Olympus E-P5 dial malfunction and warranty questions

Acadie4Me wrote:

Hi --

Yes, the EP5 is small, beautiful, and capable, with buttons and dials that I found convenient even with my big hands. I got terrific IQ.

But my camera was repaired twice by Olympus (in Canada) and the rear dial quickly failed after both repairs. I have seen a total of four dial failures on my two EP5's. I, too, had heard the rumors that the replacement top covers had a different "feel", so I had hope the first time I sent my camera in for repair. Indeed, the replacement top cover appeared to be "different". But it still failed quickly. . . .

I am truly sorry to hear about your experience. I must say the effect on me is to strengthen my skepticism about having the camera fixed - which would be at my own expense. No point in throwing good money after bad.

I used the camera extensively on Sunday at a confirmation party and I noticed that the back dial has gotten worse. Funny when the camera sits and you pick it up both dials seem fine. When the camera is used one of the dials malfunctions sporadically.

I'm still using the dials for now, but I have also set up the Fn button to give me access to the directional buttons to control both EV and F-Stop. Using the buttons isn't as fast as the dials, but it's not too annoyingly slow either. It would be really, really nice if my front dial held up so I continue to use that for EV - which I do change fairly often - while using the directional buttons to control aperture which I don't change that often. In any case, the button controls are usable.

But then I shoot with the LCD screen. I hadn't thought about this problem in relation to the EVF which I don't like and almost never use. I see now that you won't be able to access the directional dial with the camera up against your face - making the camera nearly unusable. Seems to me that under these circumstances you should ask Olympus to replace the camera with a different model with a built-in EVF.

Allan Brown wrote:

Acadie4Me wrote:

Hi, Allan --

I did give some thought to optical and magnetic switches, but I concluded these would be unlikely for the following reasons:

1) The extra cost.

2) The extra power -- cameras operate on a tight power budget.

Consider the older IPod Classic with that silly dial on the front. I doubt that it is mechanical. The camera switches could be similar.

3) The kind of symptoms we are seeing -- classic "contact bounce" or "dirty contacts".

Going way out on a limb, I would go so far as to assume that the EP5 switch contacts are actually part of the circuit board in the top cover. The same way as contacts in a hand calculator usually are.

This could also be true and Olympus skimped out on the coatings.

Anyway, this problem has been on-going for many years dating back to the DSLR bodies and Olympus has never addressed it.

Now, there is another post about screws falling out and the screen coming loose on the latest camera. Loose screws have been mentioned many times in the past and yet, again, Olympus does nothing about it.

Allan

Assuming, for the moment, that this diagnosis is correct and the contacts are part of a circuit board on the top cover what does this imply about the prospects for permeant repair? If it is a matter of dirty contacts caused by dust could this be addressed by blowing compressed air into the gaps near the dials?

Hi, traveler_101:

Thanks for your interest in this issue.

Of course, we are still speculating on the switch technology used in the EP5 dials.  My observations below are based on the "dust theory", when it could be something else entirely...

My initial reaction to blowing compressed air into the camera is not to do it. You may have extremely clean source of compressed air -- or maybe not. Either way, you will be pushing dust further into the camera.

You may succeed in removing the offending dust, and fixing the dial (temporarily, more than likely). But would it be worth the risk to more valuable portions of the camera?

Some people have reported that spinning the dials one way, and then the other, provides a temporary fix. It did not work for me, but it did change the symptoms. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse...

Others have noted an improvement by letting the camera sit idle for a while. This would be difficult for me to do .  And why pay all that money, just to have a camera on the shelf?

It would be great if Olympus monitored this forum and offered some clarification.

Its amazing to me that the company that has done the right thing by offering some free, valuable technology upgrades to the firmware on EM1 and EM5.2, is the same company that is silent on our EP5 issues.  Why are we so lucky?

Hi, Jim --

I'm pleased to report that Olympus did send me an EM5M2 as a replacement for my six-month-old-twice-repaired-and-still-defective-dialed EP5.

During my negotiations with Olympus, I realized I really just wanted an EP5 that worked.   Olympus offered the EM10M2.  The EM10M2 was announced but not really available yet, and I was in a hurry.  The EM10M2 was also a cheaper camera than the EP5 and I wasn't willing to trade a $1000 camera for a $750 dollar camera (Canadian Prices).  I asked for an EM1 and Olympus said "No".

