Advice Wanted Damaged LCD screen on Olympus Stylus 1S - need Repair Advice

[MiguelATF]

The lightly-used Olympus Stylus 1S I bought recently has just experienced a major problem - part of the rear LCD screen seems to have frozen. It looks like this:

The part of the video image still visible behind the weird lines still seems to focus and unfocus but obviously the LCD screen doesn't work now. HOWEVER the eye-only EVF does work with no problems.

I'm wondering if anyone has experienced a similar problem and what you would recommend to get it repaired or fixed. (I'm not a technologically inclined do-it-yourself camera repair kind of person, so I need to get someone to repair it for me, if possible.)

My first thought was to contact Precision Camera (for former central Olympus USA repair facility) but their website estimates a minimum repair job of $250. I guess I could always send it in and keep my fingers crossed - but I'm wondering if anyone has any alternates to suggest. There are a number of parts-only cameras available on ebay for between $50 to $75 - I'm wondering if I could buy one and then give the whole thing to my local (I live in southern Oregon) brilliant Nerd electronics repair dude, whose main business is repairing mobile phones and mobile electronics, but who I'm guessing is probably smart enough to remove the faulty parts (a screen? a capable? a capacitor? or????) and replace them with items from my parts-only ebay camera.

Any or all thoughts, ideas, or recommendations would be appreciated!

 

[Brian]

Either replace it with a used one, which is about the cost of the repair, send it in for a repair at the shop that works on them- or trade up to a newer camera.

Unless the local repair shop is familiar with these cameras, and has the factory repair instructions, tools and kits to work with them- it is taking a big chance. Might work out, or you might end up with even more parts cameras.

 

[JensM]

Having looked on several screen swapping tutorials, trying to man up to swap the delaminating screen on the GX1, I think a competent tech fellow will be able to swap that with little troubles. As far as I can see from the most of the ones I have watched it is a matter of unscrewing stuff and opening and closing clamps for the wiring things.

Caveat: I am not a tech competent fellow, but I wouldn't worry to much having a go at the fixed screen GX1 for myself. Would be a bit more iffy with the tilting screens.

 

[John King]

It could be a dodgy screen, but it could very likely be the main board.

BUT, it could also be a software/firmware error.

Have you tried a hard, factory reset?

Select 'Reset' in the menus.

See if it changes anything.

If not, remove battery for at least 24 hours. If the clock doesn't need resetting, you haven't left the battery out for long enough.

HTH.

 

[tilman]

It looks like physical damage to the LCD screen to me? (I’ve seen the same patterns &cracks on a dropped LCD monitor)

Looking at the back of the screen, it looks like all that would be necessary is to open a couple of screws and remove the ribbon cable… Someone with knowledge of fixing electronics should be able to do this, I’d guess…

You could take your camera to your local electronics guy first (before ordering a parts-camera), and ask him to dis-assemble the screen and have a look… If he doesn’t run into any obstacles, then order the parts camera and proceed.

Fingers crossed that you find a solution!

 

[MiguelATF]

It looks like physical damage to the LCD screen to me? (I’ve seen the same patterns &cracks on a dropped LCD monitor)

Looking at the back of the screen, it looks like all that would be necessary is to open a couple of screws and remove the ribbon cable… Someone with knowledge of fixing electronics should be able to do this, I’d guess…

You could take your camera to your local electronics guy first (before ordering a parts-camera), and ask him to dis-assemble the screen and have a look… If he doesn’t run into any obstacles, then order the parts camera and proceed.

Fingers crossed that you find a solution!

Thanks for the comment and suggestions, pati. Though it may not be clear from the photo I posted, there is literally NO (none - zero) PHYSICAL DAMAGE to the screen at all. Instead, the weird pattern/image/lines have appeared on it covering much of the left-side of the screen, while the tiny portion on the right side is continuing to function perfectly (that is, the imaging functions are continuing to perform on it. Weird, huh?

I recall once, years ago, seeing a vaguely similar pattern on the screen of my Kindle ebook reader - which had failed and frozen in place permanently with a similar image - both lines and weird shapes. Amazon had a generous replacement policy and gave me a new Kindle as I was still under warranty.

