WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

[catkins]

I've just had a very successful day of aviation photography in Lincolnshire on Thursday with a Sigma 70-200mm APO EXII lens plus Olympus TC-14 teleconverter attached. This is presumably within the design parameters of the E-M1 as it is designed to take any four thirds lens, as well as the micro four thirds lens range.

Today, I have lifted the camera to put the strap around my neck to then have one end of the strap come away from the camera body - it is actually the camera body eyelet that has failed, not the strap nor the means of attaching the strap to the eyelet.
The failure isn't a breakage, it is actually the eyelet screws that seem to have come away within the camera body, as there are clearly two holes in the eyelet and two visible deeper within the eyelet hole on the camera body. There is no sign of any screws as I presume that these have fallen within the camera body.



Because I was holding the camera by the lens when I lifted it, the camera and especially lens is fine, but the consequences if this had happened when I was using it all day on Thursday are seriously worrying - it would have been the lens that would have smashed first onto the concrete, without any warning!

To say the least, I feel shocked at how easily two small screws seem to have come away within the camera body to then release the camera strap.
It could easily be an unfortunate one off, but I would seriously advise any other E-M1 users to be very cautious with the camera body eyelets and to try to give them a visual check to see if there is any play or tiny movement between the eyelet and the camera body, especially if you regularly use heavier four-thirds lens.

I will of course now have to try out the Olympus Pro Service Plus - shame that they don't want to deal with issues at weekends! Anyhow, let's hope that it is a quick service and repair, but please check your eyelets in the meantime.
I presume that no-one else has had a similar problem but if any of you find a loose camera body eyelet connection could you please update this thread, just in case there needs to be a more thorough check of this issue.

Regards
Chris

[mike_j]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

That was a major problem with Panasonic G1 and even Leica had a problem on one model.

Should be an unquestioned manufacturing defect repair regardless of warranty.

[benvendetta]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

I seem to recall another occurance of this a couple of months back. Can't recall if it was on here or DPReview.

[catkins]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

I seem to recall another occurance of this a couple of months back. Can't recall if it was on here or DPReview.

Thanks - a quick look brings up a similar event with an E-M5
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3555683
So possibly this could be what you remember seeing - I'll keep a look out.

I notice that there are some images of the Panny G1 eyelet which looks very similar to the E-M1 eyelet - at least externally. So it seems surprising that a later camera released in 2013 has had a similar problem potentially to a camera with a eyelet problem released in 2008, without the problem being sorted. I presume that the internal connections will be different, but . . .

It's also quite worrying when you see how small the metalwork is that connects the eyelet to the camera body, especially if you have some expensive glass attached to the camera - I can't believe how close to disaster for me that this was!

Regards
Chris

[vchaney]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

Sorry to hear your camera is broken.

With a large lens like that I usually find it easier to use a sling strap attached to the tripod mount either on the camera or lens if it had one. It's much stronger in my opinion.

[Ricoh]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

Crikey, that was a close shave!
I sometimes have a 14-54 ZD attached to my EM5 and have questioned in my own mind the body to lens to integrity with such a heavy lens, but this revelation just adds further concern. Although very well conceived, I'm of the opinion that they are very much a consumer product, built to a budget, we hear of so many failures, rotary knobs not working, screen bezels cracking, now this. It's no wonder the resale 2nd hand market is suppressed.

[Ricoh]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

Sorry to hear your camera is broken.

With a large lens like that I usually find it easier to use a sling strap attached to the tripod mount either on the camera or lens if it had one. It's much stronger in my opinion.

I'll be onto one of these, any recommendations?

[benvendetta]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

I am pretty sure it has happened to an EM1 before now too
with regard to the Black Rapid/Sunsniper straps, they are great until you have to put the camera down. I am always thinking that mine will come undone so check It frequently.

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

What about the two small screws rattling about inside the body shorting out the electronics, jamming the mechanicals, scratching the sensor, etc..

[catkins]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

What about the two small screws rattling about inside the body shorting out the electronics, jamming the mechanicals, scratching the sensor, etc..

Unfortunately if you try to shake the camera too much it sounds like the whole sensor will fall out! But yes, where are those screws, because I can't hear them while gently tilting the camera?
So until I can make contact with Olympus Service Plus the E-M1 is taking a break (figuratively not literally) and the old E-30 rises to the challenge.

Regards
Chris

[Phill D]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

Commiserations Chris this seems very strange as it looks like the screws have just come loose if there is no failed part of the threads in the separate eyelet. If that is indeed the case checking for loose eyelets and odd rattles would indeed be very wise as both screws wouldn't fall out at the same time.

[Ricoh]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

Not exactly a great design solution. Perhaps better if the fasteners were inverted and screwed into tapped inserts (or helicoil inserts) in the casting. Although aesthetically less pleasing it would allow for user maintenance and peace of mind. Using the correct torque and anti-vibration techniques it shouldn't fail. Also consider one left hand thread and the other right hand to increase the number of failure modes required for breaking free.

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

Not exactly a great design solution. Perhaps better if the fasteners were inverted and screwed into tapped inserts (or helicoil inserts) in the casting. Although aesthetically less pleasing it would allow for user maintenance and peace of mind. Using the correct torque and anti-vibration techniques it shouldn't fail. Also consider one left hand thread and the other right hand to increase the number of failure modes required for breaking free.

One has also got to hope the threads haven't stripped (with screws a little short). That would be more worrying to me! I think if I'm going to keep heavier lenses on the camera with tripod mount I may be tempted to use a sling strap for the lens (tripod mount) & neck strap for the camera body & that way it should be fine. The only lens I have that fits that bill is the Sigma 150 macro lens which may not be practical to use a strap at all for macro shots.

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

I don't like the lugs anyway. Now I know they just unscrew I may be tempted to take them off (once it's out of warrantee. ;-)

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: WARNING: E-M1 Camera body eyelet has come away from camera body!

I don't like the lugs anyway. Now I know they just unscrew I may be tempted to take them off (once it's out of warrantee. ;-)

How would you do that since they are screwed on from the inside?