E-PM2 - Loose part in sensor box?

Hi All,

Just wondering if any of you have ever seen something like this?

It seems to move freely so something may have broken internally.

Dr Matt wrote:

Hi All,

Just wondering if any of you have ever seen something like this?

It seems to move freely so something may have broken internally.

Assuming the camera still functions properly it's perfectly normal.

That's how the stabilization system works, the sensor moves in response to motion.

It's not the sensor that's moving, it's the skewed plastic piece in front of it 

Dr Matt wrote:

It's not the sensor that's moving, it's the skewed plastic piece in front of it

Hmm. Has it been dropped? Sent in for repair? If that inner plastic shield is loose, it may be possible to apply some glue (carefully!) to secure it, but I would be hesitant to try this without seeing a service drawing to know how it is secured, and ensure it won't cause interference with the sensor movement.

Not sure of it's history, just picked it up today, but no mention of any adventures by the previous owner - have contacted them to verify anyway.

I'm thinking the same thing about some adhesive, it'll only need a minimal amount, but I'd really like to know if it's supposed to be attached to something internally.

I'll probably ask Oly here in Aus and see if they can divulge any info...

Dr Matt wrote:

Not sure of it's history, just picked it up today, but no mention of any adventures by the previous owner - have contacted them to verify anyway.

I'm thinking the same thing about some adhesive, it'll only need a minimal amount, but I'd really like to know if it's supposed to be attached to something internally.

I'll probably ask Oly here in Aus and see if they can divulge any info...

I did a quick search for teardowns or service manuals and found nothing. I would be great to find a source for service manuals, or at least assembly diagrams for these cameras. Perhaps Oly could be convinced to release them after a model is no longer serviced. Compared with other technology these days, I find camera information to be very hard to locate.

Assuming the camera still functions properly it's perfectly normal.

That's how the stabilization system works, the sensor moves in response to motion.

Not on the E-PM2, it's not normal. The 2-axis IS is made of motors and gears. There are a few springs, but they are relatively tight. The whole thing is pretty stiff and stays in place.

Of course it does move when the IS functions, but that does not seem to be the problem here.

In any case what seems to be moving here is the plastic cutout, not the sensor itself.

I took my E-PM2 apart, down to the sensor, and it took me days to put it back together.

Behind the sensor there are a few washers used for calibration and if these fall off you will loose your sensor positional calibration.

The sensor is held by a soldiered connector that breaks easily.

I also broke the flash connector in the process (I never use the flash so...).

I have two suggestions:

• Tape it, maybe with some sort of double-face adhesive tape. Make sure the adhesive cannot get loose and spoil the sensor or end up somewhere else. This is why I would recommend tape, not glue.
• If you are somewhat dexterous, you can unscrew the 4 screws where the lens mounts. You then remove the two metal rings and 3 tiny springs (remember their places), then you can unscrew the electric contacts (2 screws) and you would get a better view of the problem and more room to work.
  Try hard not to drop any screw inside the camera.

Do not disassemble the whole camera from the back and sides, like I did. You will need good amounts of time, patience and luck to put it back together.

Yes I know, this is an old post, but maybe someone else with the same problem will come across.

Dr. Matt,
I opened my E-PM2.  There is nothing moving or loose.  If I shake it, I hear nothing.  If you paid for it you should a refund.  If it was free and you want to keep it, Olympus will repair it for a small reasonable cost.  Usually pretty quickly too.
Good luck with it.
George

Thanks everyone for the replies, much appreciated.
In the end I did end up using an extremely small amount of glue to hold it in place. I managed to get it under the plastic so you can't even see it.
It has held up thus far so good result in the end.

Thanks, Matt