Olympus Om Camera Manual

Olympus Om Camera Manual

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Question by AimeeBlackout.: What battery do I need for an Olympus OM-1 film camera?
I have an Olympus OM-1 film camera, but no battery for it and I can’t find one. Can anyone help?
I have an Olympus OM-1 film camera, but no battery for it and I can’t find one. Can anyone help?

I need sites/shops in the UK though please.

Best answer:

Answer by Rob Nock
Hi Aimee,

The first answer is NOT CORRECT! Replacing the battery for these and thousands of other cameras and light meters is a thorny problem.

The problem is this: Most of the early OM models models used a standard 1.35 volt battery usually designated PX-13 or PX-625. These batteries used Mercury (mercuric oxide, I believe) as their chemical base. The manufacturing of these batteries has been banned in most of the world because of the hazardous nature of the mercury. Mercury is easily freed from oxygen by the application of heat and the “free” mercury in liquid form then combines with other chemicals it comes into to form soluble toxic compounds. It is also easily vaporized to become an airborne pollutant combining readily with many types of airborne matter.

The replacement batteries being recommended have several problems, the first being –

They are 1.5 volts not 1.35 volts. This is important with cameras such as the OM-1 models because the only function of the battery is to operate the light meter and the meter is calibrated to operate from a 1.35 volt power source.

Second, most of the batteries being recommended have significantly different discharge characteristics than the original batteries. The mercury cell was widely used because it provided a very consistent level of power for most of its life that dropped off abruptly as it reached the end of its capacity. None of the batteries being recommended will behave that way so the meter readings would be inconsistent as the battery ages. In fact, I believe Olympus added a warning AGAINST using alkaline cells in its instruction books after getting warranty claims from users that had used that type of battery. Some people substitute a Wein lead-air battery that is designed to have a steady output, but this battery is expensive and has a relatively short life. Once activated it wears down in 20~40 days. These batteries are activated by pulling off a seal that covers tiny air holes (like hearing aid batteries use) once activated the give off energy until the chemical inside are exhausted.

Third, using batteries with alkaline chemistry are more likely to permanently damage the meter especially if a defective battery leaks chemicals into the battery chamber. The Olympus OM cameras were EXTREMELY rugged but getting replacement parts can be difficult if not impossible so I want to “baby” mine and only give them the best possible care.

There is good news however there are a number of possible “work arounds” ~

1) Have the camera re-calibrated and adapted to use an SR44 by a service technician. Any competent camera repair technician familiar with Olympus 35mm cameras should be able to do that and a CLA (Clean, Lube, Adjust) for a reasonable price. Not a bad idea anyway so you get the best performance out of the camera.

2) Some manufacturers make a small plastic adapter with electrical contacts and a tiny Schottky diode inside that will allow you to use a smaller, silver oxide battery that is about 1.6 volts but has the proper discharge curve, the diode reduces the voltage to about 1.3 or 1.4 volts. IMO This is the best solution because if the camera fails you can use the adapter in a different camera. The drawback to this solution is that the adapters are frequently expensive. I have one of these adapters made for a light meter that required two PX-13 batteries to operate. On my test meter two batteries tested at 1.6 and 1.4 volts respectively, when combined in the adapter they showed a discharge of 2.6 volts (1.6 + 1.4 should yield 3.0 volts if the resistance was calibrated perfectly to reduce it to 1.35 volts from each battery then it should have yielded 2.7 volts so I would say it works. The batteries in my test are about 8 months old and have been in the meter all that time, I use the meter occasionally .

3) You can buy one of the silver oxide batteries type SR-44 (NOT LR-44, that is an unsuitable alkaline battery). I have also seen specific reports that the alkaline batteries DO NOT work in OM1 model cameras. The problem will be that the battery is a bit to small for the cameras battery compartment and the voltage is too high, you will need to use some material (or an old battery casing) to fill in the space and figure out how to reduce the voltage of the battery.

Here is a link to a detailed discussion of this topic, how to do it yourself AND more work around solutions.

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/batt_adapt_us.pdf

Hope that helps. Feel free to email me if you need additional help.

P.S. I have heard rumors that one of my regular resources for camera repair materials is making a reasonably priced adapter with the Shottky diode. If I can find a link I will either email it to you or add it to this answer.
__________

Update: Sadly the rumors of a lower priced adapter have proven to be a wild goose chase, but I will continue to look for other sources.

FOUND! A source for the adapter with battery in U.K.

http://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_mr9_adapter.htm

__________

EDIT ~ Response to Polyhistr: My original response was based on a now deleted answer to this question. That answer listed many “substitute” batteries that would not have worked on an unmodified OM1. Furthermore, since the manufacturing of Mercury batteries was not banned until the mid-late 1990′s and stockpiles of them have continued to be sold all over the world well into the 2000′s I have NEVER encountered a camera that has been modified to use an SR44 or SR43 battery. I have chatted with many people who have had the service performed or modified a camera themselves but they are rarely willing to part with the cameras that have had the modification. I have been sold the recommended batteries as replacements and had unexplained and inconsistent results before I caught on to the problems with the batteries. I have even purchased used equipment on eBay in which people have “thrown in” several extra batteries of the incorrect type.

For someone who has not used a particular camera or film before to rely on the “Sunny 16″ rule to properly expose film that is both costly to purchase and process when they have a precision instrument to guide them could lead to a unnecessary and steep learning curve that could easily be avoided.
______________

Good Luck!

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