from my Olympus Pen: what are the dark corners?

HLing · 09-19-2011

I've been very happy with my Olympus Pen Original ever since Essex Camera in New Jersey cleaned and fixed it up for me.
Recently though, I've gotten a few exposures with dark corners like this. I got 6 or 7 like this out of the 72 exposures. I'm just wondering if it's something that's going to get worse, or if it's just the first time I've used the 16 and 22 apertures since it was very bright out. Thanks for any suggestions!

Landshark · 09-19-2011

SWAG that the shutter isn't opening all the way. With f 16 you're at a slow shutter speed.
The guess part is that it's not opening all the way.

FranZ · 09-19-2011

Hi HLing,
This happened to me once and it stopped when I klicked the Lens Hood into the right position

(was twisted in my bag and I didn't notice until to late)
cheers

Frans

HLing · 09-20-2011

I don't have a lens hood on this, FranZ, but that's a good tip for future references. So thanks!

Landshark, the max shutter speed on my Olympus Pen is 200. I'm kicking myself now for not taking notes, but I can't remember if I had decided that with f16 I could use 100 or 50 speed or not. I used 200 with f8. It does seem like ONE of the setting isn't working right, though for most others it's fine.

I've got another roll in the Olympus almost finished now. Not as many under bright sunny condition, so we shall see!

delible · 09-20-2011

Hello,

Does your Pen '59 have a hand strap? When I got mine it had one and it was quite stiff and it would obstruct the lens once in a while, so I replaced it with a neck strap. Is something like that getting in front of the lens?

Delible

HLing · 09-21-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by delible

Hello,

Does your Pen '59 have a hand strap? When I got mine it had one and it was quite stiff and it would obstruct the lens once in a while, so I replaced it with a neck strap. Is something like that getting in front of the lens?

Delible

Hi Delible, there was a hand strap that came with it was quite worned and tearing so I took it off. Although, now that you mentioned it, that day I did put one of those strap for usb sticks on it and wore it around my neck, which I've never done with this camera before or since. Thanks for bring this possibility out.

By the way, is there a way to know exactly which year the camera is made?

Edit: just going over the roll in question in my mind now, some of the ones with the dark corners were taken when the strap was on, but the one posted was from a few days after, and did not have the strap around it.

Thanks!

delible · 09-21-2011

<By the way, is there a way to know exactly which year the camera is made? >

I call my "1 lug Pen" a "Pen 59". It has one lug for a strap and that was the original design. It may have continued into 1960 because as I recall the first Pens came on to the market late in 1959. I haven't gone further than that in precision, figuring that mine is of the '59 design and that defines it (though I recall that there was some kind of flash calculator that was dropped early in production-- these matters can get quite detailed!). For more precise calculations you might try what was posted in Photo Net a couple years ago by John Robison:

"The date code on early Pens is under the spring steel accessory shoe clip. From the front of the accessory shoe use a tiny screwdriver or needle to gently pry out, up and then slide back this clip (that's also where the hidden last screw is in removing the top). There should be two numbers or a number and a letter, the first is the year and the second is the month. Jan through Sept is 1 to 9, Oct to Dec is X, Y, Z. The numbers can be quite faint and hopefully haven't been rubbed off. A code can also be found on the back side of the pressure plate in many Pens. The trouble with the pressure plate is that backs are interchangeable and I have a couple of these Frankin-Pens cobbled together by myself."

I haven't checked my Pen and probably won't.

Delible

HLing · 09-22-2011

So, the serial number to the right of the accessory shoe doesn't really tell you then? OK, well, I'm not going to remove anything just to find out. I'm with you on that. Thanks!

Steve M. · 09-22-2011

The odd thing is that the photo you showed has only 2 dark corners, diagonally across from each other. That's a new one on me. Start w/ checking the lens carefully with a good light source as you stop it down (without film in the camera) and see if the aperture blades are working correctly. If it isn't a hood obstruction, it's gotta be aperture blades or shutter.

HLing · 09-22-2011

well, here's one that has all four corners dark:

and then, pardon the crooked scan, but two that are one after the other (bottom one first then the top), one with dark edges the other not.

But most of all, I've bad news. I got the test roll developed. Actually, not just test roll, but my bday pics...Only 6 prints at the beginning came out (all fine though), and from the 7th one on the film did not advance further. One can see the many exposures on the same piece of film, The sprockets are not torn at all, all seem fine, except the fact that the film did not advance.

I'm hoping the 90 day guarantee will hold, because I really love this little camera....