om2sp shutter noisy

[om2sp]

Hi.. newbee here.. wondering if anyone could help. I have just bought an om2sp online as i would like to start taking some pictures again. I have an old om10 and the shutter sounds a lot snappier on the om10 than the om2sp. i popped it into a local camera shop for a more experience ear to listen to and he said it should work fine but that the shutter spring's have seen a lot of use making it a bit "springy" in his words. I am going to run a film through it and check the results but does anyone know if this is repairable and if its a viable repair? if its going to cost an arm and a leg i might have to get back to the seller about it.

[Manofolympus]

Does the shutter sound the same on auto and manual? OM2's will only meter properly on auto with film in the camera as the film reflects far more light than the black camera back-and thus the shutter speeds will sound very slow-put a scrap bit of (unexposed) film to check. Without a shutter tester really you can only put a film through as you intend and see if the exposures are accurate.
On the whole, om shutters are fairly bomb proof but it may be a bit tired if the camera has seen heavy professional use-though usually the external condition will give this away. If it needs attention it could well cost a fair bit-quite possibly more than you paid for it

[om2sp]

Hi, thank you for the reply. it does sound the same in both manual and auto modes yes. I put an out of date film in it last night to see if it sounded different and it sounds slightly quicker yes, but the shutter noise still does not sound as it should. I have disposed of the out of date film as there is no point in using it and i am looking into returning the camera now if i can and if its going to cost a lot to repair. My om10 sounds in much better mechanical condition but i wanted to upgrade. not really sure which way to go now. Thank you for your advice.

[zx9]

I am not an Olympus user but many cameras of that age have foam strips to dampen the mirror when it flips up during shooting. These deteriorate over time and can make a huge difference to the sound of a camera shutter firing. The mirror dampers are quite easy to replace with foam kits been available from among others 'interslice' (sp?) on ebay.

Perhaps someone more familar with OMs could advise.

[taxor]

Is it definitely the shutter that's making the noise, or is it 'mirror-slap'? I had an OM2sp for a couple of years. It did sound more noisy than my old OM2n, almost like the mirror was loose. I was told that this is normal (isn't there a 'sub-mirror' assembly somewhere in the SPs innards?). Anyway, it still took great pictures.

[Manofolympus]

Yes-the om2sp and up have secondary mirrors which makes the noise "different" on shutter release. Without having the camera its difficult to say more than that
The single figure om's have a sophisticated air damping system for the mirror, which should make them quieter and have less vibration than say an OM10. This system can wear out with age/use giving an increase in noise/vibration.
I would still say put a film through and see what happens!

[sey]

.......The single figure om's have a sophisticated air damping system for the mirror........... This system can wear out with age/use giving an increase in noise/vibration...............

so what you're really saying is, like most of us, they run out of steam with time!

[Terrywoodenpic]

Noisy olympus shutters mean they need servicing.

Also check the light trap foam on the back and on the mirror they go grungy and need replacing.

[fredmuggins]

I recently acquired the om40 which is closely related.

The mirror does make an unusual noise, more a va-dumf or a sha-dumf, definitely not a normal mirror click or bang noise.

I'd guess it's working normally, as the makers intended. It is a bit weird and offputting but I'm hoping to get used to it.

I had enough confidence in it after a bit of bench testing to take photos at a recent "do" as my om1 is off the road for a short while and my om2 has a different film in.