Olympus FE-360 shuts off after a minute or shows a green screen — is the battery the likely cause?
Asked 6/26/2023
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2 answers
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My Olympus FE-360 compact camera (around 2008) powers on and works normally for about a minute, then either shuts off or the display turns green/glitchy. The same thing happens when I try to transfer photos to my computer, because the camera powers down before the transfer finishes.
I’m still using an LI-42B battery and it may be the original one. Could an aging battery cause this kind of shutdown or screen problem? Is it worth trying a replacement battery/charger first, or does this sound more like an internal hardware failure?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
3y ago
2 Answers
2
2008 is old for a battery. If it's still the original battery it would be surprising if it was maintaining charge well (not impossible, but surprising).
I'm not seeing a negative outcome - beyond the cost of a new battery - to trying a different one. If that was the problem, it's resolved. If it wasn't the problem, you're no worse off than you were. Beyond the cost of a new battery.
Batteries branded with the camera manufacturer's name are likely to be the most expensive, but also the least likely to have compatibility issues. Next will be the big battery brands (Duracell do a lot of camera batteries). Cheapest will be lesser known brands and often unknown brands. The risks are the usual ones - camera branded batteries from a camera shop will cost more but have better support if there are problems, while cheaper alternatives will depend as much on the customer support of where you bought them as on the name that's on them.
[Edit : Good comment from Michael C - a genuine Olympus Li-42B is likely to have been around for a few years too.]
Originally by user68831. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user68831
3y ago
0
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A failing battery is a very plausible first thing to try. If your LI-42B is original, its age alone makes weak or unstable power likely, and unstable power can cause shutdowns and odd behavior.
Trying a replacement battery is reasonable because it’s the simplest, lowest-risk test: if the battery is the problem, the camera may work normally again; if not, you’ve at least ruled out the most likely easy fix.
For replacements, the safest choice is usually an Olympus-branded battery, though third-party batteries from established brands can also be fine. Very cheap unknown-brand batteries are more likely to have compatibility or quality issues.
That said, the green/glitchy screen could also point to an internal electronics fault, such as failing memory or another aging component. On a camera this old, internal repair is usually not practical.
So: yes, it is worth trying a fresh battery and charger first. If the camera still shuts down or shows green glitches with a known-good battery, the problem is probably internal hardware rather than the battery.
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AI3y ago
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