Sony A7iii odd screen behavior

dkh

dkh

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Dilip
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I have noticed recently that sometimes when I get the camera closer to my face but nowhere near peering through the view finder (about almost arms length) that the back screen just goes black. If I rotate the camera so the lens faces the floor, the screen comes back to life. It does this randomly like when I'm photographing. If I just view photos taken, 80-90% of the time the back screen stays on.

Does this need sending for repair? Camera was purchased new earlier this year from Very.co.uk (long story).
 
There's a little sensor just under the eye piece of the EVF that detects when you put the camera to your eye to switch between the EVF and rear screen - if you sit your camera on a table with the rear screen on you can trigger it with your finger to see when it is firing (On My A7iv it switches when my finger is ~5cm from the EVF).
This will allow you to check if it's operating normally - assuming it's OK then it suggests you are somehow inadvertently triggering this with something (hand, strap, etc).
If you can get it to trigger at an excessive distance when sitting on a table then you probably want to get Sony to fix it.
 
Thanks for all the possible reasons. I have found that if I even slightly tilt the back screen out - it stays on. If, at the same distance, I push the screen back to the camera the screen goes off.
 
dkh said:
Thanks for all the possible reasons. I have found that if I even slightly tilt the back screen out - it stays on. If, at the same distance, I push the screen back to the camera the screen goes off.
Click to expand...
Yeah if the screen is extended/tilted then the PCD will be on and it deactivates the viewfinder proximity sensor.

I had a strange phenomenon a few months back where the proximity sensor would activate (so the EVF was on and the LCD blank) despite nothing being close to the back of the camera. I thought my camera was fubar but it turned out it was the reflective strips of the hi viz vest I was wearing somehow interfering with the proximity sensor :thinking:
 
Just Googled "Sony EVF Proximity sensor" to see if others were having the same issue, and it seems you are not alone in finding it's giving you grief.

The solution suggested is to use a small piece of a self adhesive ND film (designed to dim annoyingly bright equipment LED's) over half the sensor, which reduces it's sensitivity, so minimising false triggering.
Discussion;
https://www.sonyalphaforum.com/topic/586-fix-for-over-sensitive-evf-sensor/

Link for the 'Light Dims' material;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CLVEQCO
 
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Faldrax said:
Just Googled "Sony EVF Proximity sensor" to see if others were having the same issue, and it seems you are not alone in finding it's giving you grief.

The solution suggested is to use a small piece of a self adhesive ND film (designed to dim annoyingly bright equipment LED's) over half the sensor, which reduces it's sensitivity, so minimising false triggering.
Discussion;
https://www.sonyalphaforum.com/topic/586-fix-for-over-sensitive-evf-sensor/

Link for the 'Light Dims' material;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CLVEQCO
Click to expand...
I know it sounds sad but I'm surely relieved that I'm not loosing it... Thought it was something I was doing or because I purchased the extended eye piece. BTW, even when I took off the eye piece it still does it. I have ordered the 'light dims' material - fingers x
 
I put a piece of ND film over the EVF Proximity sensor, first to cover half and the eye viewer / rear screen stopped switching totally. I made a smaller piece and it started working and I got excited thinking problem solved.

Whilst photographing an event on Sunday, when the battery got to around 55% same issue began happening. If I moved the rear screen even slightly, it began working but once flat against the camera, it was black. The venue doesn't have the best in-door lighting so I don't think it's related to the EVF Proximity Sensor...
 
dkh said:
I put a piece of ND film over the EVF Proximity sensor, first to cover half and the eye viewer / rear screen stopped switching totally. I made a smaller piece and it started working and I got excited thinking problem solved.

Whilst photographing an event on Sunday, when the battery got to around 55% same issue began happening. If I moved the rear screen even slightly, it began working but once flat against the camera, it was black. The venue doesn't have the best in-door lighting so I don't think it's related to the EVF Proximity Sensor...
Click to expand...

Hard to believe that nobody has mentioned this already as this is so common on the A7III. The reason you are getting odd behaviour is very likely because the proximity sensor is dirty, clean it and problem solved.
 
f/2.8 said:
Hard to believe that nobody has mentioned this already as this is so common on the A7III. The reason you are getting odd behaviour is very likely because the proximity sensor is dirty, clean it and problem solved.
Click to expand...
Mentioned in the 3rd post ;)
 
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