Your suggestion - of seeing if my electronics repair guy has the know-how to take the screen off and replace it with the screen from a parts camera - is an intriguing one. The key, of course, would be finding an affordable parts camera with (hopefully) a working screen with no problems.

I'll continue to update this thread as either a) I try stuff, or b) I (hopefully, ultimately) find some solution that works

 

[MiguelATF]

It could be a dodgy screen, but it could very likely be the main board.

BUT, it could also be a software/firmware error.

Have you tried a hard, factory reset?

Select 'Reset' in the menus.

See if it changes anything.

If not, remove battery for at least 24 hours. If the clock doesn't need resetting, you haven't left the battery out for long enough.

HTH.

Thanks for your suggestions, John.
The main board sounds more complex to me than a dodgy screen.
But I'm almost certain it's not a software/firmware error. However, I've nonetheless gone ahead (to the best of my abilities) to try to do what you suggested. Selecting 'Reset' in the Menus was very difficult - since the frozen part of the screen covers most of the Menu information. However, with the aide of my owner's manual, and using the tiny portion (on the right hand side) of the screen that's still both visible and functioning normally, I was able to try the Reset command. Alas, it did nothing. I've gone on to attempt your 2nd suggestion, and removed the battery. I'll replace it and recheck once 24 hours have elapsed - and see what, if anything, may have changed. I'll report back - and thank you again for your detailed suggestions!

I'm also considering pati's suggestions, in a previous post.

 

[ReneBee]

It's definitely a cracked LCD. Impact was on the lefthand side, where the white lines start. You don't feel any damage because of the screen protector, most likely. I've seen too many similar to this one when I repaired profesional LCD monitors.
René.

 

[RichardC]

Agreed. The laminates have separated along the lines of the cracks.

 

[Brian]

Physical damage to the screen- attachment showing up now.

I saw the two Parts cameras on Ebay, going to cost about $90 with shipping from a seller with 83% positive feedback, which is horrible.
I would not buy from this person.

 

[tilman]

As an option (which might be workable or not) you could just turn off the rear display and use the camera as a "viewfinder only" camera.

To do this you'd long-press the "EVF-Auto Switch" button (at the right side of the viewfinder)
- this will bring up a menu page where you can turn off the "EVF auto switch function" (disable the eye sensor).

After that - short-pressing the "EVF Auto switch" button will allow you to manually switch between "always viewfinder" - or "always LCD".

One annoying quirk is when you want to go into the menus - those will still pop up on the LCD - at first.
But another press of the "EVF auto switch" button (after the menus appeared on the LCD) will send them into the viewfinder...

Accessing the menus will be a bit annoying - but taking photos might still be possible with EVF only.
(The Stylus 1 is one of the best compacts to operate at eye level, in my limited experience)

 

[agentlossing]

That's a bummer! If you could find a cheap replacement screen (possibly Olympus shared this LCD panel with other models? Might make it easier to find a replacement) it might be easier than you think to replace it, I did one on a Panasonic GF3. Probably a lot of screws and then small ribbon cables with clips to detach.

 

[MiguelATF]

As an option (which might be workable or not) you could just turn off the rear display and use the camera as a "viewfinder only" camera.

To do this you'd long-press the "EVF-Auto Switch" button (at the right side of the viewfinder)
- this will bring up a menu page where you can turn off the "EVF auto switch function" (disable the eye sensor).

After that - short-pressing the "EVF Auto switch" button will allow you to manually switch between "always viewfinder" - or "always LCD".

One annoying quirk is when you want to go into the menus - those will still pop up on the LCD - at first.
But another press of the "EVF auto switch" button (after the menus appeared on the LCD) will send them into the viewfinder...

Accessing the menus will be a bit annoying - but taking photos might still be possible with EVF only.
(The Stylus 1 is one of the best compacts to operate at eye level, in my limited experience)

This is very helpful advice, thank you, pati!
I had already figured out that the camera still works perfectly with the EVF at eye level and I can only echo your thoughts as well as those of a number of other photographers: though the Stylus 1's EVF appears smallish, it is excellent and eminently usable. (I've read in a number of places that it is, literally, identical to that of the first generation or two of the E-M5.)
I'm fairly certain that my strategy will be to attempt to replace the (broken) screen with another from a non-working parts camera. Will update this thread as that happens. Thank you again for your suggestions!