I thought about it overnight.  I had a VF4 that was unusable on the EM10M2 or the EM5M2.  I had a LensBaby Tilt Nikon Lens adapter that fits the EP5, but does not fit any OMD camera due to the "prism" projection just above the lens mounts.  I could see I would actually need two cameras to replace the EP5.  So I called Olympus and explained what I wanted:  I wanted them to send me an EPL7, because it would fit my accessories, and because I needed to have a second camera as a backup (I had lost faith in Olympus camera reliability).  I said I would return my EP5 to my camera store under the "lemon protection" of my extended warranty plan.  The store would give me the original purchase price of my camera as a credit towards the purchase of any camera -- any brand.

Olympus did give this proposal some serious consideration.  In the end, it would have been cheaper for them to send me an EPL7 instead of an EM5M2.  Yet, they couldn't do it.  They said they were "audited" and they had to have a camera in exchange for the one they were sending out.  They agreed to send me a EM5M2 and that was it.

At that time, the EM5M2 was selling for $1100 Canadian dollars, the EM1 for $1300, and the EP5 for $1000.  So, for the record, Olympus thinks that all my time and trouble was worth $100, but not $300.  And were talking about list prices here, not what the actual cost would be to Olympus.  I told Olympus that I didn't think that was enough to buy back my loyalty.  My extra expenses for owning the EP5 were well over $200.  Then there was my time, the frustration, and the missed photo opportunities.  Not Olympus's problems, I guess.

It was apparent that the exchange was going to take some time (more than a month, as it turns out).  I quickly found an EPL5 in good shape in Kijiji for $250 and bought it.  It is small and takes my accessories and is not a bad camera.  It will serve me well, I think, as a backup.  But it has no built-in flash.  If you use the VF4 with it (like I do), you can't trigger external flashes.  The EPL7 suffers from the same limitation.

The newly-arrived EM5M2 stayed in its box for 10 days, while I considered whether I really wanted it.  I could only see more repairs and frustration in my future.  Yes, the EM5M2 has some impressive new functionality, but that just makes me wonder if I am going to have to deal with "bleeding-edge" technology.

In the end, I decided I wouldn't get enough money for the EM5M2 if I traded it in.  What really sealed the deal was that my camera store was willing to apply my existing extended warranty to the EM5M2.  So, I still have "lemon protection"!

So far, the EM5M2 is working well. I am getting used to its unpleasant sharp corners and utilitarian appearance.  It is quite thick front-to-back compared to the EP5.  It can't be mistaken for a point-and-shoot.  However, it can be silent with the electronic shutter.  I know I will be using some of the advanced features, especially the hi-res mode.  (I need to take photos of large, old documents that can't be scanned.)

glad you got some resolution in the end.

Hi

I know that a few people have resolved their EM1 rear dial issues by spinning the dial 100 times rapidly in each direction.

Nothing to lose in any case if your dial is malfunctioning.

Next time I have to purchase an automobile I think I'll bring you along! Tough negotiator - and I think you came out well. Enjoy your new camera.

Acadie4Me wrote:

Hi, Jim --

I'm pleased to report that Olympus did send me an EM5M2 as a replacement for my six-month-old-twice-repaired-and-still-defective-dialed EP5.

During my negotiations with Olympus, I realized I really just wanted an EP5 that worked. Olympus offered the EM10M2. The EM10M2 was announced but not really available yet, and I was in a hurry. The EM10M2 was also a cheaper camera than the EP5 and I wasn't willing to trade a $1000 camera for a $750 dollar camera (Canadian Prices). I asked for an EM1 and Olympus said "No".

I thought about it overnight. I had a VF4 that was unusable on the EM10M2 or the EM5M2. I had a LensBaby Tilt Nikon Lens adapter that fits the EP5, but does not fit any OMD camera due to the "prism" projection just above the lens mounts. I could see I would actually need two cameras to replace the EP5. So I called Olympus and explained what I wanted: I wanted them to send me an EPL7, because it would fit my accessories, and because I needed to have a second camera as a backup (I had lost faith in Olympus camera reliability). I said I would return my EP5 to my camera store under the "lemon protection" of my extended warranty plan. The store would give me the original purchase price of my camera as a credit towards the purchase of any camera -- any brand.

Olympus did give this proposal some serious consideration. In the end, it would have been cheaper for them to send me an EPL7 instead of an EM5M2. Yet, they couldn't do it. They said they were "audited" and they had to have a camera in exchange for the one they were sending out. They agreed to send me a EM5M2 and that was it.

