Olympus 35 SP broken meter?

[Jinky]

I've got a problem with my 35SP

The meter needle isn't moving in any lighting conditions, the shutter still fires so I've been trying to get to grips with "sunny 16" for the first time ever and looking forward to the results.

However, I'd like to know if it's easy to repair or if I just need to clean some contacts.

If not I can drop it into a service centre here in Dublin who still have knowledge of repairing old cameras, I'd just rather not spend more than I paid for the camera to fix it.

thanks in advance

 

[Frontman]

I've got a problem with my 35SP

The meter needle isn't moving in any lighting conditions, the shutter still fires so I've been trying to get to grips with "sunny 16" for the first time ever and looking forward to the results.

However, I'd like to know if it's easy to repair or if I just need to clean some contacts.

If not I can drop it into a service centre here in Dublin who still have knowledge of repairing old cameras, I'd just rather not spend more than I paid for the camera to fix it.

thanks in advance

The meters on these cameras can be a little touchy. I would start by checking the contacts first. Clean them, even if they are shiny and new looking. If they are cruddy or corroded, cleaning them may also help. If there is still no reaction from the meter it's possible that the wires attached to the contacts are corroded. If you are handy with a soldering iron this isn't a difficult fix. if the camera still doesn't work, then there are bugs somewhere else.

I recently picked up an old SP for cheap because the meter wasn't working. When I opened the camera up to check out the meter I discovered it wasn't there! Whoever owned the camera before pulled it out, but had modified the camera somewhat to operate mechanically without it. No doubt the SP takes great pictures, if you can't get your meter to work, you can still carry a handheld meter.

 

[John Hermanson]

There is a screw going through the end of the battery contact. On the back side of the battery box is a brass nut. The battery wire is soldered to the tip of the screw or the edge of the nut. It is common for battery corrosion to form under the screw head. Sometimes the corrosion is bad enough for the wire to separate from the solder connection. Next worse is bad cds cell or broken meter movement. John

 

[Jinky]

Thank you both, I'll have a look at this when I get home from work this evening and update if I get the meter working.

It was just fine a few weeks ago so I can't imagine it's anything major.

 

[Beemermark]

The camera is 50 years old. Take it to a decent repair shop and have it fixed. I have two, both have been CLA. Cost was about the same as I paid for the cameras but they work perfectly now.