Olympus Pen Brightlines

[Rodchenko]

So, I couldn't wait for the D3 I really want, and got myself an Original Pen (25/3.5). It's cool to use, compact, and...hey, where'd the horizon go?

At first, I thought I was just holding it wonky, but checking carefully proved that the brightlines were not straight.

Worse, I took it out at lunchtime to finish off the first film, and found it had slipped down so I couldn't see the bottom line.

Damn, what was meant to be a fun little pocket camera has thrown up trouble. 🙁

Anyone any advice on how to repair it? It's not a rangefinder, after all, so I guess it's just a plane of glass in the lightpath.

Appreciate any clues.

I really didn't want this to be my first thread on half frame. 🙁

 

[zuiko85]

Is this an original Pen with manual control of shutter speed and aperture?

If so then the viewfinder is a rather complex projected frame type with 4 lenses, 1 front surface mirror, 1 simi surfaced mirror, 1 front cover glass with 1/2 frosted to illuminate the bright frame, and the glass bright frame mask.

It is this bright frame mask that has become un-glued and is slipping around inside the viewfinder. You have to remove the viewfinder and to do that you have to remove the top because it is affixed to the top.

To remove the top;

Remove the rewind spindle, there will be 2 screws under that to remove.
Remove the screw on the advance side of the top, next to strap lug. (if you have a very early 'one lug' Pen then the strap lug is the screw)
Using a pin spanner remove the film counter screw --WARNING WARNING!! this screw is reverse thread, clockwise to loosen, counter-clockwise to tighten.
Using a tiny screw driver, pry up the spring steel cold shoe clip and slip it off toward the back of the camera.
This last action uncoveres the 'hidden screw', remove it and the top should be free to gently push up and remove. At this point the spring loaded shutter release and it's plunger will probably fall out.

Now....once you have the top in your hands turn it upside down and -very very gently- use a sharp blade to cut the glue join of the very thin and delicate metal viewfinder bottom cover.

Now you have uncovered the optics of the VF (complex little devil ain't it).
Look for the loose piece. It is probably the VF bright frame mask, a flat piece of glass with a black film painted on it with the clear lines showing up as a bright frame.

I have also seen the field lens come loose but your description sounds like it is the mask.

You should see where this fits, there will be traces of the original cement. Glue it back in with care as to it's position. If you don't get it back into the right location the bright frame will be off in vertical alignment.

I know this is a lot to absorb, feel free to ask more questions.

Oh, one small correction to your post, the lens is a 28mm f3.5 not 25mm f3.5.

 

[Rodchenko]

That's a bit scary. Of course it's a projected frame - what did I think that frosted glass was all about? *slaps forehead*

I might just give it a go, but I might continue to use it for a while on dead reckoning. I noted how much of a gap there was between the lines and the edge of the VF, and I can do that by geg. See, there's a Paxette winder and an RC cog to deal with first.

Thanks for the detailed advice. I'll keep a note of it.

 

[zuiko85]

As you can tell by my post I've had too much experience with VF Pens. I've always had a VF Pen over the last 40+ years, always the full manual model. Never could get along with the EE models.

One more thing. As you can tell this is fiddly work, especially reattaching VF optics. I use a 2 part epoxy. Mix a small amount and apply tiny amount with a tooth pick. I have to use my +3.5 reading glasses and work under bright window light.

 

[Frontman]

It is eaey to get to the viewfinder assembly to clean it. You need to remove the rewind knob, and take out the two screws underneath. Then slide off the metal cover under the flash hot shoe and remove the screw there, then remove the center screw in the film counter dial. And finally the screw next to the right strap lug. The top will lift off. Be careful, the shutter button and shutter spring my fall out.

Turn the top cover upside down, and peel off the paper covered metal dust cover. You will see a couple screws inside, these hold the viewfinder inside the cover. You don't really need to remove these, or the vewfinder from the cover if you don't want to. But to clean the back of the viewfinder eyepiece, these screws will need to come out.

Behind the frosted window, you'll see the glass which contains the frame lines. If it has come loose, you can glue it back into place. DO NOT CLEAN the backside of this glass, the background paint is water soluble, and will wipe off, which will ruin the viewfinder.

You can clean the insides of the viewfinder quite easily, but getting the main window clean is hard because there are two lenses glued into place in front of it. You can remove these lenses by soaking the glue with paint thinner, and picking away the extra glue with fine tipped pliers or cutters. Then wiggle the lenses until they come loose and can be lifted out. Do this carefully with your fingers, the glass is easily chipped. Make sure to remember which lens is the front, and which is the rear. Once the lenses are out, you can use the same technique to remove the viewfinder window. Clean everything, and put it back together with a few drops of glue. Less is better.

Reassemble the camera. Lining up the shutter button is a little tricky, but not difficult.

 

[Rodchenko]

I had some other cameras to get fixed by Olympus specialists Luton Camera Repair, so i took my Pen along as well, and they have sorted the framelines and a defect I hadn't noticed of the frame counter.