Setting Up Flange Back Help! at DVinfo.net

George Sickler · September 10th, 2010, 09:33 PM

The curse of the Z7U strikes again!

This new lens that I purchased has a ghost of a problem. I cannot get the flange back to setup properly.

Before I setup new lens, I noticed that when I zoom in, it has the sticky servo issue. IT zooms and then sticks, -

But...

After I get a manual flange back setting to stick, the sticky servo issue goes away, and then the zoom will travel the entire lens distance.

The problem is that I had it setup, (or so I thought), pulled the camera out of the bag on a shoot, and it would not focus at all! - And the sticky servo was bakck... UGGG!!!! I spent 45 minutes on location trying to get the flangeback to focus before the event started, no go! IT would not focus Dang it!

After I got it back to my studio, I setup the chart, to 10' and tried to do an auto flange adjustment - no go, tried the manual, no go... I tried bringing in lighting, and all kind of variations to get the manual flange to go... one finally took, and the servo will now zoom through, and the camera will finally focus. But This is the 4th time, I have done this, and I opened the camera up again, and it has forgotten that I setup the flange back.

I read in the manual it is supposed to memorize the settings, but it does not seem to be doing so.

Before i send this in again... can anyone let me know what they do exactly to setup the flange back?

IS anyone having a focs, issue to this degree?

Thanks for any help.

George

George Sickler · September 13th, 2010, 09:31 PM

Anyone experience the need to use the flangeback setup more than once?

Any ideas?

Anyone having problems with the focus and the lens?

Also, I am wondering a the firmware update would make a difference... Is the firmware available online anywhere? Has anyone updated their camera DIY?

I sold my fuji lens, now I wish I would of kept it. It was hard to back focus, but at least it worked!

Thanks for any advice.

George

Matt Bigwood · September 14th, 2010, 08:10 AM

Hi George, may not be relevant to your situation, but I once had trouble automatically setting the flange back on my Z7 when there was a window in the frame - I had pinned the target too close to the window and the excessive contrast meant it couldn't calibrate itself.

I moved the target to a plain grey wall and it then worked fine. I reckon the camera was about six feet away from the target.

B.J. Hjelholt · September 14th, 2010, 09:47 AM

George,

Other than the contrast issue mentioned above, getting an FB process to stick usually isn't that tiresome and unpredictable...

Perhaps the lens you bought wasn't as reliable as hoped?

Or (and this is likely easy to discredit), but perhaps your Z7U thinks it's using the original stock lens, and the not the new one, so it's defaulting to old settings? I'm not sure how the camera's brain recognizes different examples of the identical stock lens.

But admittedly, I'm far from a camera tech.... I'd definitely have an expert look at this if the issue persists.

George Sickler · September 14th, 2010, 09:14 PM

Thanks for the feedback.

I am so dissapointed in this camera! I did setup the focus chart against a white wall, (my 129" projector screen) and then threw 600 watts of light to get some the area lit up.

I open the fstops up as wide as it will go, then setup the exposure.

Once I try to do the auto flange back, it reports that it cannot adjust.

After about 10 variations for the exposure, the manual adjustment finally sticks.

After the manual flange back setting is complete, it focus's fine, and the zoom will zoom in and out just fine without it "stickking". That was 3 days ago, I pull it out of the bag today, put a fresh battery in, and the lens now zooms sticky, and then will not focus like normal.

I am taking the camera in again.

I cannot figure out how it memorizes the settings for the lens. I tried to reset the camera and nothing makes a difference.

Thanks for any other feedback and advice.

George Sickler · October 9th, 2010, 12:05 AM

Need Help.

I need to get my z7u fixed.

When I set the flange back (and if I can) it will not memorize the settings. It takes about 20 trys before I seem to get the flange back to "complete" then the zoom through, and the focus are awesome. Turn the camera off, and whamo - it does not sture the information, its is all out of focus, and does not zoom through, the servo is sticky once again.

Has anyone sent their camera in to Sony to have the backfocus adjusted. If so - how much did that cost?

Also, has anyone - a dealer - sony guru, etc... had this problem, and know what to do?

Thanks in advance.

