I have acquired a mint OM-1 that has been a closet case for the past 20 years. I replaced the battery, but the light meter still seems to not be working properly. The indicator only responds when the shutter speed is set around 1-4 in all light conditions. Anyone have an idea what the problem is?
sounds dead. a common cause of this is corrosion in the (-) charged wire from the battery compartment; another (in early OM1s) is a plastic screw that held the battery terminal in place... this would break and leave the terminal loose. later ones use a metal screw with an insulating collar.
I've read several opinions about the OM-1 light meters. The comment about the screw attaching the battery compartment to the camera body is true. However in my experience it usually is not the problem. The problem is much harder to reach. And if you are not a technician or have experiece repairing cameras. I would leave this repair to someone who is qualified. Michael. P.S. I have repaired about 10 of these things and it usually isn't the screw.