At that time, the EM5M2 was selling for $1100 Canadian dollars, the EM1 for $1300, and the EP5 for $1000. So, for the record, Olympus thinks that all my time and trouble was worth $100, but not $300. And were talking about list prices here, not what the actual cost would be to Olympus. I told Olympus that I didn't think that was enough to buy back my loyalty. My extra expenses for owning the EP5 were well over $200. Then there was my time, the frustration, and the missed photo opportunities. Not Olympus's problems, I guess.

It was apparent that the exchange was going to take some time (more than a month, as it turns out). I quickly found an EPL5 in good shape in Kijiji for $250 and bought it. It is small and takes my accessories and is not a bad camera. It will serve me well, I think, as a backup. But it has no built-in flash. If you use the VF4 with it (like I do), you can't trigger external flashes. The EPL7 suffers from the same limitation.

The newly-arrived EM5M2 stayed in its box for 10 days, while I considered whether I really wanted it. I could only see more repairs and frustration in my future. Yes, the EM5M2 has some impressive new functionality, but that just makes me wonder if I am going to have to deal with "bleeding-edge" technology.

In the end, I decided I wouldn't get enough money for the EM5M2 if I traded it in. What really sealed the deal was that my camera store was willing to apply my existing extended warranty to the EM5M2. So, I still have "lemon protection"!

So far, the EM5M2 is working well. I am getting used to its unpleasant sharp corners and utilitarian appearance. It is quite thick front-to-back compared to the EP5. It can't be mistaken for a point-and-shoot. However, it can be silent with the electronic shutter. I know I will be using some of the advanced features, especially the hi-res mode. (I need to take photos of large, old documents that can't be scanned.)

traveler_101 wrote:

My E-P5 dials are now beginning to malfunction. Most of the time they work, but they also skip a click or two from time to time.

Can anyone recommend a quick fix so i can bring the camera on my vacation next week?

Does anyone know at what point the global guarantee expires. I found this on their website: "Please kindly be informed that Worldwide warranty will not be provided with most of our Micro Four Thirds System and compact digital camera products shipped after September of 2014." Does anyone know whether that means shipped after September 1 or shipped after September 30?

I purchased mine on September 9, 2015 from Korea shipped to the USA, where I picked it up when over there. I am hoping to have it repaired here in Europe.

Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks in advance for any info/advice.

I recently bought a used E-P5 at auction in great condition for about 20,000 Yen (180 US$), but I now found out that it has the dial problem to some extent, currently mainly in the front dial.

I am considering sending it in for repairs, but wonder how effective that would be. There have been reports of successive repairs that failed to solve the problem, but that was a couple of years ago. I am located in Japan, so it is relatively easy to have direct communication with Olympus in Japan.

Now we are in 2019, so I have some hopes that Olympus finally figured out how to repair this failure successively.  Does anybody have experience of dial repairs on Olympus bodies after 2015, and if so, how effective have they been? Any indication of the cost of such a repair?

Koshou wrote:

traveler_101 wrote:

My E-P5 dials are now beginning to malfunction. Most of the time they work, but they also skip a click or two from time to time.

Can anyone recommend a quick fix so i can bring the camera on my vacation next week?

Does anyone know at what point the global guarantee expires. I found this on their website: "Please kindly be informed that Worldwide warranty will not be provided with most of our Micro Four Thirds System and compact digital camera products shipped after September of 2014." Does anyone know whether that means shipped after September 1 or shipped after September 30?

I purchased mine on September 9, 2015 from Korea shipped to the USA, where I picked it up when over there. I am hoping to have it repaired here in Europe.

Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks in advance for any info/advice.

I recently bought a used E-P5 at auction in great condition for about 20,000 Yen (180 US$), but I now found out that it has the dial problem to some extent, currently mainly in the front dial.

I am considering sending it in for repairs, but wonder how effective that would be. There have been reports of successive repairs that failed to solve the problem, but that was a couple of years ago. I am located in Japan, so it is relatively easy to have direct communication with Olympus in Japan.

Now we are in 2019, so I have some hopes that Olympus finally figured out how to repair this failure successively. Does anybody have experience of dial repairs on Olympus bodies after 2015, and if so, how effective have they been? Any indication of the cost of such a repair?

Well after I posted (above), I read that you could improve the performance of the dial by spinning it rapidly after placing a tiny amount - and I mean less than a drop - of WD40 (penetrating oil) on the dial. It worked for me and I never had problems after that. You could try spinning the dial without the oil first. Spin in both directions. I can't remember where I found that remedy. Off course I don't know what ultimately happened because a year later I bought the Pen-F and sold the E-P5.

