The Amazing Sony A1/A7/A9/APS-C & Anything else welcome Mega Thread!

The first time I came across an issue like this was when I had my 5D and was reading about some update or other, I can't remember what mk it was, anyway there were reports of ghost images and black spots in blown highlights. These things can be an issue but I do think they and in what circumstances they appear need describing and demonstrating. It's the engineer in me.
 
Received a used 100-400 GM today but getting a really odd issue - the camera doesn't seem to register that its even there, won't show what F-stop its in (a bit like a dumb adapted manual lens), updated camera firmware to latest and lens firmware seems ok, any suggestions?
 
Received a used 100-400 GM today but getting a really odd issue - the camera doesn't seem to register that its even there, won't show what F-stop its in (a bit like a dumb adapted manual lens), updated camera firmware to latest and lens firmware seems ok, any suggestions?

Sometimes cleaning the contacts and reseating the lens helps. This was a common issue with old Minolta lenses on a-mount bodies.
 
Received a used 100-400 GM today but getting a really odd issue - the camera doesn't seem to register that its even there, won't show what F-stop its in (a bit like a dumb adapted manual lens), updated camera firmware to latest and lens firmware seems ok, any suggestions?

That doesn’t sound good, as mentioned it could be the contacts but if the firmware updated ok it might me something more serious.
 
Received a used 100-400 GM today but getting a really odd issue - the camera doesn't seem to register that its even there, won't show what F-stop its in (a bit like a dumb adapted manual lens), updated camera firmware to latest and lens firmware seems ok, any suggestions?

Obviously you tested on both cameras?
 
That doesn’t sound good, as mentioned it could be the contacts but if the firmware updated ok it might me something more serious.

Doesn’t want to update firmware, camera tells me that the lens is on v0.1, downloaded v0.2 but when I try and update it just says its “not available for this lens”

Obviously you tested on both cameras?

Yep, same issue on both, the A7rii was on an old firmware (V2) which I initially thought might be the issue but no dice - I updated that to FW 4.00 but the 100-400 still doesn’t work properly, everything else works great though (Samyang 35 f1.4 / Voigtlander 65mm)
 
Doesn’t want to update firmware, camera tells me that the lens is on v0.1, downloaded v0.2 but when I try and update it just says its “not available for this lens”



Yep, same issue on both, the A7rii was on an old firmware (V2) which I initially thought might be the issue but no dice - I updated that to FW 4.00 but the 100-400 still doesn’t work properly, everything else works great though (Samyang 35 f1.4 / Voigtlander 65mm)

Looks like it be going back prob why it been traded in where ever you purchased from
 
you'd think shops test whatever people trade-in... i.e. at least try mounting it and taking a half-arsed picture

You would of though so. I know some who do take extra care with testing. But some I doubt it.
 
I have no doubt it was tested as it was bought from Ffordes but just a bit odd, one body I’d have suspected the camera but two different models it can’t be.
Shame as its mint, and was about £700 less than a new one which frankly I don’t want to pay....
 
I have no doubt it was tested as it was bought from Ffordes but just a bit odd, one body I’d have suspected the camera but two different models it can’t be.
Shame as its mint, and was about £700 less than a new one which frankly I don’t want to pay....

Any switches on the lens? Try switching them
 
I have no doubt it was tested as it was bought from Ffordes but just a bit odd, one body I’d have suspected the camera but two different models it can’t be.
Shame as its mint, and was about £700 less than a new one which frankly I don’t want to pay....
700 less for second hand? Bargain of the century but I would have been sceptical about it.return it as it seems like a dud
 
I can't see it in the first but I can in the second.

It's disappointing but I'm not sure it'd put me off as I'm pretty sure I'd only see it in a small number of pictures and I'm pretty certain no one who sees my pictures would see it. So, I'd probably still buy :D

As owners of affected cameras what do you guys think? Is it an issue but one you can live with? Anyone put off buying for this issue?
 
you'd think shops test whatever people trade-in... i.e. at least try mounting it and taking a half-arsed picture
I know Harrisons throughly test lenses they take in, well they did on the lenses I took in anyway.

Ah well looks like it'll go back, nothing I do seems to work unfortunately :( back to the drawing board.
Can you not ask them to fix it under warranty if it was such a bargain, or would you rather not take the risk?
 
I know Harrisons throughly test lenses they take in, well they did on the lenses I took in anyway.

Can you not ask them to fix it under warranty if it was such a bargain, or would you rather not take the risk?

Its more a timing thing, I'd rather not wait for weeks on a repair when I could explore other options - maybe a used Canon FE 100-400, seems to work very well with the MC-11
 
I can't see it in the first but I can in the second.

