Sony 717. Lazer alighnment

Ken Croft · Nov 6, 2002

A couple of weeks ago I bought a 717 number 1861020. [ £749 fom Jessops in Middlesbrough England on a price match with ukdigital.co.uk]. It does not fall within the numbers that are supposed to have a focusing fault, and a quick test in light where the lazer just comes on, does not reveal a problem. My concern though is that the lazer pattern is slightly to the right of centre screen, and the more zoom is used, the more this misalignment is noticable. I doubt I will use the lazer trick much, but I would like to know if others are the same, more out of curiousity.

I also have an Oly C700 and an earlier C2000 and have been using digicams for 3 years. I had a C2100 [uzi] and sold it. My initial feel about the 717 is that I really enjoy the swivelling body, with an eyepiece that moves with the body, unlike the swivelling nikons. It is just so nice to use. The build and design quality is pofessional, unlike the Oly is which no more that probably good enough. The weak points so far are that the evf seems to present a tiny picture compared to the wide view of the Oly, but I can get used to that, and for moving objects I think there will be a problem. I shoot flying aircraft and model aircraft, and the view of moving targets seems "smudgy". Finally, I went and bought a Dazzle Zio usb reader. Then I bought a couple of Lexar 128 sticks. And guess what, the Dazzle will not read them. This I find is well known but the good news is that Lexar have agreed to replace the sticks with no charge, when their next version of the sticks appears in 2 to 3 months time, [they say] and these sticks will be readable on all readers [they say].
Cheers
--
ken from the UK

TurboTed · Nov 6, 2002

The laser alignment that you see to the right is quite normal for the F707 and the F717.

--
TurboTed

(It's easier just being insane than acting insane)

Ken Croft · Nov 6, 2002

TurboTed said:
The laser alignment that you see to the right is quite normal for
the F707 and the F717.

Thanks Ted

Any idea why it is like that. Is it an attempt to focus over a broader area than just the centre of the picture do you think?

--
ken from the UK

TurboTed · Nov 6, 2002

Ken Croft said:
TurboTed said:

The laser alignment that you see to the right is quite normal for
the F707 and the F717.

Click to expand...

Thanks Ted
Any idea why it is like that. Is it an attempt to focus over a
broader area than just the centre of the picture do you think?

I think the simple answer is the fact that the laser is on the left, so they point it slightly to the right. This way the light pattern will cross the center of the image/focus area for close subjects but the angle is slight enough that part of the pattern is still in this focus area out to the maximum usable distance. It only takes a piece of the hatch pattern for the focus to operate.

Ken Croft said:
--
ken from the UK

--
TurboTed

(It's easier just being insane than acting insane)

PFR · Nov 6, 2002

Ken Croft said:
I had a C2100 [uzi] and sold it.
I shoot flying aircraft and model aircraft, and the view
of moving targets seems "smudgy".
ken from the UK

Greetings from a fellow UZi/F717 owner.

I am not sure if this is similar to your smudgy issue, but last weekend I shot over 4,000 pictures of moving objects (figure skaters). Some times the EVF display woul dbe crystal clear and everything looked perfect. Other times there seemed to be a "haze" over the display and it looked dim and soft. I thought it was my imagination, or the effect of the lights. The EVF was still very usable, but I did not get the feeling that I could reach out through it and touch the subject.

On the third day I realized that your eye had to be in perfect alignment, both horizontal and vertical, with the EVF to get the really clear view. Its something like looking at an LCD screen at an angle. I had the camera mounted on a monopod and was using the swivel on the body. Once I got the perfect angle combination everything was perfectly clear again.

Next time you're out, pay close attention to the angle you are looking at the EVF and the quality of image you see. It may make a difference.

--
Pat
http://community.webshots.com/user/pfr_01
http://community.webshots.com/user/skate_adventures
http://www.pbase.com/pfr

davinci · Nov 6, 2002

Hi Ken,

check
http://195.2.39.25/support/en/index.html
-> user support & FAQ
-> knowledge center
-> digital Photography
-> Cyber Shot
-> choose F-171
-> choose line 1 (autofocus problem)
and you will see that also you camera have this problem.
(all snrs of camera's sold in Europe are on it)

I had it also and this afternoon I went to Sony Service Center in Belgium and there they have made an update... it only tooks 10 minutes.
Have just done some tests and now it works proberly.

