- Camera does not power on.
Please check the following:
- Is the battery full charged? - if you are using the camera for the first time, the battery needs to be fully charged for about seven hours before first use.
- Is the battery inserted correctly - Please make sure the electronic plate on the battery is aligned and touching the plate of the camera when inserted.
- None of functions work although the power is on.
The battery might be drained causing the camera functions to not respond. Turn off the camera and then remove the battery. After about 1 minute, install a set of new or fully charged batteries into your camera again. If the issue is still unresolved, service may be required. For more detailed instructions, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-730-6597.
- The indoor photos are not clear.
Check the mode that the camera is set in. Switch to SCN mode -> Indoor setting. This will help capture indoor pictures with grater clarity.
- My camera takes a long time to snap the picture.
This situation is caused when the camera has been left for more then 12 hours without power. The delay is created by the charging of the capacitor which powers the flash. When this happens, the Flash Icon (Lightning Bolt) will be seen blinking for a few seconds. Please press and hold the shutter button until the icon stops flashing. Once this is charged, the camera will take pictures normally. This situation should rarely occur and only when the flash is completely drained.
What are .thm (thumbnail) files and why does my camera show them?
The files ending in .THM are thumbnail representations of the actual image files, which end in “.JPG.” The camera uses them to display the picture on the LCD screen of the camera. Because they are very small, they do not take up much space on the memory card. The .THM file size will be around 200 kilobytes (kb) as opposed to about a few megabytes (mb) for the actual image file .JPG.
Do I need to transfer the thumbnail files to the computer along with the image files?
No, you do not need to copy the .THM files to the computer when you transfer the image files. Only the .JPG files will be used on the computer. Note that you should not delete the .THM files from the memory card on the camera since they are needed to view pictures on your camera.
- What if my camera could not be turned off?
Please open the battery compartment and then remove the battery if the camera could not be turned off. After about 1 minute, install a set of new or fully charged batteries into your camera again. If this issue continues to occur, service may be required. For more detail instructions, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-730-6597.
- My computer running the Windows XP operating system does not recognize my digital camera. What is wrong and how do I fix it?
There could be 2 things you could try:
- Make sure your camera is completely OFF before plugging it into the computer
- The computer may be set up incorrectly. Do the following to resolve this problem:
Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > System.
Select the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager.
Double-click Universal Serial Bus controllers.
Right-click USB Root Hub, then select Properties.
Select the Power Management tab.
Clear the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power checkbox, then click OK.
Close all open windows.
Restart the computer.
- How do I / Can I view pictures on a television?
A camera that is set to the correct video mode for your country, either NTSC (used in North America and Japan) or PAL (used for the rest of the world). Make sure that both the camera and TV are turned off before connecting the AV cable.
By using the AV cable, you can view the captured images on a TV. Follow the steps below to connect the supplied AV cable to a TV.
1. Connect one end of the AV cable to the USB port on your camera.
2. Connect the plugs on the other end of the cable to the audio and video input ports on the TV.
3. Turn the camera and TV.
- How come my camera does not store the date/ time after the power has been turned off?
Follow the steps below to troubleshoot this issue. NOTE: It is normal for the camera to lose time and date settings when the battery is removed from the camera for more than 12 hours.
- Install a set of new or fully charged batteries into your camera.
- Set the time and date in the camera.
- Turn off the camera.
- Turn on the camera.
- Check to see if the date and time have been saved.
- Please keep the battery inside of the camera at least 14 hours to charge the internal power capacitor. Please keep the battery inside the camera unless you are charging the battery. With the battery removed, the camera internal power will keep the Date/Time setting up to 12 hours.
- How do I remove the date/time stamp from pictures I have already taken?
If you take a picture with the date/time stamp, turned on, the information is encoded into the file information of the picture and cannot be removed. You can crop the picture to remove the date/time stamp; however, this will also remove part of the picture. Another option is to edit the picture using a third-party editing software to crop / or color over the time and date stamp.
- Sometimes the pictures I take with my digital camera are blurry. How can I correct this?
This problem can occur for one or more reasons. Some common causes and suggested solutions are listed below.
- Sometimes your hand shakes while you're taking the picture. To solve this problem please use the "Auto Flash", the "Stabilization mode" or a "tripod" while you're taking the picture.
