many other products out there, one of it will go wrong, unfortunately that happened to me. Since it was my 1st digital camera I'm very passionate about it and landed on the pity end of the polarity. Anyway I'm waiting for the new E-P1 and just received a 1 inch Wollensak f1.9 today, I cant wait to try it out.

 

[outfitter]

It has taken me many years to realize that getting pissed at reality is neither productive nor skillful.

If you accept defective products as reality you are choosing to be at the effect of someone else"s screw up. Holler like hell but be calm (do it in cold blood); done right indignation gets results.

 

[lngu81]

Anyways I'm picking up a brand new E-P1 today from the shop, I told the sales rep. that I refused to get the camera repaired after using it for 2 weeks. I also got a Wollensak Raptar 25mm and an adapter arrived 2 days ago. So I can't wait to try out the new len and it's always sunny after a rainy day 🙂

 

[loslosbaby]

I am guessing this is a software fault, a combination of not sensing correctly, and a "check engine light" type of non-feature, hence his persistent icon.

G.