A7RII: Front wheel not changing settings (Shutter speed in M mode)

[Phil Indeblanc]

I use Manual mode.
I Custon set the Focus to the AEL button to isolate focusing
I use the front wheel for fast change of Sutter Speed
I use rear wheel for Apeture Speed

Tried different lenses. Same thing....
The Front Wheel DOES NOT WORK correctly.

It either has major lag before it does work, or it doesn't work until I start pressing other buttons.

Anyone else with this issue? Any suggestions?

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

You can check in:
menu->cogwheel -> page 8 ->dial/wheel lock [unlock] that function protects against unintended dial rotation
and also check
menu->cogwheel -> page 7 ->dial setup

No other ideas...

Best regards
Erik

I use Manual mode.
I Custon set the Focus to the AEL button to isolate focusing
I use the front wheel for fast change of Sutter Speed
I use rear wheel for Apeture Speed

Tried different lenses. Same thing....
The Front Wheel DOES NOT WORK correctly.

It either has major lag before it does work, or it doesn't work until I start pressing other buttons.

Anyone else with this issue? Any suggestions?

[Phil Indeblanc]

I see that lock/unlock feature. It is on Unlock.
Yes, I set the front and wheel on either swapped setting of SS or A, and the front wheel is the issue, as either one, Aperture or Shutter Speed show the same issue of not changing.
Its intermittent, almost like in sleep mode, and needs a few "key stroke" to wake it.
Sony wants $376 for repair.

[Paulo Bizarro]

The A7RII came out in June 2015, so the warranty should be valid still? How come they want to charge for repairs? Is it damage by water?

Last January my A7II buttons became unresponsive for a while, never happened since; I attributed that to the cold:)

[scyth]

The A7RII came out in June 2015, so the warranty should be valid still? How come they want to charge for repairs? Is it damage by water?

Last January my A7II buttons became unresponsive for a while, never happened since; I attributed that to the cold:)

OP it seems just only recently purchased the camera - so may be he got it used

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

Service costs and service quality may be an issue for Sony. Just as an example, LensRentals has reported that the 24-70/4 FE has often issues with the focus drive, and that issue needs a very expensive repair.

Such issues are often fixed for Canon users at a nominal price but Sony may charge around 700$ for a simple repair.

My experience with Minolta/Sony have been quite good, shooting Minolta from 1970-to 2006 and Sony since I had just a few issues, with just two repairs. That said I would prefer a professional level of service.

Best regards
Erik

I see that lock/unlock feature. It is on Unlock.
Yes, I set the front and wheel on either swapped setting of SS or A, and the front wheel is the issue, as either one, Aperture or Shutter Speed show the same issue of not changing.
Its intermittent, almost like in sleep mode, and needs a few "key stroke" to wake it.
Sony wants $376 for repair.

[Paulo Bizarro]

OP it seems just only recently purchased the camera - so may be he got it used

Still, it would be inside the warranty period (2 years in the EU).

[E.J. Peiker]

My rear wheel intermittently doesn't work either.  Service costs are completely untenable and can run as much as $1600 for some repairs like this - just happened to a client of mine and then it didn't even fix the problem he was having (internal OSS not working).  Repairs on many Sony photo products in the US seem to be priced at such a point that the item essentially becomes disposable.

[scyth]

Still, it would be inside the warranty period (2 years in the EU).

he is not in EU and warranty is not transferrable (unless you find & buy such from a 3rd party)

[Phil Indeblanc]

I also had the camera lock up on me where the EVF wouldnt come on. I turned it off and on, and it was working again.

I did more reading and from your suggestions I reset the camera, and it was in 3.20 FW!

I'm not sure if I was using the MetaIV adapter, as I was changing out from the 55/1.8 to the 24-70 L I USM.....but I was stumped and missed shots.
I DID update the body after this expereince to 3.30
I DID update the adapter from 5.2 to 5.3 today.
I spoke to a few repair shops for the A7RII, and one mentioned to blow some air in the area as he said it is often just dust. Otherwise he said it maybe a oled or something? I heard the word before, but don't know it, so I forgot.

Do we have 2 years in the US?

I did buy it used, but have original receipt, and I think its past 1 year by a 2-3 months. Oddly, the owner I believe when he says it is like new and no damage or such to the camera, but there are 9 screws on the bottom area. The battery area has 2 screws and look new and black. The ones on the plate along the screw mount there are 7 screws, and these have the paint worn off. Not from a screw driver or anything, as it doesn't look accessed at all, but more like wearing off. Would be great to confirm or other thoughts of why they have worn. None of my past camera expereince have this without having a bunch of paint loss and such over years of use.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

My experience with Sony is quite good. Had A100, A700, A900, A55, A77, A99, A7RII and A7II. Zero failures. I had two repairs in on Minolta equipment. It may be that Sony repairs or equipment suck. I simply don't have the experience, yet.