 

[MiguelATF]

Physical damage to the screen- attachment showing up now.

I saw the two Parts cameras on Ebay, going to cost about $90 with shipping from a seller with 83% positive feedback, which is horrible.
I would not buy from this person.

Hey, Brian--- the relative 'good news' is that, in my case, although the 'parts only' camera I found on eBay listed for around $75 give or take, the owner was receptive and open to lower offers - so I have just purchased a 'parts camera' for significantly less than that! Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed though, however - as the 'problem' with non-operational parts cameras is: one never really knows whether the part one hopes to cannibalize from them....will or will not be operational on your own camera? I'm going to remain optimistic, but in any case will report back later on, on my results.
Thanks once more for your input!

 

[MiguelATF]

That's a bummer! If you could find a cheap replacement screen (possibly Olympus shared this LCD panel with other models? Might make it easier to find a replacement) it might be easier than you think to replace it, I did one on a Panasonic GF3. Probably a lot of screws and then small ribbon cables with clips to detach.

Thanks for your words, Andrew.

I actually have found not merely a replacement screen but an entire replacement camera, as I just mentioned in my previous post. In bygone years, I had some success disassembling a few Mac laptops to replace minor components, but found the whole thing to be a nerve-wracking experience. Fortunately, in my local area, I have access to an excellent (and affordably priced) electronic-repair-dude, whose main business is working on cell phones and mobile personal electronics - but who once replaced a faulty component on another camera I had, after I had acquired a replacement part, for a reasonable fee. I occasionally have nightmares about some of the impossibly tiny ribbon cables and switches and what-not from my own feeble efforts years ago, so being able to contract the services of someone who has a good feel for working with impossibly tiny electronic parts is a relief to me

 

[RichardC]

Hey, Brian--- the relative 'good news' is that, in my case, although the 'parts only' camera I found on eBay listed for around $75 give or take, the owner was receptive and open to lower offers - so I have just purchased a 'parts camera' for significantly less than that! Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed though, however - as the 'problem' with non-operational parts cameras is: one never really knows whether the part one hopes to cannibalize from them....will or will not be operational on your own camera? I'm going to remain optimistic, but in any case will report back later on, on my results.
Thanks once more for your input!

At least with a complete 'parts' camera, you or your mate can practice tearing it down and reassembling before laying a screwdriver on your current device.

In this respect, it's a much more useful option than just buying a screen.

 

[Brian]

Also before taking it apart- try cleaning the contacts of the parts camera and testing with a freshly charged battery. A long shot- but you never know how the parts camera was tested. I've bought an "INOP" Nikon F3HP from KEH in Atlanta as "INOP", cleaned the contacts and it "OPerated Normally". Only piece of equipment that I've bought from KEH with an inaccurate description.

 

[MiguelATF]

Quick update: all's well that ends well!
Here's what happened:
1. I bought a non-operational ('Parts Only') Stylus 1S camera body on eBay for a very reasonable price
2. I took the two Styluses (Stylii?) to a local excellent mobile phone repair shop, who also do repairs on various electronic & mechanical devices (and who had done a minor repair on another camera for me, last year)
3. I explained to the Tech that I wanted to replace the broken screen on my working Stylus - with the screen from the non-Op other camera - and, hopefully, it would work.
4. He did the screen swap within a few hours and called me with the good news: the replacement screen is working perfectly! The total repair cost for the whole thing (parts camera + replacement labor) was under $100 - which seems reasonable to me!

Here are the two cameras side by side (the tech put my broken screen back onto the parts camera)--

Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Here is a closer angle of the working camera with its replaced screen - showing its fold-out mechanism---

Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Bottom line: my Stylus 1S is working again!

Moral of the story: camera screens are fragile things - don't put your camera in your jacket pocket and accidentally bang the pocket while closing a car door - which is how I broke the darn thing in the first place.

 

[MountainMan79]

That’s great news. Seems like an incredibly reasonable price all in.

 

[Kevin]

I took the two Styluses (Stylii?) to a local excellent mobile phone repair shop, who also do repairs on various electronic & mechanical devices (and who had done a minor repair on another camera for me, last year)

That is not something I had thought of; the next time I need some electronics repair I'll try one of the local phone repair shops.