When the E-1 Monitor Goes Dark

[Ddaside88]

Yesterday I took my E-1 on a beach walk, taking pictures here and there. At one point I saw that the monitor was not illuminated. The camera still focuses, still shoots, but I can't access the menu, or review shots in the camera. I tried taking the battery out for a couple of hours, hoping it would reset, but no change. Has anyone else experienced this, and is there a fix for it?

[BobT]

Haven't had this problem but I have had the CPU replaced when the camera refused to communicate with lenses. I still have a problem where the first image after a power-up is occasionally corrupted despite using a reputable SD card and properly formatting.

[Don Baldwinson]

Yesterday I took my E-1 on a beach walk, taking pictures here and there. At one point I saw that the monitor was not illuminated. The camera still focuses, still shoots, but I can't access the menu, or review shots in the camera. I tried taking the battery out for a couple of hours, hoping it would reset, but no change. Has anyone else experienced this, and is there a fix for it?

Hi Diana, just in case, did you check you have not dabbed the info button onto the blank screen setting?
A long shot, but it has happened to me a couple of times in the field and caused a panic
Cheers,
Don

[Ddaside88]

I was ready to sell it for parts after yesterday, because the shooting modes would not change when I moved the button, nor would the shutter speed or aperture. This morning I changed lenses on it, and all of a sudden everything fired up again; the monitor shows the menu or images, the shooting modes and settings now allows me to change them again. I don't know how long this will last, but I'm glad to have my camera back.

[DavidCal]

I was ready to sell it for parts after yesterday, because the shooting modes would not change when I moved the button, nor would the shutter speed or aperture. This morning I changed lenses on it, and all of a sudden everything fired up again; the monitor shows the menu or images, the shooting modes and settings now allows me to change them again. I don't know how long this will last, but I'm glad to have my camera back.

Perhaps the salty sea air caused bad contacts between lens and body. That might explain why the act of changing lenses was enough to renew the electrical contacts.

[Ddaside88]

Perhaps the salty sea air caused bad contacts between lens and body. That might explain why the act of changing lenses was enough to renew the electrical contacts.

There's very good chance that was the case. I was wading out into the water with it. Just wish it was always this easy to fix an issue.

Don, I did hit the INFO button numerous times, but the screen stayed black. It didn't show images already taken, or the menu when I wanted to clear the card. It also wouldn't allow me to change shutter speed, or switch between shooting modes, just stayed at my last settings. However, the lens still focused and the camera would still take pictures. Between the E-1 and the E-30, I almost prefer the E-1 because it is so reliable.

[Don Baldwinson]

There's very good chance that was the case. I was wading out into the water with it. Just wish it was always this easy to fix an issue.

Don, I did hit the INFO button numerous times, but the screen stayed black. It didn't show images already taken, or the menu when I wanted to clear the card. It also wouldn't allow me to change shutter speed, or switch between shooting modes, just stayed at my last settings. However, the lens still focused and the camera would still take pictures. Between the E-1 and the E-30, I almost prefer the E-1 because it is so reliable.

Another problem that happens from time to time on mine, and it has been talked about on other forums - the rear top dial stops working, or intermittently. The bizarre fix is to thumb it one way for about 50 thumb strokes, then back the other way the same. It works!
Don

[Ddaside88]

Hi Diana, just in case, did you check you have not dabbed the info button onto the blank screen setting?
A long shot, but it has happened to me a couple of times in the field and caused a panic
Cheers,
Don

That wasn't the case here. It was more than a blacked out screen. It was a situation where no matter where I turned the shooting mode button, nothing changed, couldn't change the shutter speed, or switch between the two, and aperture was unchangeable as well. Switching lenses seems to have restored the camera to full functionality.