Focus is malfunctioning

[Dave Morrison]

I'm on my third lens with my EX-1 and they have all been labeled XT14X5.8.
dave

[Attila Cser]

"I'm on my third lens with my EX-1"
This is unbelievable. It seems that this little focus thread opens up quite few "secrets".
Dave-thnks for your input.

[Michael B. McGee]

Originally Posted by Nick Wilson

I had a lens change - before the change, the lens was shown as XT14X5.8 and after, XT14X5.8AS-X8C

when was you're lens changed because another person has posted that he's had 3 lens changes and all of them have had the same model number?

[Michael B. McGee]

Originally Posted by Dave Morrison

I'm on my third lens with my EX-1 and they have all been labeled XT14X5.8.
dave

when was the last time you had your lens changed?

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Attila Cser

Has anyone came across similar phenomena? Suggestions are highly appreciated.

I was shooting in a fairly hot and sunny environment recently (South Africa), filming in-car and outside. It briefly exhibited *exactly* this behaviour. I simply powered down, waited a bit, and powered up - the problem cleared. It's had two or three brief episodes of madness (don't we all), but as it's a computer with a bit of glass on the front, I tend to treat it thus. Back up the profiles, reboot it, and if all else, do a full reset and backfocus (never needed to to do a full reset, but have done backfocus a couple of times).

BTW, I sent my EX1 in for the standard 'early' faults - vignetting, focus, paint, sound, power - and have been happy with all the work done - no stuttering zoom either. However, my lens is still XT14x5.8 in Clip Browser. I've since discovered a bit of dirt in the lens that only appears at wide angle with a small iris (> f8, which is not exactly a 'regular' setting) and was going to get it sent to have that sorted. I wonder if I should just live with it rather than risk a new lens with attending troubles?

[Nick Wilson]

Originally Posted by Michael B. McGee

when was you're lens changed because another person has posted that he's had 3 lens changes and all of them have had the same model number?

July this year.

[Jack Davis]

Attila, I am not aware of Silver Support. I just talked to Sony and they weren't aware either. I am having them (sony repair out of Teaneck, NJ) check on the problems with the original EX1 lens. It does seem odd that they switched to another lens.

[Andy Schocken]

Curious about this issue of new lens vs. old lens- I haven't come across this before. If people post their lens model (found in clip browser- select a clip for preview, and check the "related info" tab) and serial number, we could figure out if the model changed after a certain date, and if some of the lens problems that have been reported are related to model number.

I have the XT14X5.8. S/N 107034, purchased 6/16/08.

[Michael B. McGee]

XT14x5.8 S/N: 104982 purchased: 4/15/08

[Nick Wilson]

Originally Posted by Jack Davis

Attila, I am not aware of Silver Support. I just talked to Sony and they weren't aware either.

Silver Support is the name Sony gives to its European warrantee. It provides phone support, collection, repair and return and a loan unit if the repair takes more than 7 days.

[Matt Davis]

XT14x5.8 S/N: 0401953 purchased 4/27/2008

[Dave Morrison]

Originally Posted by Michael B. McGee

when was the last time you had your lens changed?

July 2008 was last time. It started failing to focus to infinity. Also, here's the details on my camera:

Purchased 4/21/08
Ser.# 102393
Lens # XT14X5.8

[Michael B. McGee]

i just had my camera looked at by the service department from where i purchased it. my method, and it sounds like other people do this as well, is to zoom all the way in, Z99, ***full manual***focus on my subject, and then zoom out to compose the shot. according to the service department person this isn't the best technique because the rear element on an EX1 shifts when zooming to prohibit "breathing". so, while a subject will be sharp when zoomed in, that same subject may get soft as you zoom out even though the focus ring hasn't moved. he recommended using the Expanded Focus feature instead in order to gain critical focus/sharpness.

[Attila Cser]

Well Sony can explain how to focus properly according to their book.
My EX1 did not just perform a soft focus but had no focus at all, focus got locked simply on last focused distance. According to Silver Support the cam is back and on Monday I'll get it.
Let's see what they've done with it......

[Mark OConnell]

Originally Posted by Michael B. McGee

i just had my camera looked at by the service department from where i purchased it. my method, and it sounds like other people do this as well, is to zoom all the way in, Z99, ***full manual***focus on my subject, and then zoom out to compose the shot. according to the service department person this isn't the best technique because the rear element on an EX1 shifts when zooming to prohibit "breathing". so, while a subject will be sharp when zoomed in, that same subject may get soft as you zoom out even though the focus ring hasn't moved. he recommended using the Expanded Focus feature instead in order to gain critical focus/sharpness.

If the problem was in the design of the lens, as this tech suggested, you'd think it would be consistent on all the cameras. But my impression is that the majority of the people shooting with the EX1 focus zoomed in, while only a few people have this problem.