- If the object is constantly in motion, please change the mode to Sport in the SCN mode. This is intended for moving objects.
- The lens is dirty - Clean the lens according to the guidelines for your camera model.
- The subject was too close to the camera - Make sure that you are far enough away from your subject. Each camera model has recommended distances for normal, telephoto (zoom), wide-angle, and close-up pictures.
- The subject was farther than the effective range of the flash. Each camera model has an effective flash range.
- The camera did not auto-focus or auto-expose the picture correctly -For best Auto-Focus/Auto-Exposure function, press the shutter button halfway down and hold. When the AF/AE Indicator (Ready Light on some cameras) turns green, press the shutter button the rest of the way down to take the picture.
- You did not use the LCD screen Preview feature to take a picture in Close-Up mode. When the camera is in Close-Up mode, always use the Preview feature, both to confirm focus and to aim the camera properly. If you do not do this, the viewfinder will not show you an accurate view of the picture because of a parallax error.
- The subject or camera moved while you took the picture. Place the camera on a flat, stable surface, and hold the camera very steady. Or use a copy stand or tripod - this is especially advisable when using telephoto or high-zoom settings,or in low light.
- What causes red eye, and how can it be reduced?
GE Camera provides 2 ways to avoid "red eye".
Use "Red-eye Flash" which can avoid the "red eye" while taking a picture.
Use "Red-eye Removal" which can erase the "red eye" after you take the shot.
The "red eye" phenomenon is caused by the reflection of light off the blood vessels of the retina of the subjects eyes. Red eye occurs most often when the flash is located close to the picture-taking lens of the camera. It tends to be more evident when the subject is young and has blue or gray eyes, which reflect more light than darker eyes. Children have larger pupils and less pigmentation than adults, and their eyes transmit more light back to the camera lens.
Red eye was not as common with older, bulkier cameras having separate flash units. These units were attached to a handle or flash bracket several inches away from the lens, or the flash could be detached and held away from the camera. With todays smaller cameras with built-in flash, the flash is closer to the lens.
Techniques to Help Reduce Red Eye
If the camera has the red-eye feature, set the flash mode to Red Eye.
Increase the level of light in the room by turning on all the room lights. The added light will cause the
subject's pupils to contract, reducing the reflective surface that causes red reflections.
Have the subject look at a bright light (for example, a room lamp or a ceiling light) just before you take the flash picture.
The bright light will reduce the size of the subject's pupils.
Red eye is more extreme when the subject's eyes are off-center in the picture. If possible, center your subject and have the subject look directly at the camera.
- My digital camera automatically turned off. Is something wrong?
Nothing is wrong with your camera. The camera has an automatic, power-saving feature that helps extend battery life. It turns off the LCD and the camera power when the camera has been inactive for a period of time.
- Why can't my computer communicate with my digital camera?
The cause and solution may include one of the following:
- The battery is not charged. Recharge the battery.
- Some Advanced Power Management utilities on laptops turn off ports to save battery life. See the power management section of the laptop User's Guide to disable this feature.
- The USB cable is not securely connected. Connect the cable from the camera to the computer port.
- Too many programs are running on the computer. Do the following to close all running programs:
- Disconnect the camera from the computer
- Close all software programs
- Reconnect the camera
- My camera won't focus on anything. It always shows the red focus indicator even when I hold down the capture button halfway.
Step One: Check with user if the camera is too close to the subject.
Step Two: Check if the camera is set on Macro mode. (applies to setting in Infinite Mode). Macro mode could cause out of focus problems.
Step Three: Check Zoom. (applies to setting in "Wide Mode") - Zooming will cause the "Shortest Focus Distance" longer than "Wide Mode" eg:
The G1 focus range is variation. [ Macro (Wide) 5cm; (Tele) 25 cm ]
Step Four: Check if the environment is too dark (almost no light source). All the above 4 steps will cause "focus fail."
- How can I view the movies I take with my camera on my computer?
- I took a bunch of pictures, and now the focus is all messed up, why?
Please check to see what mode your camera is in. For example, if your camera is set to the Macro mode, the auto focus may not be reading the correct distance to your subject. If the settings are correct, then please try restarting your camera. If the problem persists, please contact our customer service department.
