AFPhoto Loc: Jamestown, RI, USA

I know that I am probably being anal, but my Olympus s OMD em1 mkii that has traveled to 5 continents with me is showing signs that the black paint is wearing around the edges. There are small areas where the metal is showing through. I know that this has zero impact on the operating characteristics of this great camera but it bothers me enough that I want to fix it. So my question is : Has anyone had this problem? And have you been able to find an appropriate paint to use? Thanks all.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

Why not give Oly a call?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

If it's over metal, a dab of black Floquil paint or maybe black nail polish?

EDIT: Looks like Floquil quit making the paint, Vallejo paints or Model Master Acrylic may be an alternative.
Check with a hobby shop or model train place.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Black Magic Marker wide tip.

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Having restored/rebuilt/customized and/or repainted many dozens of cameras, from 30's Leicas to polycarbonate bodied modern bodies, please trust me when I say you really only have two options. The first is the easiest: embrace your Oly's 'brassiness' (or whatever the base metal is) and enjoy the envy of others whose cameras look like they were just unboxed while you offer to show them the (now mostly healed) bullet holes you sustained while shooting in some war or series of battles. The other option is to do a full external restoration/repaint. Forget trying to touch up with magic markers unless you like black smudges on your hands and are good with repeated re-applications of marker ink, and do not apply fingernail polish (lacquer) over enamel (assuming that Oly uses enamel, which is only a guess on my part) because you risk having the paints craze. An acrylic? It'll flake off. Most importantly, if you do any sort of touch-up with virtually anything that comes off a shelf, it will NOT match the original finish, and that mis-match will show glaringly (if you or anyone gets close enough to look). The only way to 'do it right' is to completely strip the paint, painstaking prepare the metal, and completely repaint. And the only way to do that right is to disassemble the camera beforehand.

Brassy is bold. I'm not a big fan of tattoos, but I'd bet some tattoo artist could ink you some faux bullet holes so your story holds up.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

The paint on my Canon A-1 began to wear on the upper body and pentaprism housing. I fixed it with black acrylic nail polish.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Leaving it in its present state will make your camera less of an attraction to would-be thieves.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Any good enamel paint will do. It will rub off as well though and you will see where you "touched" it up.
Never occurred to me to do this to my cameras over the years, just a part of owning them and actually using them. I found mine brassed even without traveling to other countries it was usually from use around the local area.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

When I was a photo journalist for UPI. We shot black Nikon's. We used to have to put gaffer's tape on our chrome camera's so they would not stick out in a crowd.
Pressure was put on Nikon to produce a BLACK camera. They finally came through, but, they simply painted over the brass metal. After a while the paint would wear off in areas your hands rubbed against the paint and the brass would show through.
We used to rate camera's we saw other photojournalists using by the amount of BRASS that was showing on their camera's.
To your problem, don't do anything, especially if it is brass under the paint. Again, don't do anything, you will have the look of an well traveled photographer. What could be better.
Otherwise, I would call Olympus directly and ask them what you should do. I would not take any advise anyone gives you here. Call the source and do it right.

khorinek

A small bottle of Testors Gloss Black paint and a small paint brush works great. My 5D Mark III had some spots that needed touched up and the Testors Gloss black worked great. 2 coats.

leftj Loc: Texas

Wow! That just shows the love and use of the camera. Gives it character!

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Sounds like a badge of honor! Wear it proudly!

WessoJPEG Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio

Sharpie

Quixdraw Loc: x

Paint sticks from the hobby shop, matte or gloss work well. Wear is inevitable with significant use, regardless of care, but a beat up camera is no badge of honor, rather the mark of someone who doesn't treat their tools with respect.

Note: my experience is that markers and sharpies soon develop a purple tone.

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Your best bet is to call Olympus, I wouldn't experiment with different kinds of touch up paint that will probably rub off anyway. Why would you want to make it look brand new anyway? A well worn camera that works perfectly is a badge of honor, wear it with pride!