Allan Brown wrote:

traveler_101 wrote:

Koshou wrote:

traveler_101 wrote:

My E-P5 dials are now beginning to malfunction. Most of the time they work, but they also skip a click or two from time to time.

Can anyone recommend a quick fix so i can bring the camera on my vacation next week?

Does anyone know at what point the global guarantee expires. I found this on their website: "Please kindly be informed that Worldwide warranty will not be provided with most of our Micro Four Thirds System and compact digital camera products shipped after September of 2014." Does anyone know whether that means shipped after September 1 or shipped after September 30?

I purchased mine on September 9, 2015 from Korea shipped to the USA, where I picked it up when over there. I am hoping to have it repaired here in Europe.

Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks in advance for any info/advice.

I recently bought a used E-P5 at auction in great condition for about 20,000 Yen (180 US$), but I now found out that it has the dial problem to some extent, currently mainly in the front dial.

I am considering sending it in for repairs, but wonder how effective that would be. There have been reports of successive repairs that failed to solve the problem, but that was a couple of years ago. I am located in Japan, so it is relatively easy to have direct communication with Olympus in Japan.

Now we are in 2019, so I have some hopes that Olympus finally figured out how to repair this failure successively. Does anybody have experience of dial repairs on Olympus bodies after 2015, and if so, how effective have they been? Any indication of the cost of such a repair?

Well after I posted (above), I read that you could improve the performance of the dial by spinning it rapidly after placing a tiny amount - and I mean less than a drop - of WD40 (penetrating oil) on the dial. It worked for me and I never had problems after that. You could try spinning the dial without the oil first. Spin in both directions. I can't remember where I found that remedy. Off course I don't know what ultimately happened because a year later I bought the Pen-F and sold the E-P5.

WD 40 is Not penetrating oil and may damage your camera. It is a Water Disperser, hence WD.

Since I wrote my reply a few years ago, my EPL5 developed the "Flaky Rear Dial" syndrome. I inserted some Graig Deoxit around the rear dial and turned the camera over. I then rotated the ring several times in both directions.

The camera is still working well.

Allan

Apparently you are right, WD-40 is not an oil, it is a solvent - all the better. And it worked (at least apparently, i.e. the problem went away). I have it sitting around since it has so many uses. Use at your own risk.

Thanks Guy, wolfychi, traveller_101, and Allen for your replies. It gave me good material to ponder about over the last few days.

I have tried to rotate the dial fast forward and backwards, and that did improve it much. I conclude that the problem is dirt on the contacts of the rotary dial. I decided to get some more experience with the E-P5 and then figure out what to do.

From your replies I conclude that Olympus has figured out how to repair the defect effectively, and some blogs in Japan appear to confirm that. However, Olympus will charge me at least 12,000 Yen (more than US$100) for the repair, so if I decide to repair, I will first try to disassemble my E-P5 and clean its contacts. There are some Youtube videos on disassembling other but similar Olympus cameras, so I can figure out how to do this, and it will be much fun anyway.

From your replies I understand that you applied some fluid to the dial without disassembling, but I wonder how I can get a drop in. WD40, for example, comes in spray cans, and I am reluctant to spray it in the opening next to the dial. Did you use some kind of pipette to apply fluid? I figure whatever fluid I use, it is best to open the camera in order to apply it.

Finally, I noticed that my E-P5 is less snappy in its operation than my OMD M10 Mark II. This extends to AF operation, and reaction time to any button press. Is this your experience too? It looks to me that technology advanced a lot in the few years between the launches of the E-P5 and the M10 II. Any experiences to share?

Thanks Allan!

I will try to figure out what type of screw is used by taking some macro photos. To be honest, I was completely unaware of the difference between Phillips and Pozi-Drive heads, which is quite embarrassing since I do a lot of DIY. I did not even know the existence of Pozi-Drive screws. I guess one is never too old to learn.

The E-M5 II is only half a year older than the E-M10 II, so I am a bit surprised if it would not be so snappy. The E-M10 II is a delight to use. If only they would sell it with the viewfinder left off...

I did update my E-P5's firmware to the latest version. Anyway, maybe some imagination is also involved, so I'd better go out with both cameras and shoot away. It is now cherry blossom season in Japan, so there should be no shortage of subjects.