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Resolution from Sony on A7/a7r light leaks?

mjm6

Member
Folks,

I have the a7r, and it is working great for me, but it exhibits the light leak problem that was detailed in Feb/Mar when shooting long exposures or at ultra-high ASA.

You can see examples of the problem here:

LensRentals.com - The Sky is Falling and the Light is Leaking: the A7r Anti-Massacree

Mine produces leaks that looks functionally just like those, so clearly, it is a design flaw in the camera mount as is detailed in the article I linked to.

Anyway, I haven't heard that Sony came back with a solution to the problem. Are we on our own to fix it through the various Rube Goldberg solutions that we come up with?

I'll do a homemade solution if they haven't produced a resolution...

---Michael
 

johnnygoesdigital

New member
Shooting extreme high ISO's into the sun for long periods is not something most do. I wouldn't be too concerned about the Sony A7. In fact, most other cameras using this same procedure would show the same result.
 

Thomas Fallon

New member
That is true. Tony Sweet reported the problem on his Nikon using long exposures with extreme filtration on the lens. A dark cloth over the camera solved the problem for him.
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Have you tested with different adapters/E-mount lenses to make sure it's the camera mount and not an adapter/lens defect?
 

mjm6

Member
I find it funny that people say things like "most people don't experience this" or whatever... If someone experiences it, then they must deal with it, regardless of the fact that they may be outside the normal shooting profile.

I'm used to using a darkcloth, and am planning on taking this approach rather than the electrical tape approach mention on line in places.

I am using all adapted lenses. Most are Sony A mount, using the Sony A to EA adapter. If any adapter mount should work well, it should be that one, but obviously not.

I am not fretting this, as it is a somewhat extreme shooting conditions, and like shooting with the LF gear, you have to be diligent about the light leaks. I'm not bitching about Sony either... If they solved it with a rubber collar or something, then I'd be happy to get that to reduce the complexity of my shooting.

---Michael
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
Did you try the hair elastic thing? It does seem to be the easiest approach. Annoying but there are many things about these cameras which is rather 'first time'.
 

mjm6

Member
Ben,

I haven't, and I guess I can try that, but I figure I'll constantly be losing the bands in the rocks, etc. and I want the measure I am taking to be absolute about solving the problem... If it is finicky about solving the problem, then I would rather skip to a more complete solution.

If I can find some real thick hair bands that will both absolutely solve the problem and be easy to find on the ground (in the dark, at the end of the day), that may be a good solution.

---Michael
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
Here you go. I had this one laying on my desk, and I always have one in my camera bag. You can put it on your wrist when you are changing lenses. It streatches out to fit over the lens. It also covers the release button (which was another source of light leaks.)...and they are available in black.:cool:
 

mjm6

Member
Here you go. I had this one laying on my desk, and I always have one in my camera bag. You can put it on your wrist when you are changing lenses. It streatches out to fit over the lens. It also covers the release button (which was another source of light leaks.)...and they are available in black.:cool:
Yeah, that... not the band-like ones.

Not sure if my wife has any, but I'll get one to try out.

Thanks Cindy.
 

johnnygoesdigital

New member
Many cameras experience light issues when shooting extreme high ISO's into the sun for long exposures. I have shot using ND's with midday sun and 20 second exposures with no issues. My point was only showing this is not unique to the A7 in any way. Shooting long exposures in the midday sun using extreme ISO's , it might be difficult to discern the light leak issue anyway.
 

philip_pj

New member
I'm left wondering if all the other makers came back with a response...Roger's take is interesting:

'That was my initial response when people started talking about light leaks in Sony A7r cameras. Let me think this through. If you shoot a 30 second exposure at ISO 25,000 into the sun or with a studio strobe aimed at the camera, you get a light leak. I do that . . . let me think . . . never. And this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve noticed there are light leaks in lots of cameras if you look for them, and most of them were apparent without jumping through all the hoops it took to produce them on the A7r.'

Cindy, I love how your sig matches your band thingy - if you drop it, it'll be easy enough to find!
 

mjm6

Member
Well, sure, I would expect some possible light leaks too. Coming from LF, they were rampant in most cameras, and I knew all the methods to reduce them from occurring.

With film 35mm cameras, I mostly had to ensure that the eyepiece was blocked if the camera didn't have an eyepiece shutter. Never had a light leak in the lens mount area.

Also, I can get the leak to occur at 8 seconds or so at ISO100 without direct sunlight on the camera, so this is clearly worse than any other body of this size that I have used before.

As I said, I wasn't complaining about it, because I expect some of this along the way.

It would be nice if I didn't have to go through those measures, but clearly I do.


---Michael
 

johnnygoesdigital

New member
8 sec. @ 100 ISO is certainly not acceptable. I personally think there's an issue with the mount of the A7's because I've shot with two different models and both have a fair amount of movement or slop if you hold the base of the lens while mounted on the A7. I never noticed light leak issues, but perhaps the "play in the mount contributes to it. When I demoed the Fuji XT1 or when shooting my D800, I've never noticed any play in those cameras.
 

algrove

Well-known member
Here you go. I had this one laying on my desk, and I always have one in my camera bag. You can put it on your wrist when you are changing lenses. It streatches out to fit over the lens. It also covers the release button (which was another source of light leaks.)...and they are available in black.:cool:
Cindy-
In that I have never shopped for this type of item in my 70 years, where would you suggest I get one? Walmart has crappy looking ones in my town-mostly too thin. Maybe you have a flood of ideas.
 

mjm6

Member
Target, or go to a mall and find a store that aims at 14 year-old girls. Just don't hang out too long in there.


---Michael
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
I usually buy mine at Walgreen's Drug Store. I haven't had to buy any for a while, because I have a whole basket of them.:ROTFL:
 
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