I have used the A7rII for about a year. I did have some locks up. The only real problems I had were with the Metabones IV adapter which often refused to work. Since than I have a new Metabones IV-T adapter that works, although I had some times it didn't hook up with camera and lens. I feel that it works for me, but I certainly would not recommend the Metabones/A7rII combo for professional work.

The Sony LA-EA3  works fine for me, but I am not impressed by the A-mount lenses. Regarding FE-mount, I don't know. The lenses I 'trust' are the three Canon Ls (16-35/4LII, 24/3.5 TSELII and 24-105/4L) and the old Minolta 80-200/28G APO zoom. For manual focus I often use the Contax 35-135/3.3-4.5 Sonnar or it's 28-85/3.3-4 sibling. The Sony 70-400/4-5.6G works but has curved field or tilted plane of sharpness at times. Mostly it doesn't matter. The Sony 90/2.8G also has a tilted focal plane, that doesn't matter when shooting macro but can cause problem on flat things.

So my experience with mechanical quality is quite good, regarding optical quality a bit mixed.

Whenever I am on travel, I always have some backup. Within a 10 kg limit I would carry the 70-400/4-5.6G as a personal item and put this stuff in my Gura Gear Bataflae bag.

- Sony A7rII with the Metabones
- Sony A7II (with a Vello EF to FE Af adapter)
- Canon 24-105/4L
- Canon 16-35/4L
- Canon 24/3.5 TSE LII
- Hcam Master TSII
- Contax 35-135/3.3-4.5

That system would give me some backup if any part failed. I don't go on travel with no backups.

Best regards
Erik

I also had the camera lock up on me where the EVF wouldnt come on. I turned it off and on, and it was working again.

I did more reading and from your suggestions I reset the camera, and it was in 3.20 FW!

I'm not sure if I was using the MetaIV adapter, as I was changing out from the 55/1.8 to the 24-70 L I USM.....but I was stumped and missed shots.
I DID update the body after this expereince to 3.30
I DID update the adapter from 5.2 to 5.3 today.
I spoke to a few repair shops for the A7RII, and one mentioned to blow some air in the area as he said it is often just dust. Otherwise he said it maybe a oled or something? I heard the word before, but don't know it, so I forgot.

Do we have 2 years in the US?

I did buy it used, but have original receipt, and I think its past 1 year by a 2-3 months. Oddly, the owner I believe when he says it is like new and no damage or such to the camera, but there are 9 screws on the bottom area. The battery area has 2 screws and look new and black. The ones on the plate along the screw mount there are 7 screws, and these have the paint worn off. Not from a screw driver or anything, as it doesn't look accessed at all, but more like wearing off. Would be great to confirm or other thoughts of why they have worn. None of my past camera expereince have this without having a bunch of paint loss and such over years of use.

[Phil Indeblanc]

Thanks for the replies. I am still adpating to the differnet ways it works, and even with Sony dedicated lenses, I have my reservations on night focusing. Sony needs to make all their lenses with a manual override. Otherwise I am in trouble using this. The 55/1.8 a great lens doesn't have this and using it in dark situations is not something anyone should chance, and fumble with going in and out of M vs AF center point etc..too many hoops to get it to work right.

I did notice that the focusing system is looking for intersecting shapes.  If you (hold the camera normal position/landscape) and focus on a *HORIZONTAL line, (not vertical as I wrote before) line of high contrast, it hunts and hunts (like a back lit door way). But as soon as you introduce a protruding shape, like a door knob, it locks on. So holding the camera normally it locks on vertical lines very quick.

I updated this info, Initially I wrote it was not focusing on a vertical line, BUT, I had the camera in a "portrait" position(holding it vertically). While I didn't know this made a difference at the time. So the video at the bottom had me retest this, and sure enough it has all to do with it. This was due naturally as a vertical subject would get someone to want to hold the camera vertically :-)

[Phil Indeblanc]

So I'm noticing that this is a general lag issue. When camera goes to sleep or just turned on, it needs to do a song and dance, and then it might be ready to shoot. I guess we are taking pix at Sony's time pace with this thing. Deffffinately not a run and gun shooter., but even more limited with such a bad focusing system on the Autofocus side of things, and the opposite for manual, as I love this.
I have never had such a love and hate relation with a camera and lenses in the $6K range.

