Blurry spot on my SP-350 pics

[Larry C]

Last several weeks, all of my shots have had a discolored, blurred spot, dead center and about 1/5th down from the top of the picture. I tried using the pixel mapping and swapped memory cards. Neither fixed it. Anyone have experience with this? It seems like I'm going to have to send it to Oly and use my back-up for a while.

 

[Tollie]

Hey Larry,

I use the 350 and have done so for the past year on a regular basis with a rig similar to yours (just one strobe). I have never seen what you are reporting. It does sound like a sensor problem. I assume that you have the same problem on the surface... but I really cant see how pressure would play a role.

Please let us know what you find out and how Oly handles this.

What a down... regrets.

 

[gert7to3]

You of course have looked carefully at your lens to see if there is any debris between it and the shutter? Have you set the shutter to a long exposure, triggered it, then tried to see if there is anything along the lightpath all the way to the sensor?

While these cameras are better than SLR's, I don't think the sensors are completely sealed. The lens goes in and out and acts like a bellows. It might have drawn something in.

 

[CheddarChick]

Ahhh!!! I hate to hear that..

 

[maynard.hogg]

all of my shots have had a discolored, blurred spot, dead center and about 1/5th down from the top of the picture.

Sounds like dirt on the sensor to me.
The 750 that I dropped on March 21st had the same problem, only off to one corner.
But the main reason that I upgraded to the SP-550UZ was because the repair bill was too high for a 4-year-old camera.

 

[Wiggsy]

I've had similar problems - but due to condensation inside either the camera housing, or inside the wide angle lens barrel - causing blurriness (is that a word?) and loss of colour saturation. But this is unlikely to be the problem as it wouldn't always be occurring in exactly the same place. Obviously, you've done all the basic things like check the lens and housing lens plate are clean? No scratches? Otherwise it does sound like a sensor problem. Problem is, digital cameras are being made with a disposable mentality and become obsolete very quickly.

 

[gary-ramey]

I would first look for condensation on the inside of the lens as someone suggested above. If that's not it, then its definitely dust on the sensor. You might try buying a can of air and blowing it through the memory compartment. You might be able to dislodge it. On a side note, I have an older SP-350 I can loan you while you have the other one looked at.

Later,
Gary

 

[Larry C]

Thanks, Gary. I bought a back-up for topside shots and in case of flood, so I'll still have that if I send it off. I guess I need to call Olympus. I might try the air through the slot thing, just for kicks.

 

[gary-ramey]

Yeah I've been looking for that quality backup SP-350 on Ebay but they're almost as expensive as the day I bought mine. The used ones, as I found out, are a risk. I purchased a "like new" camera that looked as though it went on an expedition or two. In any case, I'm still looking for a newer one but have that one as a spare.

 

[Larry C]

Okay, it's not the camera! I swapped to my back-up for the Channel Islands (pics to follow when I get recovered from 3 days of 5-a-day diving) and still had the spot. Checked my port, and couldn't find anything, so I cleaned it again. Had my little focus flashlight turned off for the whole time, as there was a ton of light. It wasn't that. I'll have to look at my last set of pictures, after I recleaned the port. Otherwise, someone on the boat suggested I might be getting a reflection of my strobe inside the housing. Or maybe I'm getting a spot from the infrared (laser?) focus finder on the camera? The fact that it's always the same size and always in exactly the same place makes me doubt the reflection theory. Hopefully, it's gone since I recleaned the port. Tiny nick in the glass maybe? Blah!