Problems with Olympus C-2100 Ultra Zoom

I am using a C-2100- Ultra Zoom. I hate to admit it, but I have not used
any of the advanced features; I have simply been using the automatic
setting. Even so, I obtained some beautiful pictures -- until recently.
Within the last few days, these two problems suddenly occurred: (1) all
pictures are now fuzzy and out-of-focus; (2) images seen through the small
viewfinder are now very dark and can hardly be seen.

Can anyone give me any ideas about what the problem may be? Is this
something that I can change through settings, or do I have a mechanical
problem?

Thanks for your help.
--
MaryL

MaryL wrote:

I am using a C-2100- Ultra Zoom. I hate to admit it, but I have not used
any of the advanced features; I have simply been using the automatic
setting. Even so, I obtained some beautiful pictures -- until recently.
Within the last few days, these two problems suddenly occurred: (1) all
pictures are now fuzzy and out-of-focus; (2) images seen through the small
viewfinder are now very dark and can hardly be seen.

Can anyone give me any ideas about what the problem may be? Is this
something that I can change through settings, or do I have a mechanical
problem?

Thanks for your help.

Hi Mary...

I realize that you're using it only in it's auto mode,
but you or someone may have inadvertently set some of the
other features in the camera...

If you don't mind losing your date and time settings, then
the simplest way to put it back to the Olympus default
setup is to just remove the batteries for a few hours.

Take care.

Ken

"Ken Weitzel" wrote in message
news:8Ssyd.568954$%k.566979@pd7tw2no...


MaryL wrote:

I am using a C-2100- Ultra Zoom. I hate to admit it, but I have not used
any of the advanced features; I have simply been using the automatic
setting. Even so, I obtained some beautiful pictures -- until recently.
Within the last few days, these two problems suddenly occurred: (1) all
pictures are now fuzzy and out-of-focus; (2) images seen through the
small viewfinder are now very dark and can hardly be seen.

Can anyone give me any ideas about what the problem may be? Is this
something that I can change through settings, or do I have a mechanical
problem?

Thanks for your help.

Hi Mary...

I realize that you're using it only in it's auto mode,
but you or someone may have inadvertently set some of the
other features in the camera...

If you don't mind losing your date and time settings, then
the simplest way to put it back to the Olympus default
setup is to just remove the batteries for a few hours.

Take care.

Ken


Thanks. I'll try that.

MaryL

Mary

As a C2100 user myself (wonderful camera - you can keep your megapixels),
here are my thoughts...

all pictures are now fuzzy and out-of-focus
Not sure about this one. There are three autofocus modes on the C2100 plus
manual focus mode. Could you inadvertently have set it into manual focus
mode? I am writing this from memory because I am at the office and the
camera is at home, so please excuse any inaccuracies. You switch between
autofocus and manual focus by pressing the OK button on the back of the
camera. You should then see AF and MF options on screen, right hand side if
memory serves me. I think it's left arrow to select autofocus then press OK
again.

images seen through the small viewfinder are now very dark and can
hardly be seen.
It is quite easy, by accident, to set exposure compensation and this could
explain the dark viewfinder phenomenon. Are the pictures you take also
dark? That would certainly indicate an exposure compensation problem.

If you press the left or right arrow keys (top right rear), these adjust
exposure compensation. Left arrow (if I remember correctly) reduces the
exposure from that calculated automatically, and could therefore result in a
darker image. Right arrow increases it. As you press left or right arrows
you should see a number which goes down (possibly negative) as you press
left arrow and increases as you press right. Press the appropriate arrow
key to bring it back to zero for no exposure compensation.

Whilst we're on the subject, one hint for when you do get the camera
working... My Oly has a tendency to overexpose outdoor shots in good
sunlight. Grass, especially, comes much paler than it really was. I
understand that this is a general problem rather than specific to my camera.

Reducing the exposure with a couple of left arrow presses (to about -0.7)
gives better colour rendition under these conditions.

Keith

Mary

As a C2100 user myself (wonderful camera - you can keep your megapixels),
here are my thoughts...

all pictures are now fuzzy and out-of-focus
Not sure about this one. There are three autofocus modes on the C2100 plus
manual focus mode. Could you inadvertently have set it into manual focus
mode? I am writing this from memory because I am at the office and the
camera is at home, so please excuse any inaccuracies. You switch between
autofocus and manual focus by pressing the OK button on the back of the
camera. You should then see AF and MF options on screen, right hand side if
memory serves me. I think it's left arrow to select autofocus then press OK
again.

images seen through the small viewfinder are now very dark and can
hardly be seen.
It is quite easy, by accident, to set exposure compensation and this could
explain the dark viewfinder phenomenon. Are the pictures you take also
dark? That would certainly indicate an exposure compensation problem.

If you press the left or right arrow keys (top right rear), these adjust
exposure compensation. Left arrow (if I remember correctly) reduces the
exposure from that calculated automatically, and could therefore result in a
darker image. Right arrow increases it. As you press left or right arrows
you should see a number which goes down (possibly negative) as you press
left arrow and increases as you press right. Press the appropriate arrow
key to bring it back to zero for no exposure compensation.

