weird problem

[Jaedon]

Last night I decided to take my 50 - 500 lens off and take the 45 150 walk around with me to the fireworks display that we had here. When I got to the beach I turned on my camera .....and nothing happened. I tried removing the battery grip and putting a fresh battery directly in the camera.....nothing happened. I switched the battery grip to the b position and I get a battery low warning on the camera but it will still not turn on. I knew the batteries were fresh as I had just taken them from the charger.

The good news is when I got home I thought I would try it with the 50 - 500 on it again.... and it worked. It took a long time to boot up .... but it did turn on. So I tried switching the lenses back again and still no good. So apparently my camera has developed a personality and will only work with it's favourite lens now.

Why do these things happen right before you are about to go on a trip? The Michigan NASCAR race is less that 6 weeks away and I do plan on using the big lens so as long as it works with that lens I will take it. I can at least use the E500 with my kit lenses for now but both camera are now in need of service as the E500 has a shutter sticking problem. Sheesh.......thank goodness for the extended warranties on both of them. The E510 is 3 weeks past the 1 year warranty.

Does anyone know of anything that may have caused this?

[Greg McCary]

Who knows? But I would retry the firmware upgrade. I think you had a problem getting it to upgrade? My guess at the problem would be a firmware clitch or communication problem with the lens.

[Jaedon]

It will not turn on even if there are no lenses attached. The only thing that makes it work is being attached to my 50 - 500 lol.

I still have not been able to update the firmware. I have been in communication with Olympus and they tell me I need to make an appointment to go to the Canadian field office (about 45 min away) and they will update all my firmware on both bodies for me. I just need to get them to answer the phone at the office.

[Greg McCary]

Good luck. Have you tried a reset? I think there is a reset to factory defaults.

[California L33]

How old are the batteries? It could be that they're starting to die, or there's a problem with your charger, and the 50-500 uses less power than the other. I'm not sure why it wouldn't turn on without a lens attached to it, but digital cameras are, essentially, computers. It might read the power in a different way when there's no lens attached, so the battery it sees as weak with the 50-500 is seen as dead with nothing attached.

[Jaedon]

It isn't a battery issue. I tried all 6 of my batteries which range in age from 6 mos to 3 years old but it did not power on with any of them in it. I then tried to update the firmware after getting it to turn on with the 50 - 500 on it and it then shut down never to turn on again.

Took it to the shop for the repair. Looking at 6 weeks down time. Good thing I have my E500 as a back up. Bad thing is it is going in when I pick my 510 back up because of a shutter sticking problem. It will stick but will reset if I take the battery out and reboot. Weird little glitches. Must be my magnetic personality =P

[Atomic2]

why ever would you want to go to a NASCAR event?

did you see the canadian grand prix? i went to the US GP last year but so sad they werent back at Indy this year

[Greg McCary]

Maybe you should just upgrade to the 520. LOL

[California L33]

why ever would you want to go to a NASCAR event?

To take pictures of the red necks.

[California L33]

Looking at 6 weeks down time.

That's criminal. Camera repair has become like computer repair- check the software. If it's fine
start replacing boards until it works. That should take an hour, including disassembly and reassembly. Service centers should not be ordering parts for common cameras, and if they do they shouldn't be coming from China via boat.

[Jaedon]

I personally think they should have given me a loaner body until I got it back. But of course that would cost them money so no go on that one.

NASACR?? Because it's fun? There's lots of beer? There's lots of fast cars?? My wife is making me? All of the above lol.

6 weeks down time is what I expect although they said 4 - 6 weeks. Last time it was 8 not 6 so I am not holding my breath.

[Jaedon]

Got the camera back yesterday. They replaced the main circuit board. Apparently it was fried. Cleaned the camera and updated ALL the firmware for every lens I own. Back to working order and back to shooting for me. Only 3.5 weeks returned. Better than expected by far.