- How come whenever I take a close up shot it comes out blurry?
For close up pictures, please use the "Macro mode." If already in Macro mode, check zoom settings. Make sure zooming isn't applied so much that it affects the picture quality. The G1 focus range is 5cm without zoom. (Macro (Wide) 5cm; (Tele) 25 cm)
- How do I take a 'TIME LAPSE' picture? I have set it to do a time lapse, but the camera takes single shots.
To activate this setting, enter into the photo menu and scroll down to the “Continuous Shot” section. From here, choose “Time Lapse” and then set your desired time interval. Your choices are 30sec, 1min, 5nim, and 10min. Once you have selected your time interval, return to your selected picture mode. “Auto Mode” is recommended, but this feature works in the SCN and Manual Mode. Time Lapse is not available in Portrait Mode or Image Stabilization Mode. Now press the self timer button on the function pad three times until the continuous shot icon appears. Your camera is now in Time Lapse Mode.
- How do I access my camera via the USB cable? I do not see anything when I plug the camera in.
Please turn off the camera and connect your camera to the PC with the USB cable. It should appear as a Removable Drive in your computer. Go to My Computer and select the Removable Drive (GE) and navigate to your picture.
- I want to send a picture in a word document, but the size is just too big.
Microsoft Word and just about every consumer level word processor on the market today are limited in the size of picture that can be embedded in a document. If you are getting messages that your picture is too big for document, try reducing the number of megapixels in your photograph. If your camera is currently set to 5 megapixels, try reducing your camera to the 2 megapixel setting.
- Can you give me some general tips on using flash?
Stay within flash range (usually 4 to 10 feet) for GE camera (G1) flash range as per manual 0.3 ~ 3.0 = 11.8 inches ~ 9.8 feet. Batteries that are approaching exhaustion will not give full flash power even if the camera is still working.
Prevent red eye by asking your subjects to look slightly away from the camera, and turn on all the room lights to shrink their pupils. Avoid use of the "red eye reduction" flash setting to many people it's distracting and confusing.
- Why is it so complicated to get the exposure right on my pictures? (Why doesn't the camera just capture what my eye sees?)
The exposure for a shot determines the amount of light that strikes the film or sensor. There are two variables that control this, the aperture and the shutter speed. These adjustments are required because no film or electronic sensor has yet been developed that can capture the full range of light intensities to which the eye responds. Of course, our eyes have help too; we have pupils which constrict in bright light and dilate in low light.
So, why don'st our eyes ever expose things incorrectly? Our pupils tend to adjust to whatever we’re focusing on, so we automatically compensate as our gaze moves. (Obviously, a camera can'st do this since it must use a single exposure for the entire scene.) However, it is possible to get your eyes to expose things incorrectly: Have one of your friends stand with his back to a very brightly illuminated window in an otherwise dark room. Take a few steps back and try to concentrate on your friend’s face. It should look dark to you and you may have trouble making out his or her facial expressions. The reason is that your eye is being tricked by the bright background.
- What conditions warrant the use of high ISO?
In general, high ISO is used in conditions where it is not possible to achieve a fast enough shutter speed with low ISO. Typically, the reason for desiring a faster shutter speed is to avoid blur from motion - either from the camera shake or subject motion. Situations that might require high ISO would include:
- Indoor, handheld shooting in available light (no flash).
- Shooting fast action that requires a very high shutter speed.
- Handheld shooting with a very large focal length.
Another reason for increasing ISO is to extend flash range. The higher sensitivity will allow you to a less powerful flash for longer distances.
- My camera will not print from my photo printer via USB cable?
These work for many printers, consult your printer documentation for more information on features of your printer.
- Check if your printer need to support pict-bridge.
- Pushing menu button>setup>USB mode>printer
- If navigation to printer mode does not help you print directly to the printer, try PTP mode.
- I have the E850. Whenever I shoot a movie/ video, I get a choppy picture.
- My Pictures have a green tint to them.
Check the WB (white balance):
In Manual mode -> press func ok -> on the AWB tab (left hand side, bottom corner) select AUTO -> press func ok-> take a picture with a stark white background.
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