Whilst we're on the subject, one hint for when you do get the camera
working... My Oly has a tendency to overexpose outdoor shots in good
sunlight. Grass, especially, comes much paler than it really was. I
understand that this is a general problem rather than specific to my camera.

Reducing the exposure with a couple of left arrow presses (to about -0.7)
gives better colour rendition under these conditions.

Keith

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 23:48:25 -0600, Problems with Olympus
C-2100 Ultra Zoom "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote:



If you don't mind losing your date and time settings, then
the simplest way to put it back to the Olympus default
setup is to just remove the batteries for a few hours.

Take care.

Ken


Thanks. I'll try that.

Let us know how it turns out.

--
To reply to me directly, remove the XXX characters from my email address.

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 23:48:25 -0600, Problems with Olympus
C-2100 Ultra Zoom "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote:



If you don't mind losing your date and time settings, then
the simplest way to put it back to the Olympus default
setup is to just remove the batteries for a few hours.

Take care.

Ken


Thanks. I'll try that.

Let us know how it turns out.

--
To reply to me directly, remove the XXX characters from my email address.

Keith Sheppard wrote:

Whilst we're on the subject, one hint for when you do get the camera
working... My Oly has a tendency to overexpose outdoor shots in good
sunlight. Grass, especially, comes much paler than it really was. I
understand that this is a general problem rather than specific to my camera.

Reducing the exposure with a couple of left arrow presses (to about -0.7)
gives better colour rendition under these conditions.

I do the same, I also notice that the camera tends to overexpose towards
the extreme of the telephoto range.
As for restoring to default settings, doesn't a reset do that - on the
on/off lever?

Alan

This is my second attempted response but I cannot see the first one in the
newsgroup. Maybe I inadvertently hid Reply rather than Reply Group. My
apologies if you see this twice, but here's my original message:

Mary

As a C2100 user myself (wonderful camera - you can keep your megapixels),
here are my thoughts...

all pictures are now fuzzy and out-of-focus
Not sure about this one. There are three autofocus modes on the C2100 plus
manual focus mode. Could you inadvertently have set it into manual focus
mode? I am writing this from memory because I am at the office and the
camera is at home, so please excuse any inaccuracies. You switch between
autofocus and manual focus by pressing the OK button on the back of the
camera. You should then see AF and MF options on screen, right hand side if
memory serves me. I think it's left arrow to select autofocus then press OK
again.

images seen through the small viewfinder are now very dark and can
hardly be seen.
It is quite easy, by accident, to set exposure compensation and this could
explain the dark viewfinder phenomenon. Are the pictures you take also
dark? That would certainly indicate an exposure compensation problem.

If you press the left or right arrow keys (top right rear), these adjust
exposure compensation. Left arrow (if I remember correctly) reduces the
exposure from that calculated automatically, and could therefore result in a
darker image. Right arrow increases it. As you press left or right arrows
you should see a number which goes down (possibly negative) as you press
left arrow and increases as you press right. Press the appropriate arrow
key to bring it back to zero for no exposure compensation.

Whilst we're on the subject, one hint for when you do get the camera
working... My Oly has a tendency to overexpose outdoor shots in good
sunlight. Grass, especially, comes much paler than it really was. I
understand that this is a general problem rather than specific to my camera.

Reducing the exposure with a couple of left arrow presses (to about -0.7)
gives better colour rendition under these conditions.

Keith

This is my second attempted response but I cannot see the first one in the
newsgroup. Maybe I inadvertently hid Reply rather than Reply Group. My
apologies if you see this twice, but here's my original message:

Mary

As a C2100 user myself (wonderful camera - you can keep your megapixels),
here are my thoughts...

all pictures are now fuzzy and out-of-focus
Not sure about this one. There are three autofocus modes on the C2100 plus
manual focus mode. Could you inadvertently have set it into manual focus
mode? I am writing this from memory because I am at the office and the
camera is at home, so please excuse any inaccuracies. You switch between
autofocus and manual focus by pressing the OK button on the back of the
camera. You should then see AF and MF options on screen, right hand side if
memory serves me. I think it's left arrow to select autofocus then press OK
again.

images seen through the small viewfinder are now very dark and can
hardly be seen.
It is quite easy, by accident, to set exposure compensation and this could
explain the dark viewfinder phenomenon. Are the pictures you take also
dark? That would certainly indicate an exposure compensation problem.

If you press the left or right arrow keys (top right rear), these adjust
exposure compensation. Left arrow (if I remember correctly) reduces the
exposure from that calculated automatically, and could therefore result in a
darker image. Right arrow increases it. As you press left or right arrows
you should see a number which goes down (possibly negative) as you press
left arrow and increases as you press right. Press the appropriate arrow
key to bring it back to zero for no exposure compensation.

Whilst we're on the subject, one hint for when you do get the camera
working... My Oly has a tendency to overexpose outdoor shots in good
sunlight. Grass, especially, comes much paler than it really was. I
understand that this is a general problem rather than specific to my camera.

Reducing the exposure with a couple of left arrow presses (to about -0.7)
gives better colour rendition under these conditions.

Keith