This part just came off my OM 50mm - serious?

[dyao]

Mirror was jammed, when I popped the lens this was caught in between...

is it important? my Vivitar 28mm doesn't seem to have a piece like that.

 

[Chris101]

Check your othr lenses and look in the camera mount for ... something missing.

 

[Frontman]

It looks like part of the lens baffle which comes on the later 50mm lenses. I can't imagine how it broke off (is is part of the casting on the base), but the camera and lens should work without it (as I mentioned, this part doesn't exist on the earlier lenses).

 

[dyao]

on my lens it appears the baffle was actually glued on to the base, not cast with it...oh well! that's why it fell off. thanks for the info Frontman, I wonder why they added this baffle to later versions.