E-330 horizontal banding and lackadaisical Oly support

[cjtune]

hmmm could it be due to the sensor as well since it is using a different sensor compared to the rest of the e series?

I'm strongly suspecting it is. I've seen banding on the E-300 before, but it's more reminiscent of the Nikon D200's vertical banding.

To top it up, I'm one of the early adopters... and early batches of products tend to have more latent problems than later batches.

 

[cjtune]

hey blu, maybe its really the JPEG compression.

There are many modes of compression (jpg) for e330. maybe you can try at different compression setting on a same subject? :think:

Thanks Blu, for helping out to experiment..

I tried the same. To shoot in RAW and it's no different. The bands are still there when viewing the RAW files in Olympus Master.

RAW files are here (zipped, still large at 9MB though):

http://www.box.net/public/03hins2zkm (ISO 1600 -2EV)
http://www.box.net/public/71ovs2l2z2 (ISO 1000 -1EV)

Below is how the ISO1600 pix still looks like after conversion to JPEG from RAW. Increasing the exposure of the RAW in Olympus Master doesn't help.

Maybe it's something in the workflow or setting in your camera when you took that photo, Blu? Can you predictably NOT get the banding (RAW or JPEG)?

 

[NMSS_2]

Thanks Blu, for helping out to experiment..

I tried the same. To shoot in RAW and it's no different. The bands are still there when viewing the RAW files in Olympus Master.

RAW files are here (zipped, still large at 9MB though):

http://www.box.net/public/03hins2zkm (ISO 1600 -2EV)
http://www.box.net/public/71ovs2l2z2 (ISO 1000 -1EV)

Below is how the ISO1600 pix still looks like after conversion to JPEG from RAW. Increasing the exposure of the RAW in Olympus Master doesn't help.


Maybe it's something in the workflow or setting in your camera when you took that photo, Blu? Can you predictably NOT get the banding (RAW or JPEG)?

cant extract your file from the zipped leh. post original lah. i will see any diff in using studio.

 

[cjtune]

cant extract your file from the zipped leh. post original lah. i will see any diff in using studio.

Hmm. That's weird. I tested using Winzip 9.0 SR-1 and it's fine :dunno:. I zipped it using another compression utility (7zip) with a more efficient compression algorithm but maybe it can't be opened with other compression utilities other than itself and Winzip 9.0.

Anyhow, for the uncompressed ORFs, they are at:

http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f=5a3bf009436fb4cf8deddfafeff5b840
(ISO 1600 -2EV pic)

http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f=b631b3ac94b80d3f9bb7e2d7acf14332
(ISO 1000 -1EV pic)

You'll have to wait a few seconds, and then look to the bottom of the page for a yellow 'Download' button to appear. That's the hosting website's trick to have to look through their ads first...

Thanks for helping!

 

[Blu-By-U]

Blu was a bit lazy that night so just set the scene mode to D Image Stabilization. Then point at the same area and press the trigger. I checked the ISO was 1250 or something. Blu have sinced deleted the original Raw file. How is it blu don't see any banding?

 

[cjtune]

Blu was a bit lazy that night so just set the scene mode to D Image Stabilization. Then point at the same area and press the trigger. I checked the ISO was 1250 or something. Blu have sinced deleted the original Raw file. How is it blu don't see any banding?

Hi Blu. Perhaps it will appear again? If it does, maybe just a JPEG file suffices, then we can compare the EXIF data of an OK shot with a banded shot.

 

[Blu-By-U]

Blu shoot again tonight. Wonder why the EXIF dissappeared when the RAW was converted to JPEG. Maybe it's RawShooter's fault.

 

[Blu-By-U]

Tested again. This time shot in RAW+SHQ. No banding. but a single shot with in SHQ left with slight vertical banding. Why??

 

[drakon09]

Wow, I must say I've not seen banding like this on my E-1/300 so far.

Possibly you got a lemon copy of the E-330?

 

[say123]

anyway, what version of firmware are you guys using?

update to the lastest firmware and try again if you havent?

just a thought.

 

[cjtune]

Wow, I must say I've not seen banding like this on my E-1/300 so far.

Possibly you got a lemon copy of the E-330?

Normally I like lemonade as the drink... but not as faulty product.

Might be something characteristic to the early and/or poorly-made batches of the Panasonic NMOS used in the E-330.

What irks me is Olympus' non-response beyond (feigned?) ignorance of the problem.

 

[drakon09]

Normally I like lemonade as the drink... but not as faulty product.

Might be something characteristic to the early and/or poorly-made batches of the Panasonic NMOS used in the E-330.

What irks me is Olympus' non-response beyond (feigned?) ignorance of the problem.

I'd be more inclined to believe that that is a Singaporean response rather than an Olympus one. Have you tried to fire an email straight to the management? Most of the time it is the case of the more noise one makes the better he/she is heard.

I strongly believe that your problem is unique to your E330, if not there'll be a lot more complaints over the other forums i.e. dpreview, fourthirds.org, wrotniak.net. So far I've not seen anyone else complain about something similar...

I'd probably be MORE than bloody irked myself...

 

[cjtune]

I'd be more inclined to believe that that is a Singaporean response rather than an Olympus one. Have you tried to fire an email straight to the management? Most of the time it is the case of the more noise one makes the better he/she is heard.

I strongly believe that your problem is unique to your E330, if not there'll be a lot more complaints over the other forums i.e. dpreview, fourthirds.org, wrotniak.net. So far I've not seen anyone else complain about something similar...

I'd probably be MORE than bloody irked myself...

Apparently it's also the Japanese response as well...

Yes, I've been going through the other forums and though I've come across a few owners reporting their cases of banding, nothing beats mine.

