Secrets of service engineers: Button cheat code in the Olympus menu

Micro 4/3 cameras (Olympus OM-D, PEN and Panasonic Lumix) store their service information in a unique way way. Unlike Nikon, where the mileage is subtracted from the frame file, at Olympus you can see the operating time of the mechanics **directly on the camera screen** using a secret combination of pressing buttons!

Over the years of repairs, I learned this “cheat code” by heart.

Instructions: How to open the hidden menu Olympus (OM-D E-M1, E-M5, E-M10)

1. Hold down the **MENU** button and turn on the camera with the power switch.
2. Release `MENU` and go to the menu again -> open `OSD Settings` (Wrench icon).
3. Go to **Display** and press the `OK` button. You will see the name of the camera model on the screen.
4. Press the arrow combination in sequence: **UP -> DOWN -> LEFT -> RIGHT -> Shutter Release -> UP**.
5. The secret engineering menu `Page 1` will appear on the screen! Press `RIGHT` to go to `Page 2`.

What do the letters in the Olympus engineering menu mean?

• R (MS Count):The exact number of times the mechanical shutter operates.
• S:Number of frames with flash.
• C:Matrix clearing counter (SSWF).
• U:The number of times the ultrasonic wave filter is turned on.

Secret code for Panasonic Lumix cameras (GH5, G85, GX85)

Panasonic has a similar procedure: hold down the 'DISP + AF/AE LOCK + Shutter' buttons and turn on the camera, then press `MENU/SET -> LEFT -> LEFT -> WB`. A screen will appear with the lines **SHTR (Shutter count)** and **STB (Flash count)**.

Micro 4/3 Engineering Designation Table

Menu designation	Explanation of the service parameter	Resource norm
R (Shutter Count)	Number of shots of a mechanical shutter	Up to 150,000 frames (E-M1 II/III)
S (Flash Count)	Number of times the built-in flash fires	Pulse light indicator
U (Ultrasound Count)	Number of ultrasonic cleaning cycles	Equal to the number of carcass inclusions