LCD Monitor

I've had my E-10 for about a week and I am having a hard time viewing my images in the LCD monitor. I have to view my images straight on in order to see them. If I tilt the camera ever so slightly up, down, or to the side, it is impossible to see the image. Even looking at it straight on, I have to strain, and it is impossible to tell if the exposure is acceptable. There is just too much glare and I see my reflection in the monitor more than the image I should be seeing. This is a problem indoors and outdoors and I've tried to adjust the brightness but it doesn't solve the problem. I own an Olympus 2020 and the monitor on that camera is great, so I can't figure out why this one is terrible.

Is anyone else having this problem? It's so frustrating. I'm thinking about abandoning the E-10 for a D30.--Jen

Jen...I too have the 2020 and the e-10. To many things wrong with the e-10. I made a mistake getting it. I have been in contact with Olympus tech support but no help yet. A $2000 camera should not force one to come up with work-arounds and force one to do major reworking of images in Photoshop in order to end up with acceptable to good photos! Trust me the 2020 produces better images than the e-10. I have been doing comparison shots with both the past few days.

Some of the problems with the e-10 are: focus problems, under exposure problems, noise problems, color rendition problems, and saturation problems. Worth $2000? NO WAY ! I put my e-10 for sale. Since I purchased it over a month ago the store offered to give me full store credit or sell it on consignment. Return yours before it's to late!! Be well.

Jan

Jen said:

I've had my E-10 for about a week and I am having a hard time
viewing my images in the LCD monitor. I have to view my images
straight on in order to see them. If I tilt the camera ever so
slightly up, down, or to the side, it is impossible to see the
image. Even looking at it straight on, I have to strain, and it is
impossible to tell if the exposure is acceptable. There is just
too much glare and I see my reflection in the monitor more than the
image I should be seeing. This is a problem indoors and outdoors
and I've tried to adjust the brightness but it doesn't solve the
problem. I own an Olympus 2020 and the monitor on that camera is
great, so I can't figure out why this one is terrible.

Is anyone else having this problem? It's so frustrating. I'm
thinking about abandoning the E-10 for a D30.
--
Jen

Click to expand...

I've had my E-10 for two weeks and no problems. As far as I'm concerned, this camera is worth EVERY cent. The pictures are outstanding. My friends with other digial cameras are jealous.

What I've noticed with the LCD is that there's a sweet spot for viewing, and if you're not in that spot, you don't get a perfect view. If too high, or too low, the image isn't true. You also might want to fool around with the brighness setting.

When I shoot a picture w/the the camera held in the "portrait" position, it's a little difficult to get a good view with the monitor. But I haven't had too much difficulty in the "landscape" position.

Kevin.

Jan Sanders said:

Jan

Jen said:

I've had my E-10 for about a week and I am having a hard time
viewing my images in the LCD monitor. I have to view my images
straight on in order to see them. If I tilt the camera ever so
slightly up, down, or to the side, it is impossible to see the
image. Even looking at it straight on, I have to strain, and it is
impossible to tell if the exposure is acceptable. There is just
too much glare and I see my reflection in the monitor more than the
image I should be seeing. This is a problem indoors and outdoors
and I've tried to adjust the brightness but it doesn't solve the
problem. I own an Olympus 2020 and the monitor on that camera is
great, so I can't figure out why this one is terrible.

Is anyone else having this problem? It's so frustrating. I'm
thinking about abandoning the E-10 for a D30.
--
Jen

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I went to two different camera stores today to test the monitors (to see if it was just a problem with my camera) and the other two E-10s had the same problem. There is definitely a "sweet spot" for viewing the images, but how do you know you're looking at the right spot? If your exposure is off, and you tilt the camera the slightest (I mean a millimeter) bit it will trick you into thinking your exposure is correct.

I feel like it's a guessing game because I am not able to confirm that my exposure is accurate, so what's the point of even having an LCD monitor? I cannot believe more people are not complaining abou this. Anyone who has used another digital camera such as the Olympus C-2020 should notice a huge difference.

Jen

Jen,

I've been following your comments/problems with your E-10 and have a question about how you are using it.

Are you using the LCD for composing the shot? Did you close the viewfinder... light leaking in thru it will screw up the exposures.

-Dave

Jen said:

I went to two different camera stores today to test the monitors
(to see if it was just a problem with my camera) and the other two
E-10s had the same problem. There is definitely a "sweet spot" for
viewing the images, but how do you know you're looking at the right
spot? If your exposure is off, and you tilt the camera the
slightest (I mean a millimeter) bit it will trick you into thinking
your exposure is correct.

I feel like it's a guessing game because I am not able to confirm
that my exposure is accurate, so what's the point of even having an
LCD monitor? I cannot believe more people are not complaining abou
this. Anyone who has used another digital camera such as the
Olympus C-2020 should notice a huge difference.

Jen

Click to expand...

Dave,

No, I am not using the LCD for composing the shot. I am using the viewfinder only. The problem I am encountering is viewing the image on the LCD after the picture is taken.

Jen

Dave said:

Jen,

I've been following your comments/problems with your E-10 and have
a question about how you are using it.

Are you using the LCD for composing the shot? Did you close the
viewfinder... light leaking in thru it will screw up the
exposures.

Click to expand...

Hi Jen

I think you can change the brightness of the LCD .

I think that most people use the viewfinder instead (I had a 3030 before, and always used the LCD - now with the E10 I always use the viewfinder) - this is not because the LCD is bad- but because the viewfinder is better.
Jono

Jen said:

I went to two different camera stores today to test the monitors
(to see if it was just a problem with my camera) and the other two
E-10s had the same problem. There is definitely a "sweet spot" for
viewing the images, but how do you know you're looking at the right
spot? If your exposure is off, and you tilt the camera the
slightest (I mean a millimeter) bit it will trick you into thinking
your exposure is correct.

I feel like it's a guessing game because I am not able to confirm
that my exposure is accurate, so what's the point of even having an
LCD monitor? I cannot believe more people are not complaining abou
this. Anyone who has used another digital camera such as the
Olympus C-2020 should notice a huge difference.

Jen

Click to expand...

Jen,

Hi. Yep there certainly is a sweet spot and it seems to be necessary to view the image parallel to the LCD. I thought that was the norm with LCDs but I never used the camera you mentioned.

Your right if you view it slightly above or below the sweet spot it will look too dark usually. The trick I guess is to view it in the only good angle:

LCD - - - - - - -> eyes (good position)

Jen said:

No, I am not using the LCD for composing the shot. I am using the
viewfinder only. The problem I am encountering is viewing the
image on the LCD after the picture is taken.

Jen

Dave said:

Jen,

I've been following your comments/problems with your E-10 and have
a question about how you are using it.

Are you using the LCD for composing the shot? Did you close the
viewfinder... light leaking in thru it will screw up the
exposures.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Louis said:

LCD - - - - - - -> eyes (good position)

Click to expand...

I guess I'll need to add a protractor and a T-square to my camera bag to make sure that I'm viewing the LCD at the correct angle. Oh, and maybe I should put a book on my head too, to make sure that I'm holding my head at the right angle. LOL

Olympus didn't have any better solutions for me when I called them.

Jen

Well if it is checking the exposure is your real worry -- why not activate the histogram, then one push of the info button and there it is there.

You don't even need to see the picture as you will see the histogram from angles that nearly blackout the screen. All the histogram to the left is (probably) an underexposed shot (in normal circumstances). Quick and easy, no head balancing required. ;-)

Jen said:

Louis said:

LCD - - - - - - -> eyes (good position)

Click to expand...

I guess I'll need to add a protractor and a T-square to my camera
bag to make sure that I'm viewing the LCD at the correct angle.
Oh, and maybe I should put a book on my head too, to make sure that
I'm holding my head at the right angle. LOL

Olympus didn't have any better solutions for me when I called them.

Jen

Click to expand...

Jen said:

I've had my E-10 for about a week and I am having a hard time
viewing my images in the LCD monitor. I have to view my images
straight on in order to see them. If I tilt the camera ever so
slightly up, down, or to the side, it is impossible to see the
image. Even looking at it straight on, I have to strain, and it is
impossible to tell if the exposure is acceptable. There is just
too much glare and I see my reflection in the monitor more than the
image I should be seeing. This is a problem indoors and outdoors
and I've tried to adjust the brightness but it doesn't solve the
problem. I own an Olympus 2020 and the monitor on that camera is
great, so I can't figure out why this one is terrible.

Is anyone else having this problem? It's so frustrating. I'm
thinking about abandoning the E-10 for a D30.
--
Jen

Click to expand...

Jen,

The E-10 is my fourth digital camera in the past several years. Each new camera is better in many ways than the ones before it. Some have better LCD screens, each has had improved resolution and differing feature sets. As a full time photographer the E-10 is my favorite digital to date. That's not to say it's perfect, it isn't. No camera is. As for the LCD screen, I find it no worse than any other digital camera I have used and better than some. The nice thing about the E-10 is you don't HAVE to use the LCD screen for everything like you do with so many digital cameras.

As for viewing in bright light, you are right, most LCD screens are not very useful in certain situations. Some cameras have an anti-reflective coating which helps but, the E-10 does not. At least with the E-10 you can use the histogram feature to check your exposure more accurately if you are not sure what you are seeing on the LCD is what you want.

Hope you can find a digital camera you like if the E-10 is not for you. If you can learn to live with it's shortcomings (there are not that many) it's a wonderful picture making tool.

Good luck,

TomJ

As an owner of a 2020Z and an E10, I immediately noticed the differance in LCDs. The 2020 isn't sensitive to the angle of view at all. The E10 and D30 are VERY sensitive to the angle of view, but when you get the angle right, the quality and color accuracy apears to me to be much better than the 2020...

Jen said:

Louis said:

LCD - - - - - - -> eyes (good position)

Click to expand...

I guess I'll need to add a protractor and a T-square to my camera
bag to make sure that I'm viewing the LCD at the correct angle.
Oh, and maybe I should put a book on my head too, to make sure that
I'm holding my head at the right angle. LOL

Olympus didn't have any better solutions for me when I called them.

Jen

Click to expand...