Olympus C-700 Service Manual or Schematic?

[NSM]

....
| Nothing irks me more than these big companies selling expensive items and
| then not making service documentation available to the purchaser. Smacks
of
| monopoly to me.
....

It's possibly a violation of law, depending on the country/state you are in.
Some have consumer protection laws or court decisions about such matters
requiring them to deliver the info to you.

I know that Radio Shack produced such manuals even for the most trivial
items and for those so unusual that few would tackle them.

N

 

[RWM]

| One other thing...
| the batteries and battery contacts have ALREADY BEEN THOROUGHLY CHECKED
| OUT!! So we can pretty much discount the "PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERIES"
line
| of troubleshooting.

Unless you hook it up to a good power supply and test to see what voltage it
cuts out at, you haven't truly checked this out IMO.

N

No kidding, but hey, he's made up his mind, LIT UP THE CAPS and moved on...

 

[Big Bill]

Have had this camera a long time but all of a sudden, it started giving me
the "battery empty" message right after I install 4 new batteries.

IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES OR THE BATTERY CONNECTIONS.

Nothing special happened the day it started -- I had taken about
100 photos with no problem, then when the batteries ran out, I put in 4 new
ones and got 2 photos before "battery empty" message came up. Same ever
since.

Wonder if anyone had this problem come up on this or a similar model?

Thanks!!
Fred

Fred, I've worked as a mechanic,and now I work on computers.
POne thing I've learned doing this is to ask: "How do you KNOW it's
not the batteries?"
The reason I ask is this: when experience says *this* is the problem,
and customer says *this* isn't the problem, *this* is the first thing
I check. And guess what? *This* is usually the problem.
So when you're asked, "How do you know it's not the batteries", you're
being asked because bad or marginal batteries cause exactly the
problems you present.
Yes, there are other things that can cause this. And Oly cameras in
particular seem to have a problem with their power systems on their
PCBs. But still, even on Olys, it *usually* the batteries, and unless
you can assure us that you've actually done some tests that will
remove batteries as the problem, that question will still be asked.
If you were to take the camera to an Oly service center, and assure
them that IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES, the first thing they will do is
insert known good batteries. It's the way troubleshooting goes. First,
you eliminate the obvious. Second, never listen to the customer when
he insists the obvious isn't the problem, *especially* when it's so
trivial to check anyway.
Hope this helps!

 

[William Graham]

IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!!
IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!!

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Well, if the camera works otherwise OK, then you have two choices. Either
live with the problem, or send it off to the Olympus repair facility, and
have them fix it. I would probably live with the problem unless and until
the camera failed in some other way, and then, when it was due for a Cal
and/or other service anyway, I would get the battery checking circuit
repaired along with.....I know that I never use the battery test circuit on
my camera, so I could care less if it works....I just carry spare batteries
around with me in case I should ever need them.

 

[William Graham]

...
| Nothing irks me more than these big companies selling expensive items
and
| then not making service documentation available to the purchaser.
Smacks
of
| monopoly to me.

I agree, and that's why I usually require the salesman to dig one up for
me.....The last new car I bought came with a complete factory service manual
because I did that, by the way.........

 

[Bruce Graham]

I agree, and that's why I usually require the salesman to dig one up for
me.....The last new car I bought came with a complete factory service manual
because I did that, by the way.........

about a $500 extra if bought after the sale for my fairly ordinary wagon.

 

[Fred]

Good point. Will try to find an adapter.

 

[Fred]

Good for you! I also try to get service docs when I buy something, but
unfortunately Olympus doesn't make them available to anyone outside the
company.

 

[Fred]

Well, if the camera works otherwise OK, then you have two choices. Either
live with the problem, or send it off to the Olympus repair facility, and
have them fix it. I would probably live with the problem unless and until
the camera failed in some other way, and then, when it was due for a Cal
and/or other service anyway, I would get the battery checking circuit
repaired along with.....I know that I never use the battery test circuit on
my camera, so I could care less if it works....I just carry spare batteries
around with me in case I should ever need them.

Yes, but in this case, I can't live with the problem - the camera is not
usable as is. And can't send to Olympus because I'm sure this problem will
come up again in a year or so - based on email and postings from others.
This is a common problem. Yet, I don't want to throw about the $$ I spent
on it, so I'll keep trying to find out a method of troubleshooting it
myself.

 

[Fred]

Fred, I've worked as a mechanic,and now I work on computers.
POne thing I've learned doing this is to ask: "How do you KNOW it's
not the batteries?"
The reason I ask is this: when experience says *this* is the problem,
and customer says *this* isn't the problem, *this* is the first thing
I check. And guess what? *This* is usually the problem.
So when you're asked, "How do you know it's not the batteries", you're
being asked because bad or marginal batteries cause exactly the
problems you present.
Yes, there are other things that can cause this. And Oly cameras in
particular seem to have a problem with their power systems on their
PCBs. But still, even on Olys, it *usually* the batteries, and unless
you can assure us that you've actually done some tests that will
remove batteries as the problem, that question will still be asked.
If you were to take the camera to an Oly service center, and assure
them that IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES, the first thing they will do is
insert known good batteries. It's the way troubleshooting goes. First,
you eliminate the obvious. Second, never listen to the customer when
he insists the obvious isn't the problem, *especially* when it's so
trivial to check anyway.
Hope this helps!

Thanks Bill, but as I have said ad nauseum, I too first checked the
obvious -- batteries, (new batteries, old batteries, etc....), battery
contacts, is the door closed, are the switches making contact.

