E-1 Shutter Sticks

[Ddaside88]

Apparently, 2015 is not starting out well for me with regards to cameras. I still am trying to resolve E-30 repair issues with Olympus. Meanwhile, I decided to get a backup body, and having read what a workhorse the E-1 is, bought a used E-1 and 14-54 lens. Things started out great, and I was quite pleased with the results from the camera and lens. Two weeks in, and yesterday, while out shooting (in the cold), after three shots, the shutter closed . . . and stayed closed and no picture was recorded. The only way to get the shutter to open was to turn off the camera, and turn it back on. Thinking the battery was low, I changed it. No change. I let the camera sit overnight to warm up, but this morning, the shutter still sticks. Is it time for another round of Olympus repairs?

[dh202]

If the shutter is truly dead ...
The E-1 is listed on the flat rate repair cost of $239.00 and it is simply not at all advisable to invest that kind of money on a 12 year old camera !

Sorry to say that
David

[Edmunds]

Yeah, if your E-1 went bad, probably somebody sold you a camera that already had issues. The best thing to do would be to just suck it up and buy another one, as repair would be more than it would cost.

That said, the E-1 is more like a digital antique. If you're after a cheap camera, some of the older m4/3 cameras, like the Panasonic GF1, literally go for no money at all. I think I sold my GF1 for like a hundred bucks. The sensor in the GF1 is the same as the E5.

[Ddaside88]

Sound economics. Thanks. The seller is sending me a replacement body. Given what I paid for the body and lens, I'm not out much money, and have a nice addition to my other lenses.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

The E1 is worth every penny of 239 bucks, but did I hear Oly dropped service for it?
Mine came back like brand new.

[dh202]

The E1 is worth every penny of 239 bucks, but did I hear Oly dropped service for it?
Mine came back like brand new.

A twelve year old that has already had problems is very questionable to repair, considering the chance that something else will go bad .As you said though, I was
also under the impression that they were no longer being serviced.

[Godfrey]

My understanding is that when you send an E-1 in to Olympus now, they go through the whole camera and fix anything messed up that they can, presuming parts availability, for the flat rate of $239. That's a great deal. I think an E-1 is still worth $240.

They may have cancelled the service, but it doesn't hurt at all to send an email to them and find out.

G

[Ddaside88]

When I checked last week, the E-1 was still on the list. While they are fairly cheap on eBay, I would wonder if having the camera completely overhauled by Olympus isn't better than buying another used body with a different set of problems. In this case, the seller had a 30-day guarantee on it, and has sent me a second body. I went for the E-1 because it is such a rugged camera, and others in this forum still use theirs or keep them handy as a second body. The first body came with a 14-54 f/2.8 lens which also enticed me.

[Godfrey]

When I checked last week, the E-1 was still on the list. While they are fairly cheap on eBay, I would wonder if having the camera completely overhauled by Olympus isn't better than buying another used body with a different set of problems. In this case, the seller had a 30-day guarantee on it, and has sent me a second body. I went for the E-1 because it is such a rugged camera, and others in this forum still use theirs or keep them handy as a second body. The first body came with a 14-54 f/2.8 lens which also enticed me.

That would be my approach. I've had mine since 2008, it's still something of a baby with only 15,000 exposures through it. If it broke, and Olympus still serviced them, I'd have it repaired.

G

[Big Greg]

I think the e-1 is a great body that takes really "natural" (I don't know how else to describe it) photos. I wouldn't spend that kind of money to repair one though. I sold the two I had a while ago and realized I missed them. I picked another one up on the big auction site recently for $55.95 (with shipping).

[Ddaside88]

The second E-1 seems to do the job. Just for the heck of it, I checked the shutter count on both. The first E-1 has a count of 143,000+ while the second one is at 34,000+. That's a big difference, and would explain (to me anyway) the shutter issue. A couple of times the shutter on the second one has been slow, but even in the frigid weather we've been having, keeps going.