Olympus Stylus 300 problems

First of all, I promise to come back and reply to any questions or comments posted here ;)

About two years ago I purchased (in Japan) the Japanese version of the Olympus Stylus 300. Here's a link to the specs for it in case you're interested: Olympus Stylus

I was initially quite pleased with the results of this camera. The photos were excellent quality and I took many shots with it that were good enough to win a couple of contests.

However, recently the quality has diminished to the point where I haven't even been using the camera. Normally I would just chuck it and buy another one, but I invested a fair sum (at lest for me) in this camera and I was pleased with the shots it took at one time, so I was hoping for some ideas that might make the camera usable again.

Problem is that on most shots, there is a blur on the left side of the photo. This blur is most pronounced on distance landscape shots. Sometimes the blur is so pronounced that it creates a sort of halo blur encircling the entire outside edges of the photo where only the center is in focus. And in the worst case scenario, the center is also blurred, leaving only a thin ring where the photo is in focus.

The blur seems to be most pronounced on bright sunny daylight/high contrast pictures, and less so on overcast/low contrast situations. But even within these situations, the blur varies alot.

I have lots of examples to provide, but I thought I would refrain from spaming up my first post with a bunch of photos unless they were requested.

No problem posting samples. And they will definitely make a difference in our ability to evaluate the problem. My guess is that you have something in or on the lens elements or that your lens has become out of alignment. Either way, you probably don't have any reasonable option other than replacing it. Compact digital cameras, when you consider the cost of repairs, are essentially disposable. They're expensive, but not worth fixing unless under warranty.

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Originally Posted by Photo-John

No problem posting samples. And they will definitely make a difference in our ability to evaluate the problem. My guess is that you have something in or on the lens elements or that your lens has become out of alignment. Either way, you probably don't have any reasonable option other than replacing it. Compact digital cameras, when you consider the cost of repairs, are essentially disposable. They're expensive, but not worth fixing unless under warranty.

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first off, thanks for the reply.

well, in reality ... i was hoping for something simple that i might have missed. i realize that if the optics are shot in some way, it just means a new camera.

anyway here's a few samples. they're not the worst, but they're the most distinct. i have some that are all blurry, but it's hard to tell when it's compressed.

I think it would probably need to have a service is it is now doing that. Do you use a Tripod for shots like this, where is the focusing point on the images as well, what are the settings you used (if you can change the settings like f/stop etc).

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Originally Posted by Peter_AUS

I think it would probably need to have a service is it is now doing that. Do you use a Tripod for shots like this, where is the focusing point on the images as well, what are the settings you used (if you can change the settings like f/stop etc).

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i initially thought it was something to do with aperture as well, but i've decided that it's not a DOF problem because other objects in the same plane are crisp and clear. i think this is particularly evident in the middle photograph. with the vegetation/flowers in the foreground on the left, they are terribly blurred, but the shrubs in the center foreground are perfectly clear. if i blow that center foreground section up to it's full resolution, i can count petals on the flowers.

it does look like i can play with DOF a bit. according to the specs, i have a range from F3.1 to F5.2

i can try a few shots with a tripod. my hand is definitely not the most steady. but i would think that would give me a more uniform blur rather than the localized blur i see in these.

True, with that info, it does sound like the camera needs to be looked at by the service people.