Now that this is addressed for the fifty millionth time, ...... on to the
power circuit. Anyone have a schematic?

 

[Mike]

Yes, but in this case, I can't live with the problem - the camera is not
usable as is. And can't send to Olympus because I'm sure this problem will
come up again in a year or so - based on email and postings from others.
This is a common problem. Yet, I don't want to throw about the $$ I spent
on it, so I'll keep trying to find out a method of troubleshooting it
myself.

So what do you have to lose sending the camera to Olympus?
The reason why Olympus does not make the service information available is
due the
experience and equipment needed to properly service the camera.

 

[William Graham]

about a $500 extra if bought after the sale for my fairly ordinary wagon.

Yes.....It's also wise to buy extra plastic trim and head/taillight covers
when buying a new vehicle. I knew a guy that, when he found out how much he
was going to have to pay for that smashed taillight cover, he went back to
the parking lot, picked up the pieces, and glued them all back
together........

 

[William Graham]

Yes, but in this case, I can't live with the problem - the camera is not
usable as is. And can't send to Olympus because I'm sure this problem
will
come up again in a year or so - based on email and postings from others.
This is a common problem. Yet, I don't want to throw about the $$ I spent
on it, so I'll keep trying to find out a method of troubleshooting it
myself.

You might try an independent technician. Some of these guys are pretty good,
and you might find one who is familiar with your particular make and
model.......

 

[Fred]

In my experience, they're very sensitive to battery voltage. Even one
soft cell among "new" batteries will trigger that message. I've even
seen it happen with lithium cells. Suggest you switch out cells, and
see if you can identify the bad one.

Thanks, but... IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S
NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!!
IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE
BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT
THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S
NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!!

 

[Fred]

So what do you have to lose sending the camera to Olympus?

$155 and the high probability that the same problem will occur again

The reason why Olympus does not make the service information available is
due the experience and equipment needed to properly service the camera.

Wrong. The reason is .... they can (a) charge $155 for 15 minutes of repair
time or (b) you buy another camera.

 

[Fred]

You might try an independent technician. Some of these guys are pretty good,
and you might find one who is familiar with your particular make and
model.......

Thanks William. In fact, I went on www.bigyellow.com and did a search for
all camera repair shops within a 30 mile radius. None of them would try
fixing it on their own -- except one Indian who charges $75 check-out fee
(fixed or not). All the others said they just pack the camera up and send to
Olympus - just like consumers would have to do, because Olympus doesn't make
service docs available.

 

[William Graham]

Thanks William. In fact, I went on www.bigyellow.com and did a search for
all camera repair shops within a 30 mile radius. None of them would try
fixing it on their own -- except one Indian who charges $75 check-out fee
(fixed or not). All the others said they just pack the camera up and send
to
Olympus - just like consumers would have to do, because Olympus doesn't
make
service docs available.

Yes. Well, this is a bad situation. I have a list of manufacturers I keep
(in my mind) that I will not deal with, simply because of things like this.
They all have, at some time or other in the past, proven themselves to be
unworthy of my business. Not all of these people are manufacturers. Some are
services such as banks and insurance companies. There is really no way to
recover the time and money that I have spent with these people, so all I can
do is boycott them, and perhaps tell my friends about them. Unfortunately,
we live in a "use till it breaks and then throw it away" world, and it's
getting worse, not better. Companies used to care about their public image,
and cater to the individual, but today there are so many millions of
customers, and they are all just looking for the most they can get at the
cheapest price possible, that no company can possibly care anymore. Every
brand name that I respected in my youth has been sold down the river and
trashed by its new owner, so there are none that I can trust anymore, and I
too, am forced to just deal with whoever gives me the most for the cheapest
price. I realized this many years ago when I sat in a friends new Porsche
and realized that it was a cheap plastic Volkswagen with the name, "Porsche"
written in chrome on the dashboard. All the banks that my father knew have
turned into pawnshops who won't loan anyone a dollar unless they get a
dollar and a half of collateral to put in their safe first. It has become a
cheap, plastic world, full of cheap, plastic thieves, and I don't know what
to do about it.

 

[Mike]

$155 and the high probability that the same problem will occur again

Yet you think that you can repair the camera and solve the problem?
I suspect that IF you could get the part you would be bitching about the
price of the parts(s) needed
And what would you say IF you could get the service info and the part(s) but
could not make the adjustments, would you demand Olympus refund the part(s)
cost?

Wrong. The reason is .... they can (a) charge $155 for 15 minutes of repair
time or (b) you buy another camera.

No Fred, you are the one who is wrong. You have no idea how long the repair
will take nor what the part(s) cost or what adjustments may be needed and
whether or not you are equipped to make them.
There was a time many many years ago when the sales arm of a camera company
supplemented the service department budget which helped keep repair charges
low. For the most part service departments now have to stand on their own
so parts and service costs to the customers has gone up.

 

[Big Bill]

$155 and the high probability that the same problem will occur again


Wrong. The reason is .... they can (a) charge $155 for 15 minutes of repair
time or (b) you buy another camera.

Out of curiosity, how do you know this is a 15-minute fix?

Have you heard about the retired machinist who was asked to fix a
problem? He spent some time studying the problem, then made a minor
adjustment (it consisted of kicking a component), and presented a bill
for $5,000.
When the bill was questioned, he revised the bill:

"Kicking whatsis: $10
Knowing which whatsis to kick: $4,990"

 

[Big Bill]

Thanks, but... IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S
NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!!
IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE
BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT
THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S
NOT THE BATTERIES!!! IT'S NOT THE BATTERIES!!!

How do you know?