[Farmer]

I've had nothing but good experiences with autofocus with mine, using the new G Master 28-70 and 70-200 lenses.  Which lenses are you using, and which focus modes are you using?  Using some older lenses with adapters certainly doesn't focus particularly quickly, but with higher end native lenses it's great.  If you are having lots of issues in low light, maybe a flash which can add IR focus assist (on top of the camera's native ability there, which unfortunately is blocked by larger lenses like my 70-200).

Regarding wake up times - if you have the display off, do you need to go into full sleep mode really?  Batteries are not expensive and small and light (and with the grip and two batteries, my battery time isn't bad considering the size/weight).  One habit I got into while walking around with it on a recent holiday (Hawaii and French Polynesia and New Zealand), was to switch it off when I thought there wasn't much of interest around, but carrying it using a wrist strap I could flip it on while bringing it up to use and certainly there was a slight delay then at times, but by the time I actually had it ready to shoot it was ready.  In situations where I wanted it ready all the time, I just left it on, and no problems.

I haven't yet sat down and reconfigured menus based on my first travel experience with it, so I expect I can streamline a few things, too.  I am currently looking at an A6500 as a backup body and for speed when needed (the focus is also even better).

[Phil Indeblanc]

I've had nothing but good experiences with autofocus with mine, using the new G Master 28-70 and 70-200 lenses. 
Which lenses are you using, and which focus modes are you using?  Using some older lenses with adapters certainly doesn't focus particularly quickly, but with higher end native lenses it's great.  If you are having lots of issues in low light, maybe a flash which can add IR focus assist (on top of the camera's native ability there, which unfortunately is blocked by larger lenses like my 70-200).

I was trying out the 55 F1.8 Zeiss FE mount. The shoot was for capturing glow light exhibit. Flash would ruin it for the images and everyone else. I thought center single would do the trick. nope. It had a harder time on the light to black contrast, so I had to wait for the glow light to come close to the body so the clothing skin was lit, and I was focusing better on that than the light itself. I do some night shoots, and will be doing more of them. I had the worst time with it as the 55 focus ring doesn't over ride the AF. and then Zoom assist was way too zoomed in, and couldnt tell what Im focusing on. This is when I put it down and started getting lock down focus max a couple presses of AF on the 5DM3 and I was snapping away with AF points changing with no issues.
I will try again. Maybe expand/wide/AF_C will help. I dont think I tried this, but have been reading more about the quirks and modes it likes.

Regarding wake up times - if you have the display off, do you need to go into full sleep mode really?  Batteries are not expensive and small and light (and with the grip and two batteries, my battery time isn't bad considering the size/weight).  One habit I got into while walking around with it on a recent holiday (Hawaii and French Polynesia and New Zealand), was to switch it off when I thought there wasn't much of interest around, but carrying it using a wrist strap I could flip it on while bringing it up to use and certainly there was a slight delay then at times, but by the time I actually had it ready to shoot it was ready.  In situations where I wanted it ready all the time, I just left it on, and no problems.

Yes I switch it OFf too often, but the wake up ready to shoot is a chunk of time. Have you used a DSLR in journalistic fast paced, or events with people that make an expression and you have a few seconds to capture it? Well throw this camera in the gutter if thats what you do darn well. Its a device first, then if all is well it will be an amazing image capture of a camera.

I haven't yet sat down and reconfigured menus based on my first travel experience with it, so I expect I can streamline a few things, too.  I am currently looking at an A6500 as a backup body and for speed when needed (the focus is also even better).

A lot of what I have done over the days is customize all the C buttons to work in the fastest way possible. (Still 3 buttons for shoot to preview and shoot again).

My main reason for this it does great, and thats in the studio. But I was hoping the size, and focus would get me to buy $2K lenses...Watching the Northrups try it out in one of the videos they test, and then hearing JL on another YT channel. ...
HAHA, Fat chance on this body.

I would not spend over $400-500 for a lens that mounts on this body (other than the Leicas, Scheids and Rods I use for studio stills). Otherwise I will happily slap my Canon glass, take my time compose a landscape scene and smile about it. But any run-n-gun, or reflex work like at an event, or wedding and such...it might come out for the sake of trying and saying I tried using it.