It's disappointing but I'm not sure it'd put me off as I'm pretty sure I'd only see it in a small number of pictures and I'm pretty certain no one who sees my pictures would see it. So, I'd probably still buy :D

As owners of affected cameras what do you guys think? Is it an issue but one you can live with? Anyone put off buying for this issue?

I can see it in both, but only at 100% - as the line is a pixel high -it disappears once you start zooming out to standard viewing size

So it's unlikely to be seen unless you needed to crop and someone was being very attentive

Haven't noticed it in any working shots, with back lit flash scenes.
 
Last edited:
I can see it in both, but only at 100% - as the line is a pixel high -it disappears once you start zooming out to standard viewing size

So it's unlikely to be seen unless you needed to crop and someone was being very attentive

Haven't noticed it in any working shots, with back lit flash scenes.
TBH if it happened in 1/1000 shots I don't think many people would mind too much, although it is more noticeable on the A7iii. I don't think you're going to ever ruin a key wedding photo due to this issue either as it's highly unlikely going to get a heavily backlit scene of the bride walking down the Aisle, or throwing the bouquet etc. Whilst it could be annoying in a studio environment or outdoor portrait shoot chances are you'll have fired off several of the same shot anyway and it's unlikely that the artefact will be present in all of them.

Anyway, I'm just glad I went with Brikon and don't have to worry about this :D :p I just have to worry about having a giant Popeye arm instead :lol:
 
I can see it in both, but only at 100% - as the line is a pixel high -it disappears once you start zooming out to standard viewing size

So it's unlikely to be seen unless you needed to crop and someone was being very attentive

Haven't noticed it in any working shots, with back lit flash scenes.

Thanks.

The flare shots I take are just for me so I don't think I'll worry about this too much.

It'll be interesting to see if the technology moves on over time and if this can be resolved with either in camera trickery or new hardware but the fix may bring a new issue. Such is life. There's no free lunch etc... :D
 
Last edited:
Thanks.

The flare shots I take are just for me so I don't think I'll worry about this too much.

It'll be interesting to see if the technology moves on over time and if this can be resolved with either in camera trickery or new hardware but the fix may bring a new issue. Such is life. There's no free lunch etc... :D


It would be a several thousand £ lunch not a free one.
 
It would be a several thousand £ lunch not a free one.

That's not what I meant Tom and I think you know that but I'll play along.

I'm sure you know what I meant was that there are probably going to be trade offs with new developments. For example having focus on the sensor in this way creates this issue, doing it on sensor a different way may cure this issue but create another and of course having focus off sensor may lead to having to MA your lenses to different degrees at multiple distances from the camera. Imagine paying £2k or more for a new DSLR and finding that you have to retune all of your lenses and still not be able to guarantee reliable focus at every focus distance.

Back when I worked in products and all of that stuff one analogy someone gave me stuck with me and it was this... "Imagine a blanket, it has a few holes in it but does it still work as a blanket?" I'd expend that analogy to "and are there any better viable ways of making a blanket with fewer holes?"

The question for me is therefore is a CSC with this sort of issue still a viable camera for me and I think that the answer is yes as even with this issue the affected cameras may still be the best option given the issues that alternative ways of doing things (other cameras) may have.
 
I realise you folk are nearly all pros who demand autofocus and love fast zooms so this will be of limited interest. However Zeiss have a few promotions on a the moment and one is:

Zeiss Loxia 85mm at £914.00
 
I realise you folk are nearly all pros who demand autofocus and love fast zooms so this will be of limited interest. However Zeiss have a few promotions on a the moment and one is:

Zeiss Loxia 85mm at £914.00

Ooooh! Want!

But it's f2.4. If it was f2... I know this may be just psychological but...
 
Ooooh! Want!

But it's f2.4. If it was f2... I know this may be just psychological but...

Free postage, arrives next day...

Hey I'll be in near you next weekend. Food Festival at Auckland Castle Saturday
 
Free postage, arrives next day...

Hey I'll be in near you next weekend. Food Festival at Auckland Castle Saturday

Stop it.

Haven't heard about that, will Google it.

You're welcome to come for tea :D

PS.
I have three old 85mm lenses but I was thinking recently that I could get a modern one... but in reality it's not a length I use all that much as I tend to go more for 35/50mm.
 
Last edited:
Stop it.
PS.
I have three old 85mm lenses but I was thinking recently that I could get a modern one... but in reality it's not a length I use all that much as I tend to go more for 35/50mm.

Don't buy one then!!! Get another 35mm!.. That Loxia is nice though!
 
I realise you folk are nearly all pros who demand autofocus and love fast zooms so this will be of limited interest. However Zeiss have a few promotions on a the moment and one is:

Zeiss Loxia 85mm at £914.00

The Batis on their site is still over £100 more than Sex and other places.
 
Anyone interested in a 70-200 2.8? Will be going to MPB but might try it in the classifieds first!
 
Back
Top