just got my olympus 35rc

[merehzezi]

cant wait to use it! how do you guys normally shoot with your 35rc. A mode? manual ? with a handheld meter?


ps. is there a way to be sure my A mode is working. when i put in a zinc hearing aid battery. i get the shutter lock at every shutter i set it to. is my meter broken?

[Mablo]

Check that the contacts are clean in the battery chamber and the filling around battery cell doesn't prevent + side contact. I'm using a #9 size rubber o-ring around the battery. In case the meter is indeed faulty you can still use your RC manually with a hand held meter or guesstimating. One more thing: avoid using the self timer.

[raytoei@gmail.com]

Hi,

Get an inexpensive meter or learn by rule of thumb ("Sunny 16"). An incident meter which I am very impressed with is the Sekonic L-398 or L28c2 (largely same but older) which is about $20 - 50 off ebay.

Obligatory 35RC shot:


Metered with the Sekonic L28c2, developed in HC-110, film is Legacy Pro.

cheers!

raytoei

[maderik]

Originally Posted by merehzezi

cant wait to use it! how do you guys normally shoot with your 35rc. A mode? manual ?

Both. Although usually not with a handheld meter as one of the points of the 35RC is small and I'm good enough with estimation to get by if the meter is not working (as on one of my 35RC cameras.)

Originally Posted by merehzezi

ps. is there a way to be sure my A mode is working. when i put in a zinc hearing aid battery. i get the shutter lock at every shutter i set it to. is my meter broken?

The most common problem is a corroded battery compartment wire. Of the 3 RCs and 5 other small rangefinders like this I've repaired, only two actually had a bad meter - the others were simply corroded wiring connecting to the battery compartment. If you take the bottom off of the camera, you will see the meter mechanism just to the side of the battery. If you have a small volt meter that uses a 1.5v batter for the resistance check, then you can touch the leads to the center post (move the small plastic tape out of the way) and the body of the meter. If the needle jumps (visible in the gap in at the front), then the meter is good -- just not getting power. You need to remove plastic the battery compartment to get to the white wire. Carefully wiggle the entire compartment out with pliers breaking the plastic rivet holding it in. You will glue it back when you are done reconnecting the wire.

Look at the bottom two photos of this page:
http://www.feuerbacher.net/photo/fra...usRC.html~Main

Note that you do not have to open anything but the bottom plate to do this repair.

[merehzezi]

i tried to do the fix, and i found the white wire to be disconnected.

when i connect a battery to the meter and body the needle would move. but when i tried to connect the white wire to the battery. nothing would happen.

thanks for the help though, i've got the basics of the sunny 16. and i've shot through two rolls. but havent developed them. thanks everyone

[paulfish4570]

hope your shots turn out well ...

[Richard Ross]

Originally Posted by merehzezi

when i connect a battery to the meter and body the needle would move. but when i tried to connect the white wire to the battery. nothing would happen.

You may need to strip the wire back to clean metal. I had to do that with mine as the wire was badly corroded. It's a fiddly job but there was enough "spare" wire in mine to be able to reconnect it and everything's working OK now. It sounds as though your meter is basically OK. Good luck

Regards
Richard

[wakarimasen]

Hello!
I'm not sure where you are based, but I sent my 35RC with a non-working meter to Alan Mettars in the UK. He repaired it and did a clean-up on my XA for £20!
Let me know if you need more information.
Best regards,
RoyM

[dickb]

I'm new to this forum and this is my first posting. I really joined only to find the value of my Simmon Omega 120, but picked up this Olympus 35RC thread while poking around. I have a 35RC that I have not used for years. I am amazed that they are still being used in the digital age. No-one in South Africa wants mine, but I just can't bring myself to dump it in the garbage. It seems OK, just need that light excluding fabric in the back replacing because it has perished. Maybe I should keep it.

[Richard Ross]

Don't dump it, they fetch good money on eBay!

[heespharm]

you could always give it to me... i'll pay for shipping to the states

[wakarimasen]

Don't throw it away - they are great cameras!


That's from mine - before the meter was fixed.
Not everyones' taste - but I like it!
Best regards,
RoyM

[rthakrar]

Great shot, Roy. Awesome camera indeed - the metering is so much lighter-handed compared to digital!

[btgc]

great, it's great...and I just recently realized lens has M42-style straight knurled focusing ring.

[ZeissFan]

As always with any Japanese camera from the 1980s or earlier, check the condition of the foam seals and replace as needed.