George

September 10th, 2010, 09:33 PM	#1
George Sickler Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 83	Setting Up Flange Back Help! The curse of the Z7U strikes again! This new lens that I purchased has a ghost of a problem. I cannot get the flange back to setup properly. Before I setup new lens, I noticed that when I zoom in, it has the sticky servo issue. IT zooms and then sticks, - But... After I get a manual flange back setting to stick, the sticky servo issue goes away, and then the zoom will travel the entire lens distance. The problem is that I had it setup, (or so I thought), pulled the camera out of the bag on a shoot, and it would not focus at all! - And the sticky servo was bakck... UGGG!!!! I spent 45 minutes on location trying to get the flangeback to focus before the event started, no go! IT would not focus Dang it! After I got it back to my studio, I setup the chart, to 10' and tried to do an auto flange adjustment - no go, tried the manual, no go... I tried bringing in lighting, and all kind of variations to get the manual flange to go... one finally took, and the servo will now zoom through, and the camera will finally focus. But This is the 4th time, I have done this, and I opened the camera up again, and it has forgotten that I setup the flange back. I read in the manual it is supposed to memorize the settings, but it does not seem to be doing so. Before i send this in again... can anyone let me know what they do exactly to setup the flange back? IS anyone having a focs, issue to this degree? Thanks for any help. George

September 13th, 2010, 09:31 PM	#2
George Sickler Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 83	Anyone experience the need to use the flangeback setup more than once? Any ideas? Anyone having problems with the focus and the lens? Also, I am wondering a the firmware update would make a difference... Is the firmware available online anywhere? Has anyone updated their camera DIY? I sold my fuji lens, now I wish I would of kept it. It was hard to back focus, but at least it worked! Thanks for any advice. George

September 14th, 2010, 08:10 AM	#3
Matt Bigwood Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Gloucester UK Posts: 223	Hi George, may not be relevant to your situation, but I once had trouble automatically setting the flange back on my Z7 when there was a window in the frame - I had pinned the target too close to the window and the excessive contrast meant it couldn't calibrate itself. I moved the target to a plain grey wall and it then worked fine. I reckon the camera was about six feet away from the target.

September 14th, 2010, 09:47 AM	#4
B.J. Hjelholt New Boot Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 19	George, Other than the contrast issue mentioned above, getting an FB process to stick usually isn't that tiresome and unpredictable... Perhaps the lens you bought wasn't as reliable as hoped? Or (and this is likely easy to discredit), but perhaps your Z7U thinks it's using the original stock lens, and the not the new one, so it's defaulting to old settings? I'm not sure how the camera's brain recognizes different examples of the identical stock lens. But admittedly, I'm far from a camera tech.... I'd definitely have an expert look at this if the issue persists.

September 14th, 2010, 09:14 PM	#5
George Sickler Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 83	Thanks for the feedback. I am so dissapointed in this camera! I did setup the focus chart against a white wall, (my 129" projector screen) and then threw 600 watts of light to get some the area lit up. I open the fstops up as wide as it will go, then setup the exposure. Once I try to do the auto flange back, it reports that it cannot adjust. After about 10 variations for the exposure, the manual adjustment finally sticks. After the manual flange back setting is complete, it focus's fine, and the zoom will zoom in and out just fine without it "stickking". That was 3 days ago, I pull it out of the bag today, put a fresh battery in, and the lens now zooms sticky, and then will not focus like normal. I am taking the camera in again. I cannot figure out how it memorizes the settings for the lens. I tried to reset the camera and nothing makes a difference. Thanks for any other feedback and advice.

October 9th, 2010, 12:05 AM	#6
George Sickler Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 83	Need Help. I need to get my z7u fixed. When I set the flange back (and if I can) it will not memorize the settings. It takes about 20 trys before I seem to get the flange back to "complete" then the zoom through, and the focus are awesome. Turn the camera off, and whamo - it does not sture the information, its is all out of focus, and does not zoom through, the servo is sticky once again. Has anyone sent their camera in to Sony to have the backfocus adjusted. If so - how much did that cost? Also, has anyone - a dealer - sony guru, etc... had this problem, and know what to do? Thanks in advance. George