But if Sony has intentions of pushing this line vs deliver as is, then I can see them address these issues, and make something great like a A99II in a FE E mount A7RII body.
Otherwise I would never get their overpriced lenses. The Zeiss line so far is a bit toy if, and you have to be ginger with it, $890!
If Sony improves, I will change my position. If Canon wakes up and takes the 5DsR, the M5, and the Foveon sensor or takes the Sony sensor and makes something happen with the DR, and EVF, then it will be mind exploded time. :-)
Until then, I will love the files this produces in its scope of ability, and I will use my Canon gear for client work that's people related...likely along the Sony. I am sure I can get better at using it, and feel a little less screwed out of $$5k for a beta like product.

[Farmer]

I did some shooting of some glass blowing (not the kind of stall with a torch, but real ovens and large items and so on, and on board a ship no less!) at night.  There was some lighting, but hot glass made the ambient light basically negligible.  Hot, glowing, fluid, glass is not easy to focus on with AF, but I think that's true regardless.  I did find spot focus a problem because there weren't hard edges, so area focus seemed better.  That was pretty testing stuff for AF, though.  I was using the 70-200 and ISO 3200 and I was pretty happy with the results.

Yes, a firmware update to allow a little more customisation of the EVF/screen combinations and timing would be good.

[Phil Indeblanc]

This video is helpful to understand the basics of how it focuses....

This video made me realize a detail in my above observation to need more detail, and I updated it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wSHBVFG6m4

and this...(not as explanitory)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L88uEmUp4t8

...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjJxnIQcJDA
(side note:It is a bit of a mess to a fairly new user(to Sony) to try and get to, or figure which would be best in the situation you are shooting.)

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi Phil,

I have just updated my Metabones IV-T adapter to most recent version. It offers "green mode" and "advanced mode". The "green mode" uses PD-AF and has a lot of limitation but works best with the A7rII. Advanced mode doesn't use PD-AF but it is optimised for CD-AF and is workable in a wider range of operation, except it is slow. The difference is significant.

Regarding AF-modes i use my presets. There are only two full presets, so I use "1" for handheld and "2" for tripod.

• Has AF set to wide, auto ISO, image stabilisation on etc
• Has manual focu, 100 ISO, image stabilisation off f/8

If I have time, I use flexible spot with the "M" setting. "S" often does not work, but "M" is OK. I have programed the center button on the 4-way controller to select focus uptions. So I press center button, select flexible focus point at "M" and move it to where I want focus. That is about it.

I am no sports shooter, any longer. I have been shooting some "street" with 24-105/4L and the Metabones in Visby and that worked very well, on some occasions I was very much impressed wit what AF and IS could achieve. i will share samples any day…

But, shooting street is not what I do normally. Camera on tripod and calm down, that has been my way for twenty years.

Now, that I shoot Canon lenses mostly, it would be possible to add a Canon to the kit, like a 6D or a 5Ds/5DsR. Very well possible…

Previous autumn I was shooting on a workshop with Hans Kruse. He had a few of Canon's lenses with him, and he had some interest in my A7rII as some of his customers shoot Sony. We tried out the 16-35/4L, 24-70/2.8L and the 100-400 zoom. Hans said that the it was OK, sort of. Usable but no so fast.  The 10-400 stopped doing AF at 200 mm. my own Sony 70-400/4-5.6G had no issues.

My take is a bit that the A7rII works well for a discerning photographer. But you need to know what you do and camera options will no make life easier.

So my take is that:

• It can deliver great results…
• Sony lenses are easier to use
• A need to learn a lot of why and how

Best regards
Erik

This video is helpful to understand the basics of how it focuses....

This video made me realize a detail in my above observation to need more detail, and I updated it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wSHBVFG6m4

and this...(not as explanitory)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L88uEmUp4t8

...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjJxnIQcJDA
(side note:It is a bit of a mess to a fairly new user(to Sony) to try and get to, or figure which would be best in the situation you are shooting.)

[Phil Indeblanc]

Where can you select such modes? I did see some options when updating, and I kinda took a guess at making a change or 2 in the default check marks. But otherwise I dont know where I would select or see to select different options. I know, Its in the manual I suppose :-)

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi Phil,

On the A7rII you would use "green mode", as it uses phase detection. Advanced mode is pretty useless, mostly…

http://www.metabones.com/article/of/green-power-save-mode

I will jot down my recommended settings in a few days.

Best regards
Erik

Where can you select such modes? I did see some options when updating, and I kinda took a guess at making a change or 2 in the default check marks. But otherwise I dont know where I would select or see to select different options. I know, Its in the manual I suppose :-)