DSC-W570 help needed..!

[Deeknees]

Is very (extremely) disappointed by my new Sony Cybershot DC-W570. I bought a new quick point-and-click before a major holiday as I want the best shots but...

• I can't get a clear shot with the intelligent auto setting at all, it is blurred all the time and not crisp on the edges (I looked on the camera screen, on the computer, and even printed them out to check)
  
• It doesn't/won't focus on anything at all least of all what I've focused it on and the whole picture is blurred
  
• I've tried the camera on many different occassions,
  
• With many different subjects (people, pets, plants, buildings)/scenery with various light settings (clear day, overcast, raining, indoors and outdoors, with and without flash)
  

Attached is just one example, people and plants are worse! Yes, I've tried half click and full click.. Help!?

Any ideas before I go back to the shop with all the photographic evidence complaining?!? Thank you all!

[Mick2011]

Hi Deeknees, welcome to the Sony Forums.

Setting aside for the moment the possibilty of a fault with the camera, I initially thought it posisble you were getting this blurring due to one of the camera settings, but looking at your example image (and given the number/variety of situations you've had problems with) that seems less likely.

Looking at your example image, only one thing strikes me as unusual: it seems to be blurred in some very arbitrary places. Half of the stonework looks sharp, the other half soft, for example. You'd not normally see such selective blurring with lens malfunction.

Just to eliminate the obvious, can you check there are no fingerprints or marks of any kind on the lens?

Cheers

Mick

[Deeknees]

Hi Mick,

Thanks for the response. There does not appear to be any fingerprints or marks on the lens. I have noticed that the blurred areas are not consistant between images. It is almost as if the camera has a very small depth of field where anything even remotely away from the focal length becomes blurred quickly. The area of sharp focus appears to be very small and never in the same part of the shot. The store manager where the camera was purchased seems to think there are no issues with the camera or pictures and the quality of image is similar to to that of even higher priced compact cameras.

Any more thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

DeeKnees.

[Mick2011 · Accepted solution]

Ok that's the really obvious one out of the way

There is a chance there's a physical fault with the camera but it's probably worth checking a few other possibilities before going down the repair route. In order of importance/relevance:

• make sure that Twilight Mode isn't engaged; it can produce some odd effects if you're not using a tripod, as it takes several shots in quick succession and combines them in-camera. This could potentially produce the uneven focus you describe;

• can you say if the problem is only with Intelligent Auto, or do you get it with all settings? You can check for yourself by taking the same shot in both IA mode and in the appropriate Scene mode (or better, Program mode) and compare the results;

• does it seem to matter if the camera is zoomed in, or is this happening at all focal lengths?

It would be really useful to see some of your other photos, ideally a little bigger than the one you posted earlier – around 2000 pixels wide should be enough, maybe using a temporary Flickr or Picassa album if that's easier for you. Make a note if possible as to the shooting mode and focal length in each case.

Cheers

Mick