I'm actually hoping someone in this forum can give me some leads for me to contact the Olympus management. I could always barge into their Studio at North Bridge Road and demand for the manager verbally, as they don't seem to reply to their emails or request-for-support web form submissions on their website, and making a phone call again will just get me the answer of "please come down...".

 

[sunfish]

Apparently it's also the Japanese response as well...

Yes, I've been going through the other forums and though I've come across a few owners reporting their cases of banding, nothing beats mine.

I'm actually hoping someone in this forum can give me some leads for me to contact the Olympus management. I could always barge into their Studio at North Bridge Road and demand for the manager verbally, as they don't seem to reply to their emails or request-for-support web form submissions on their website, and making a phone call again will just get me the answer of "please come down...".

let me share with you my art of "feedback"....sometimes email is not always effective as it is often read by people who have been tasked to filter out "noise":bsmilie:

My good friend Google told me that Olympus Imaging Japan President is Mr. Masaharu Okubo, 代表取締役社長　大久保雅治.
http://www.olympus.co.jp/jp/corc/ir/annualreport/2006/pdf/03.pdf
http://www.olympus.co.jp/jp/info/2006b/if060925esysj.cfm

Google also told me that Olympus Imaging Japan management headquarters address is here...
http://www.olympus.co.jp/en/contact/list/office.cfm?co=2&ote=0

Normally I will write a friendly letter to the president to share with him my problems...it also helps if the envelope name and address is hand written and labelled 'Private & Confidential"...this will look personal and the president's hardworking secretary will not open and read for him:bsmilie:

Lastly, write in very simple english with short sentences because he is Japanese:sweat:

Good luck

oh...the last time I checked...people are still sending letters to each other when they had problems in drawing margins...

 

[reflecto]

let me share with you my art of "feedback"....sometimes email is not always effective as it is often read by people who have been tasked to filter out "noise":bsmilie:

My good friend Google told me that Olympus Imaging Japan President is Mr. Masaharu Okubo, 代表取締役社長　大久保雅治.
http://www.olympus.co.jp/jp/corc/ir/annualreport/2006/pdf/03.pdf
http://www.olympus.co.jp/jp/info/2006b/if060925esysj.cfm

Google also told me that Olympus Imaging Japan management headquarters address is here...
http://www.olympus.co.jp/en/contact/list/office.cfm?co=2&ote=0

Normally I will write a friendly letter to the president to share with him my problems...it also helps if the envelope name and address is hand written and labelled 'Private & Confidential"...this will look personal and the president's hardworking secretary will not open and read for him:bsmilie:

Lastly, write in very simple english with short sentences because he is Japanese:sweat:

Good luck

oh...the last time I checked...people are still sending letters to each other when they had problems in drawing margins...

Hmm.. have you tried calling Olympus Singapore Imaging? Not the Studio... but the sales office at Valley Point? Don't know whether it will help, but it's worth a shot, besides sending the letter to Japan

 

[cjtune]

Normally I will write a friendly letter to the president to share with him my problems...it also helps if the envelope name and address is hand written and labelled 'Private & Confidential"...this will look personal and the president's hardworking secretary will not open and read for him:bsmilie:

LOL. Sunfish, you make it sound like writing a letter to the President is like writing a letter to Santa.

Not wishing to sound choosy, I'd prefer a more realistic 'target', like a branch or regional-level manager that can directly delegate the proper support services to be done. The problem with starting at the bottom or at the top of the hierarchy is that it'll still need to be passed on through too many layers and "noise-filters" to the actual people that'll do the work, especially when it spans different divisions, groups, and over different work cultures. Requests-for-information and work orders can literally get lost when passing through the mailboxes of people who spend more effort finding who should take ownership of the issue that cropped up. I work with a MNC, but perhaps Olympus's structure is more efficient.

Well, I suppose it's worth a shot. I'll probably leave a coffee-mug-ring stain on my hand-written letter on crumpled, dog-eared, reused paper as well to make it seem more personal.

 

[sunfish]

LOL. Sunfish, you make it sound like writing a letter to the President is like writing a letter to Santa.

Not wishing to sound choosy, I'd prefer a more realistic 'target', like a branch or regional-level manager that can directly delegate the proper support services to be done. The problem with starting at the bottom or at the top of the hierarchy is that it'll still need to be passed on through too many layers and "noise-filters" to the actual people that'll do the work, especially when it spans different divisions, groups, and over different work cultures. Requests-for-information and work orders can literally get lost when passing through the mailboxes of people who spend more effort finding who should take ownership of the issue that cropped up. I work with a MNC, but perhaps Olympus's structure is more efficient.

Well, I suppose it's worth a shot. I'll probably leave a coffee-mug-ring stain on my hand-written letter on crumpled, dog-eared, reused paper as well to make it seem more personal.

well, I may sound like I am writing to Santa but it does work for me every time when I need some attention...

Having worked in European & Japanese MNCs for the past 12 years, I have too many emails to read and meetings to attend everyday, normally I will forward mails from unknown sources to my engineers to read....we call this delegation. I hope Olympus branch or regional-level manager don't work like me:bsmilie: ...I am sure they are very hardworking, I think I spent too much time here...:sweatsm:

 

[cjtune]

well, I may sound like I am writing to Santa but it does work for me every time when I need some attention...

Within your own organisation?

 

[sunfish]

Within your own organisation?

of course not:bsmilie: that would be a serious communication breakdown if we have to resort to writing mails to each other for every communication....

anyway...whoever you are going to write or talk to, hope they can give you a satisfactory reply.

cheers

 

[say123]

Remember to update us on the reply results!

Best of luck! :bsmilie: