Olympus Pen E-P1

Olympus Pen E-P1 IS Error Repair

Moderate 2 hours 11 steps

This is a repair case for an Olympus Pen E-P1 that has encountered an IS error. ※The internal structure of the E-P2 is mostly the same. As is often the case, the cause of the error was that the motor pinion gear in the IS unit had cracked, preventing the mechanism from operating normally. This seems to occur frequently in other models as well. I was able to successfully repair it by slightly cutting the cracked part of the pinion gear on both the X and Y axes, shaving the shafts slightly, and then securing them with adhesive. Required Skills • Precision soldering, disassembly and assembly of minute mechanical parts, and a peculiar personality that enjoys tedious work. Required Tools • Precision Phillips screwdriver (recommended #00) • Precision tweezers • Soldering iron & solder sucker, etc. • Spudger • Screw management mat (such as a FixMat or a commercially available magnetic sheet) Cautions • This guide is based on memory and photographs from the time, so the content is incomplete; if there are any errors, I would appreciate it if you could point them out. • Repair involves risks, including the possibility of injury, burns, smoking, fire, or the device ending up in worse condition after disassembly. Please proceed at your own risk if you choose to try this.

1
Removing the bottom plate
- Remove the 7 screws from the bottom of the camera.
- Carefully remove the bottom plate.
- Caution: Keep these parts in a safe place so they don't get lost, as they are likely to come loose upon removal. *Taking a photo of the order is recommended so you don't forget it.
- Door retaining bracket x2, spacer x1, battery door x1
2
Removing the left and right exterior covers
- Remove the three screws. Right side (terminal cover side): 2 screws, Left side: 1 screw.
- Gently pull the exterior covers horizontally outward to remove them. Remove both the left and right sides.
3
Hot Shoe Teardown
- Lift the black metal bracket on the hot shoe upward, then slide it to the side to remove it.
- Remove the four Phillips screws revealed underneath, then pull the hot shoe bracket straight up to remove it. It is fitted tightly, but pulling it straight up will release it.
- Remove the plastic decorative spacer underneath.
4
Removing the top cover
- Remove the two screws in front of the hot shoe.
- Remove the two screws on the front panel side. Be careful not to lose the spring clips.
- Remove the two screws total, one on each side directly below the top cover.
- Lift the top cover straight up to remove it.
5
Removing the rear unit (LCD screen side)
- The top cover is already removed. Note: The parts circled in red come off easily; be careful not to lose them.
- Remove the four screws at the four corners of the rear side. Note: The photos show the top cover still attached for editing convenience, but the rear unit cannot be removed without removing the top cover first.
- First, lift the rear unit slightly and carefully observe the connectivity point of the FFC (flat flexible cable).
- Remove the screw (one location) that secures the FFC.
- Unlock the FFC connector and pull it out, being careful not to tear it.
- Once the FFC is disconnected, you can separate the rear unit.
6
FFC (Flat Flexible Cable) and Solder Removal
- Perform the removal of the FFC extending from the top section (top red rectangle) from the board.
- Perform the removal of the FFC extending from the light indicator and other parts (bottom red rectangle) from the board.
- Perform the removal of the three solder points on the battery box (blue circles).
- The FFC is soldered in one location (green circle), so perform the removal.
- When performing solder removal, it is recommended to protect surrounding Surface Mount components with heat-resistant Kapton tape or masking tape to avoid damaging them.
7
Removing the logic board
- Remove the screws securing the logic board (two screws: one at the top left and one on the right).
- There are two metal plates beneath the top-left screw that provide a ground connection between the rear board and the IS unit. Since their positioning is complex, it is recommended to take a photo for reference.
- Lift the logic board slightly and verify that the soldering to the battery box has disconnected.
- Once the logic board is free, disconnect the remaining FFC and completely remove the board. *It is difficult to disconnect the FFC until the board is free. Be careful not to damage the FFC.
- The logic board can be removed without taking off the metal brackets around external ports such as HDMI. Carefully maneuver the board around them to remove it.
8
Removing the Mount/Shutter/CCD Unit
- Remove the four screws around the mount on the front side.
- Be careful not to mistake these for the screws that secure the mount itself.
- Slowly pull the mount/shutter/CCD unit out toward the rear (back side).
- For reassembly, it is smoother to have all the FFCs that connect the mechanism/CCD unit to the board already connected, and then install the board and the entire mechanism into the body frame together.
9
Inspecting and Repairing the IS Unit Pinion Gears (The Core of this Repair)
- At this point, you can check the condition of the two pinion gears on the IS unit. Using something like ultra-fine tweezers, gently rotate the pinion gears to ensure you don't damage them, and check if the motor shafts are loose.
- If an IS error is occurring, it is likely that one (or both) of the X-axis and Y-axis pinion gears has developed a micro-crack, and the torque is causing the gear to slip, preventing the IS mechanism from moving. Even in this disassembled unit, the lower pinion gear was cracked and ready to fall off.
- While these pinion gears seem to be available on AliExpress, they were a bit expensive, so I decided against buying them. My workaround was to slightly cut the cracked area to create a gap, open the shaft hole just a tiny bit, apply a very small amount of superglue, and re-bond it while adjusting the pitch using tweezers. *I actually performed the cutting of the crack under a stereo microscope using a hobby knife.
- If the superglue flows into the gear teeth, they will no longer rotate, causing the IS error to return. After gluing, wait a short while and rotate the gear by hand; if there is even the slightest resistance, give up, remove the gear, clean off the glue, and try again.
- Although it was fine in this unit, if the shutter charge motor's pinion gear cracks, the device will likely fail to boot due to an error. It appears this can be addressed by disassembling it a bit further and performing the same gluing or replacement procedure.
10
Detaching the IS (Image Stabilizer) unit (only if necessary)
- Remove the four Phillips screws securing the unit.
- Separate the IS unit from the mount/shutter unit.
- Caution - Don't lose parts: There are many spacers (approx. 0.6–0.7 mm thick) in this section. Accurately record their positions and quantities so you can reassemble them correctly. If they are misplaced, it will affect focus and the optical axis, so be very careful not to lose them or mix them up.
- The difficulty level for the further Teardown of the IS unit is extremely high. Assembly is very difficult due to parts like the bearing balls used for sliding and the springs used for retention, so it is safer not to attempt it without cause. I have done it once, but I do not want to do it again.
- When reassembling, be careful to thread the CCD's FFC through the plastic frame properly, or you will not be able to finish reassembly later.
11
Warning
- When reassembling, I forgot to solder the battery box connections while reinstalling the circuit board, which resulted in the device not powering on at all. This is an easy step to overlook, so please be careful.