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E-M1 water damage warning!

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I had the rear dial fail without water damage on my EM-1 while still under warranty. Olympus fixed it for my (sent in through the camera store where I had purchased it). They did not replace the camera, fixing it instead.

I would suggest springing for the extended warranty on this camera. I suspect that my rear dial is starting to go "soft" on me again.
 
MJohns said:
I had the rear dial fail without water damage on my EM-1 while still under warranty. Olympus fixed it for my (sent in through the camera store where I had purchased it). They did not replace the camera, fixing it instead.

I would suggest springing for the extended warranty on this camera. I suspect that my rear dial is starting to go "soft" on me again.
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I seem to have done very well vis a vis warranties here in the UK.

Initial purchase of the EM-1 came with a 2 year warranty. By simply registering the camera, I was entitled to both an additional 6 months warranty, and the Olympus "support plus" service. And to add icing to the cake. LCE were giving a free Oly 3 year extended warranty when I bought my 2nd EM-1.

So I have 1 camera with 2.5 years warranty and another with 5.5 years(!) at no cost. I'm wondering if I have a serious problem in say, 3 years time, this will result in a replacement with an EM-2/3.
 
Hi

thanks for the info, that makes good sense. I wasn't aware you could purchase Olympus extended warranty for minimal money in addition to the 2 year (+6months here in UK)

Cheers

Bryan
 
Worth knowing,thanks

Bryan
 
Colin K. Work said:
MJohns said:
I had the rear dial fail without water damage on my EM-1 while still under warranty. Olympus fixed it for my (sent in through the camera store where I had purchased it). They did not replace the camera, fixing it instead.

I would suggest springing for the extended warranty on this camera. I suspect that my rear dial is starting to go "soft" on me again.
Click to expand...
I seem to have done very well vis a vis warranties here in the UK.

Initial purchase of the EM-1 came with a 2 year warranty. By simply registering the camera, I was entitled to both an additional 6 months warranty, and the Olympus "support plus" service. And to add icing to the cake. LCE were giving a free Oly 3 year extended warranty when I bought my 2nd EM-1.

So I have 1 camera with 2.5 years warranty and another with 5.5 years(!) at no cost. I'm wondering if I have a serious problem in say, 3 years time, this will result in a replacement with an EM-2/3.

--
Colin K. Work
www.ckwphoto.com
www.pixstel.com
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Hi Colin

I will look into that, I was aware of the Oly standard 2 years + 6 months but you seem to have got a gem of a deal with 5 years from LCE though I don't know if they have stores in the North East.

Jessops were really helpful when my EM10 needed to go in for repair under warranty.(got it back inside two weeks)

Cheers

Bryan
 
Munro113 said:
Colin K. Work said:
MJohns said:
I had the rear dial fail without water damage on my EM-1 while still under warranty. Olympus fixed it for my (sent in through the camera store where I had purchased it). They did not replace the camera, fixing it instead.

I would suggest springing for the extended warranty on this camera. I suspect that my rear dial is starting to go "soft" on me again.
Click to expand...
I seem to have done very well vis a vis warranties here in the UK.

Initial purchase of the EM-1 came with a 2 year warranty. By simply registering the camera, I was entitled to both an additional 6 months warranty, and the Olympus "support plus" service. And to add icing to the cake. LCE were giving a free Oly 3 year extended warranty when I bought my 2nd EM-1.

So I have 1 camera with 2.5 years warranty and another with 5.5 years(!) at no cost. I'm wondering if I have a serious problem in say, 3 years time, this will result in a replacement with an EM-2/3.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Ok Colin, thanks for the info

Bryan
 
After almost two months, many emails, and back and forth conversations, Olympus Canada did the right thing and repaired my camera.

I was able to get two pictures of the water damage from their technician. I don't think that any water got into the internals of the camera, the pictures that they sent only showed dried salt water on components outside of the rubber seals. Which I think only helped my case, in the end. As I pointed out to them, the areas they showed dried salt water were nowhere near the rear thumb dial, and that the rear thumb dial failure is a well known issue on this series of camera.

It just goes to show: Patience, politeness, and respect can still go a long way in this world!
 
jaybp said:
After almost two months, many emails, and back and forth conversations, Olympus Canada did the right thing and repaired my camera.

I was able to get two pictures of the water damage from their technician. I don't think that any water got into the internals of the camera, the pictures that they sent only showed dried salt water on components outside of the rubber seals. Which I think only helped my case, in the end. As I pointed out to them, the areas they showed dried salt water were nowhere near the rear thumb dial, and that the rear thumb dial failure is a well known issue on this series of camera.

It just goes to show: Patience, politeness, and respect can still go a long way in this world!
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Congratulations on your success. I'ts nice to hear that sometimes the good guys win.
 
jaybp said:
After almost two months, many emails, and back and forth conversations, Olympus Canada did the right thing and repaired my camera.

