Olympus PEN E-P5: problems with touchscreen

Pixel Tracker wrote:

Does any one have the same problems? Any further advices? During the last days I searched in the web for that failure, but I couldn't find any solution or other PEN-users, who have the same problem.

Sounds like a real fault, cracked ribbon cable or something deeper. Send for repair is the only option.

My two E-P5 are fine, no problems like that, but then they are much younger. Only fault so far on one of them was the front/rear dials failing early, fixed under warranty. The second one works fine, no sign of dial failure at all (touch wood).

Regards.... Guy

Sounds like a real fault, cracked ribbon cable or something deeper. Send for repair is the only option.

Thanks Guy! I'm not sure, whether it is a hardware damage or rather a software failure. When the touchscreen works, the failure never occurs during the operating camera/shooting process. Only after turning on the camera. And as I mentioned before, tilting the camera or the touchscreen has, so far, no effect on that misbehavior.

I don't not, if this is a real workaround: Yesterday evening, before turning off the camera, I switched from focussing-mode by touch-selection to the camera's auto-focus-detection mode. Doing that several times, the touchscreen showed up no failure!

What I noticed: Without that workaround, that means letting the camera turning off with touchscreen-focus selection activated, turning it on again and the touchscreen again doesn't work, the camera doesn't show an initial focus-peaking. I mean, normally when I turn on the camera, the camera directly focusses right at that part of the image/display, where it has been set to in the previous state. This is indicated by the green rectangle on the screen, which flashes up for 1 or 2 seconds when you turn on the camera. When I turn on the camera and that green focus-rectangle does not appear, I already know, that the touchscreen won't work. So, perhaps there is a link between touchscreen-failure and initial focussing during the start-process of the camera?!

Pixel Tracker wrote:

Sounds like a real fault, cracked ribbon cable or something deeper. Send for repair is the only option.

Thanks Guy! I'm not sure, whether it is a hardware damage or rather a software failure. When the touchscreen works, the failure never occurs during the operating camera/shooting process. Only after turning on the camera. And as I mentioned before, tilting the camera or the touchscreen has, so far, no effect on that misbehavior.

I don't not, if this is a real workaround: Yesterday evening, before turning off the camera, I switched from focussing-mode by touch-selection to the camera's auto-focus-detection mode. Doing that several times, the touchscreen showed up no failure!

What I noticed: Without that workaround, that means letting the camera turning off with touchscreen-focus selection activated, turning it on again and the touchscreen again doesn't work, the camera doesn't show an initial focus-peaking. I mean, normally when I turn on the camera, the camera directly focusses right at that part of the image/display, where it has been set to in the previous state. This is indicated by the green rectangle on the screen, which flashes up for 1 or 2 seconds when you turn on the camera. When I turn on the camera and that green focus-rectangle does not appear, I already know, that the touchscreen won't work. So, perhaps there is a link between touchscreen-failure and initial focussing during the start-process of the camera?!

Curious. When I turn on there is never any initial green focus rectangle showing for that one or two seconds as you describe. What mode, what lens and what settings? If I can copy them and see what happens here.

But weirdness like that points to firmware corruption or a memory fault, still sounds like a back to repair job. But the fault needs to 100% repeatable and carefully described or documented or a YouTube video made of what you see for them to find the fault at all.

Regards.... Guy

What mode, what lens and what settings? If I can copy them and see what happens here.

I always shoot in manually Mode (M), metering is set to ESP and focussing to Single-AF (S-AF). ISO manually, while AWB set to auto. I'm still using the kit-lens, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 II R. Here is a screenshot of the settings/touchscreen (if you need more setting-info, just tell me):

Current settings

And as I told in the beginning: I've upgrade the firmware from v1.5 to v1.6 AFTER the failure occurred for the first time and it didn't solve the problem.

I'm thinking about to bring the camera to a repair shop (i.e., the shop where I bought it). But I'm afraid of the costs: My 2-years-warranty expired just at the beginning of this month Plus: I guess a lot of time will pass until I get my camera back. For the moment, I intend to wait for possible other users who experience that touchscreen-failure. Maybe I'm among the very first who have this problem - I bought the camera right after it was available in mid 2013

Pixel Tracker wrote:

What mode, what lens and what settings? If I can copy them and see what happens here.

I always shoot in manually Mode (M), metering is set to ESP and focussing to Single-AF (S-AF). ISO manually, while AWB set to auto. I'm still using the kit-lens, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 II R. Here is a screenshot of the settings/touchscreen (if you need more setting-info, just tell me):

Settings seem "normal" to me and would not explain touch screen faults.

And as I told in the beginning: I've upgrade the firmware from v1.5 to v1.6 AFTER the failure occurred for the first time and it didn't solve the problem.

I'm not sure but a firmware upgrade does not necessarily re-write the whole code, maybe only a small part is updated and other errors may stay. If some sort of memory error then that stays in the hardware anyway.

I'm thinking about to bring the camera to a repair shop (i.e., the shop where I bought it). But I'm afraid of the costs: My 2-years-warranty expired just at the beginning of this month Plus: I guess a lot of time will pass until I get my camera back. For the moment, I intend to wait for possible other users who experience that touchscreen-failure. Maybe I'm among the very first who have this problem - I bought the camera right after it was available in mid 2013

I really think the repair shop visit is the best idea, if it is unusual they will recognise that and should help. In some countries "reasonable product life" considerations over-ride warranty periods so there may be some leeway if close over the limit.

Regards.... Guy

LeeS wrote:

Do you have a myset assigned to a mode dial position? Perhaps if the touchscreen was turned off when the myset was defined, you are turning it off each time you power up with the mode dial in that position.

Lee

Nope, I don't use mysets. All myset-setting are empty/in default.

Update: I brought my PEN to my retailer, who send it to Olympus. After one week Olympus told me, that they have to replace the entire touch screen, for ~160 Euros. I will let them do that.

Pixel Tracker wrote:

Update: I brought my PEN to my retailer, who send it to Olympus. After one week Olympus told me, that they have to replace the entire touch screen, for ~160 Euros. I will let them do that.

Good to hear that it was a real fault and not something that you had done.

Bad to hear that it costs €160, but then, the E-P5 is so good, it's worth it.

That will be my policy, to keep repairing until something really better comes along, and I see better as being the global shutter. Could be a long wait.

Regards...... Guy

Thanks to all of you for all your comments and advices. As soon as I get my PEN back I will report, how good (or bad) the new touch screen works.

Pontcarre wrote:

I have the same problem with my E-P5 and I found a website where they explained how to downgrade my camera but firmware files are no longer available from Olympus but the latest, so I dont know what to do next.

https://lightsnowdev.com/Olympus/PEN/PEN-E-P5.html

The question is - why do you need to downgrade? Please explain your problem that makes you think a downgrade is needed.

Usually a camera problem means that there is something wrong with the camera and it needs repair if the usual full reset does not fix it.

Regards...... Guy