Damage on E-PM2 lens mount

Hi,

A friend of mine bought an E-PM2 about 10 months ago and now he's seeing this damage on the lens mount I'm showing in pictures bellow. Anyone had this? I can't really tell if it's mechanical or rust? anyone had a similar problem? recommend repairing under warranty? or just forget about it?

Damage on lens mount

1:1 blow out of damage

Hi

That looks like corrosion to me. Has it been used in a salty environment and not been wiped down afterwards? Personally I would send the photo to the service department and see if it is covered?

Looks like sand was stuck on the back of a lens when he mounted it.

If you can mount a lens, and everything will work, you can use the camera. No worries.

If you can't mount the lens, or lens does not work after you mount her, it is bad.

Do not pay attention to minor wear (it could be bad adapter)

berni29 wrote:

Hi

That looks like corrosion to me. Has it been used in a salty environment and not been wiped down afterwards? Personally I would send the photo to the service department and see if it is covered?

No, no salty environment that I'm aware of. However perhaps the salt put down on snow got in? Unlikely I would personally say.

baxters wrote:

Looks like sand was stuck on the back of a lens when he mounted it.

That's a good point. I didn't think about it before but I could imagine trapped sand particles doing damage. My friend is an avid hiker who hikes practically daily and snaps hundreds of pictures. Not unlikely that some dirt particles made their way in there.

s_grins wrote:

If you can mount a lens, and everything will work, you can use the camera. No worries.

If you can't mount the lens, or lens does not work after you mount her, it is bad.

Do not pay attention to minor wear (it could be bad adapter)

The mount and the camera work flawlessly. I would say it's minor but I just wanted to check if it was common or major or anything.

Thanks everyone

Looks to me more like it was dinged - poor lens mount handling, a screw or two loose on a lens or adapter, or dropped?

Whatever -  as was said, as long as the lens mounts and everything works I wouldn't be concerned.  Well - I'd want to take a look at whatever he's been mounting to that camera, for peace of mind.   Otherwise it falls under 'stuff happens'.

Bob Tullis wrote:

Looks to me more like it was dinged - poor lens mount handling, a screw or two loose on a lens or adapter, or dropped?

Whatever - as was said, as long as the lens mounts and everything works I wouldn't be concerned. Well - I'd want to take a look at whatever he's been mounting to that camera, for peace of mind. Otherwise it falls under 'stuff happens'.

Thanks Bob

highwave wrote:

1:1 blow out of damage

What is the material that flange is made of? It sure looks like corroded aluminium, but I thought the flange was chrome plated brass.

Guy Parsons wrote:

To me it looks exactly like the corrosion seen on my spare (old) set of alloy wheels for my car.

I think it significant that it is on the top part, it looks maybe as if salty water or at the very least rain water snuck in there at some stage and stayed there to "rot" the alloy.

Certainly would lower any resale value, would be worth trying to see if a warranty fix is available but I suspect they would say it was a user problem and charge to replace the mount.

Also check the back of the lens(es) to see if corrosion on the mating art. If a plastic lens mount of course there would be no problem.

But if the camera was going to be used until it dies or until it is worth nothing then I guess it would not matter about leaving it as-is.

Regards...... Guy

Thanks Guy. Your explanation is very plausible. It's just that I have an E-M5 and I've had it for much longer a period than he had his E-M2. My E-M5 has no mount issue whatsoever. I think the mounts are made from the same material and process and I tend to get my camera wet all the time with lenses that are not weather sealed (20mm & 14-150mm) because I'm obsessed with taking pictures in damp rainy or snowy conditions. No damage to my mount so far, or any damage whatsoever for that matter, my E-M5 is practically as good as new.

Guy Parsons wrote:

It's the care afterwards that matters, don't just plonk a wet camera back in the bag and forget it. Take it apart (that is, lens off) and wipe everything dry, then back together and leave in front of a warm flow of air (both camera and bag) for an hour or so.

When my E-PL5 got extremely wet I did that wipe off and then some time in front of a warm (not hot) air-con vent and all fine.

Regards...... Guy

That makes sense. I usually just leave my E-M5 out on the open (nice to stare at when you're not using it) so water never condenses on it. My friend on the other hand, I do recall off the top of my head that he had moisture condensation on one of his Canon lenses so it is probably that he lets condensation take its toll where I wouldn't.

I'll be sure he gets a hold of this thread for future camera handling.

Thanks again

nkbj wrote:

I had the same problem on my first E-PL1. Got the lens mount changed under warranty by Olympus Europe.

Thanks Niels

Really hard to tell from the photos, but are the "damaged" areas on the surface or are they chips of metal (or coating) that came off of the surface, leaving pits in the surface?