I was able to get two pictures of the water damage from their technician. I don't think that any water got into the internals of the camera, the pictures that they sent only showed dried salt water on components outside of the rubber seals. Which I think only helped my case, in the end. As I pointed out to them, the areas they showed dried salt water were nowhere near the rear thumb dial, and that the rear thumb dial failure is a well known issue on this series of camera.

It just goes to show: Patience, politeness, and respect can still go a long way in this world!
Click to expand...
Glad you got it resolved in the end. Can you share these images with us? I'd be interested to see what they called irreparable water damage!
 
Regor250 said:
Glad you got it resolved in the end. Can you share these images with us? I'd be interested to see what they called irreparable water damage!
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cdbe3f7084b444efb431668829accd93.jpg

680e012b62b744b79b5d51476ae5e0a9.jpg

The trick with these issues, if you read their warranty, is that *any* visible water damage will automatically void the entire repair process, irrespective of its relation to the actual problem your camera is suffering from. So from an official point of view, they were "right" to deny the repair. But from a "reasonable person" point of view, obviously this is no big deal. Which is why they repaired it in the end.

The second picture shows where the bottom plate of the camera joins with the body, right by the SD card door. You can see that salt water got in there, but as far as I know, that's outside of the critical seals.
 
For anyone trying to figure out that last picture, turn your camera on it's back, LCD down, lens facing up and tripod mount facing towards you, and open the SD card door. :D
 
jaybp said:
After almost two months, many emails, and back and forth conversations, Olympus Canada did the right thing and repaired my camera.

I was able to get two pictures of the water damage from their technician. I don't think that any water got into the internals of the camera, the pictures that they sent only showed dried salt water on components outside of the rubber seals. Which I think only helped my case, in the end. As I pointed out to them, the areas they showed dried salt water were nowhere near the rear thumb dial, and that the rear thumb dial failure is a well known issue on this series of camera.

It just goes to show: Patience, politeness, and respect can still go a long way in this world!
Click to expand...
Yes they can. Well said, and evidently put into practice as well :)
 
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I'm not sure if it's been mentioned, but the guide to weather/water resistance for E-M1 is on E-M1's support page:

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www.olympusamerica.com

"E-M1 Weather Resistance Tutorial":


This tutorial specifically lists and shows all the parts that need to remain closed and checked before exposure to water/snow. It says to not wash the camera and such.

The paper manual that comes with the camera says in the General Precautions section to read weatherproofing sections for Water and Moisture. Although neither the short paper manual nor the full manual in digital format actually contain that section, and there is no pointer to the stand-alone document linked above. The section is on-line on the E-M1 support page, which does mean it's up to each customer to look for it.

Finally, in the E-M1 manual, a waterproof case is mentioned specifically for underwater photography, which to me indicates that Olympus definitely did not intend for E-M1 to be actually waterproof itself without additional protection.
 
Endless list of failures?

I have owned multiple Olympus products and none of those have failed on me.

Like example with E-M1, I don't have the shutter shock what few have got. I can't reproduce the problem by any way. But I was glad that Olympus issued a fix (electronic first curtain) for those who had it. All what I did was I asked the sales person to open the box before I paid and I tested the body did it have the problem. I used my rights as a customer to test unit before paying.

Not had any problems with the dials, and I use a lot the rear dial. I can just knock the wood and wish that next 4-5 years the dial doesn't come off, but even then it will pass trough the warranty.

I have not tested my camera seals radically like some people has = dump the camera in the water and keep it there for 15min. But I don't worry because I use only Olympus own weather proofed objectives and body in the environmental situation as Olympus has marketed. And I check my gear now and then (like the mount O-ring) to see if there is something. Nothing so far.

A screws, especially on small ones are very easily causing problems, like the E-M5 LCD screen case crack. You don't need more than 1/8th too much of the rotation to make the screw too tight and waiting a break the other material. It doesn't need much from the machine to be configured and maintained wrong and it tightens a screw too much.
 
That is the interesting part, as lawyers write those warranty and user agreements, while engineers design the bodies and then marketing team makes ads and presentation. And when they don't stick together, its problem for usually customer as if the support guy repeats the warranty agreement as lawyer has told and problem is ready to start.

Lawyers task is just to cover everything, as widely and openly as possible so company can claim anything from anything. That's reason why there are huge need that we have consumer watch dogs, governments protecting customers, workers unions etc etc. As otherwise the customer gets to trouble when companies start to use all the tools they have gathered to their toolbox. And that means every insurance company as well, they are doing business, not helping people.
 
A weather proof means just protection against weather. So is it raining or snowing or sand/dust flying around, it is not getting inside.

But place the camera in water deeper than 50cm and the pressure is already higher to have possibility get trough seal where is very small grain of dirt opening it, and usually not even that is required as seals wears out in time and use.

But I would not, never ever, take any weather proofed camera to those color runs, as we all should have read the lens rental report of those.

It would be a submerge case only gear in those places.
 
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