New to EX1R - Issues already / Help?

[Michael C. Ray]

Finally upgraded to an EX1R - (old I know) from my FX1 .....

Curious about a few things:

1) When I turn the camera on, watching the LCD monitor I get a quick blueish screen - black - green line - black then the screen comes up / Normal?

2) Sometimes when I move the camera or adjust the LCD - it goes black then right back to what it is looking at / Normal or experience with?

3) Not sure if the focus is working correctly - seems like the Manual focus is very limited / anyway I could test this know for certain?

I just received the camera, purchased used, sent to Sony before coming to me, sony said all functions checked but this does not feel / seem correct ...

[Jack Zhang]

1. Yes, some of that is normal. Weird green lines when you turn it on usually means the camera is "booting up," especially booting to MEDIA mode.

2. That is not normal. Looks like your LCD display cable inside the housing may have issues if it's jostled around. May be worth it to get that part replaced. If the connector on the motherboard side is getting flakey, repairs may not be worth it since repair costs get really expensive at that point. The best case scenario is the detection switch for the LCD flipping in and out is over-sensitive. Try this: if you see an image in your LCoS EVF when the jostle happens, it's that switch that is at fault.

3. Try a automatic backfocus adjustment and see if that fixes focus issues. Search the forum to find how to do a "Auto FB Adjust." and perform one. The final step of that procedure should be 99% in focus. After that, snap the ring to "Full MF," fully zoom into something then zoom back out. If it retains focus, your backfocus is set correctly. (this should be done where there is plenty of light.)

It's likely Sony did not disassemble the camera for a full assessment, you may need to replace the cable for the LCD. There are two ribbon cables, one from the camera to the LCD's mainboard, then from the LCD mainboard to the LCD panel itself. One of these is at fault, you just gotta find out which.

[Les Wilson]

Originally Posted by Michael C. Ray

...3) Not sure if the focus is working correctly - seems like the Manual focus is very limited / anyway I could test this know for certain?...

Make sure the camera is in Manual Focus mode. Moving the focus ring in AF mode would match your description. The EX1R has a Full manual mode where you pull the ring so you see an orange band around the lens. Now the ring has stops at each end of the focus range.

[Les Wilson]

Originally Posted by Michael C. Ray

...2) Sometimes when I move the camera or adjust the LCD - it goes black then right back to what it is looking at / Normal or experience with?...

This board isn't eBay with all it's safety nets but the idea on DVINFO is that as a real name site, equipment is sold on the DVINFO reputation of the seller. When you resolve these issues and determine there was a defect with the camera and you bought it from someone here, that member's reputation is on the line and the community would be interested in knowing who that was.

[Michael C. Ray]

I am sorry this is not meant to harm or put on the line anyone's reputation, I am simply trying
to figure out what is "STANDARD" for this camera and what is not.

I contacted Sony to see what was done / checked during the "Diagnostic Function" test they ran,
to see if the LCD was tested however it is one of those intermittent things, "We can't check, if it don't happen" ..

[Les Wilson]

My 2 cents:
#1 is normal. #2 is not and I think would have been experienced by the previous owner and been a known problem. #3 is impossible to say until you do the things recommended here and report back.

Sellers either follow the golden rule or they don't.

[Michael C. Ray]

I am going to need to agree with #2, going to work on #3 tomorrow

However with some "TEST" footage I have shot. this Camera in my opinion has some
serious lens issues ... Major stutter on zoom, huge rolling on slow pans

Going to set up some lighting tomorrow and shoot some footage with correct lighting in
full auto mode, and manual mode ...

Thanks for everyone's input

[Les Wilson]

Much has been written on the stuttering zoom so that's to be expected. I suggest before you test focus that you read up on how the EX1R auto focus works. There are several modes and it's not like simple systems of the past.

[Michael C. Ray]

I have been reading everything I can,

I understand the stutter is a concern on these cameras, I simply did not realize is was this
bad of a concern.

Any direction on "How the Autofocus works" reading? I can not seem to find anything noted
to directly that .....

If you are speaking of what is in the manual and the AF - AF/MF - MF I have read several times
no real "Detail"...

[Dave Sperling]

In my experience, the zoom stutter can vary greatly from one specific EX 1/1R/3 series camera to another. One of the reasons to test the specific unit before purchasing. The zoom on my EX1 has always been extremely smooth (using the rocker or a Zoe controller), but I've used others' cameras that have had significant stuttering zoom issues.

Not sure why you would see rolling on slow pans -- normally it's on fast pans where you see rolling shutter issues. What frame rate/ shutter speed (angle) combination are you using?

I'm not clear what you mean by limited range of focus? One possible issue with under-maintained EX1s or ones that travel a lot is that if the retaining ring for the front lens element becomes loose over time (or in transit) the front element positioning shifts slightly and even a very small shift can have a serious impact on your focus range. After about 4 years mine loosened up and suddenly the max focus for the lens was about 12'. I found a posting in the forums that helped me diagnose the problem - it was a 30 second fix!

[Les Wilson]

As others have explained, there are a couple things that could be what you are experiencing wrt focus. The first thing that came to my mind from your description is the EX1R's helper mode. When in auto focus mode, the EX1R lets you, the human, tweak the focus. But if you go too far, you are fighting the auto focus. So knowing what mode you are in is all I meant. I think the manual accomplishes that but I haven't looked at it in years.

What happens exactly when you are in full manual mode where the focus ring travel has stops? Can you pull focus from 3' to 30'?

I thought the inability to do a long slow pull like I could on previous cameras would be a downer. There are so many things I love about the EX1R that I went with it anyway. I've never missed that capability.

[Michael C. Ray]

Sorry for the delays ..

Wife has me on paint duties this weekend ...

[Jack Zhang]

I guess what people are referring to is if your MF mode is "MF*"

That is the focus assist mode, and not Full MF. It's under "MF assist" as the 2nd last option when you first open the "CAMERA SET" menu. Everyone was just making sure that was turned off. This mode activates autofocus in manual focus mode.

As everyone has been saying, snap back your focus ring to reveal the orange band and you will be in "Full MF" mode. If you're still focus hunting in that mode, do a backfocus adjustment, and see if the front lens element is secured properly.

[Michael C. Ray]

Yes, Yes, I understand the focus modes -

and understand how each is set up / what position what needs to be in .....

I will probably send back to Sony to have the sensors / lens checked / LCD Monitor

Something is not right and I do not know enough about the camera to say exactly what it is

Without a doubt the LCD has a glitch itself ...

The response from the seller is simply "I never had these issues"

I am waiting on Sony to let me know what exactly they did check, when they received from the seller ..

To determine how to pursue ...

Until then I am going to purchase an AX2000 to get me back working ....

[Jack Zhang]

It could just be that after disassembly and reassembly at Sony, and then during shipping/transport that it got roughly handled and a piece isn't connected correctly.

Try to find a local Sony service center if this is the case. We all know how UPS handles fragile packages by roughly dropping them into trucks.