If you want to do some tests... do it in complete darkness on egal objects (e.q.white wall) and with different zoomsettings.....
Normally you should see that sometimes it's out of focus....

regards
Vince

Ken Croft said:
A couple of weeks ago I bought a 717 number 1861020. [ £749 fom
Jessops in Middlesbrough England on a price match with
ukdigital.co.uk]. It does not fall within the numbers that are
supposed to have a focusing fault, and a quick test in light where
the lazer just comes on, does not reveal a problem. My concern
though is that the lazer pattern is slightly to the right of centre
screen, and the more zoom is used, the more this misalignment is
noticable. I doubt I will use the lazer trick much, but I would
like to know if others are the same, more out of curiousity.
I also have an Oly C700 and an earlier C2000 and have been using
digicams for 3 years. I had a C2100 [uzi] and sold it. My initial
feel about the 717 is that I really enjoy the swivelling body, with
an eyepiece that moves with the body, unlike the swivelling nikons.
It is just so nice to use. The build and design quality is
pofessional, unlike the Oly is which no more that probably good
enough. The weak points so far are that the evf seems to present a
tiny picture compared to the wide view of the Oly, but I can get
used to that, and for moving objects I think there will be a
problem. I shoot flying aircraft and model aircraft, and the view
of moving targets seems "smudgy". Finally, I went and bought a
Dazzle Zio usb reader. Then I bought a couple of Lexar 128 sticks.
And guess what, the Dazzle will not read them. This I find is well
known but the good news is that Lexar have agreed to replace the
sticks with no charge, when their next version of the sticks
appears in 2 to 3 months time, [they say] and these sticks will be
readable on all readers [they say].
Cheers
--
ken from the UK

fatsucker · Nov 6, 2002

ken,

see my recent post about a firmware fix for the dazzle 6-in-1 reader. i am not sure if your model can use the same fix but, if not, i am sure dazzle wouldl now have the beta firmware fix for your model as well. you can email their tech support. i have a contact there if you need it.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1009&message=3718107

david

Ken Croft wrote:
Finally, I went and bought a

Ken Croft said:
Dazzle Zio usb reader. Then I bought a couple of Lexar 128 sticks.
And guess what, the Dazzle will not read them. This I find is well
known but the good news is that Lexar have agreed to replace the
sticks with no charge, when their next version of the sticks
appears in 2 to 3 months time, [they say] and these sticks will be
readable on all readers [they say].
Cheers
--
ken from the UK

Ken Croft · Nov 7, 2002

davinci said:
Hi Ken,

check
http://195.2.39.25/support/en/index.html
-> user support & FAQ
-> knowledge center
-> digital Photography
-> Cyber Shot
-> choose F-171
-> choose line 1 (autofocus problem)
and you will see that also you camera have this problem.
(all snrs of camera's sold in Europe are on it)

I had it also and this afternoon I went to Sony Service Center in
Belgium and there they have made an update... it only tooks 10
minutes.
Have just done some tests and now it works proberly.
If you want to do some tests... do it in complete darkness on egal
objects (e.q.white wall) and with different zoomsettings.....
Normally you should see that sometimes it's out of focus....

regards
Vince

Many thanks Vince. The only number list I had seen is the one that looks like from an Italian site. This confirms that I have the problem. The only trouble is that the service centre in England is 250 miles away!

cheers
ken croft

Ken Croft · Nov 11, 2002

fatsucker said:
ken,

see my recent post about a firmware fix for the dazzle 6-in-1
reader. i am not sure if your model can use the same fix but, if
not, i am sure dazzle wouldl now have the beta firmware fix for
your model as well. you can email their tech support. i have a
contact there if you need it.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?UK

The Dazzle site now has a download flash for the single card reader. But the 717 is at the menders to put the focus thing right, and I will not do the reader update until the camera is back. My concern with flashing the reader, is whether it will then read the Sony cards! [as well as reading the lexars]

ken from the UK

fatsucker · Nov 11, 2002

i can confirm that the firmware upgrade on my dazzle 6-in-1 reader now allows not only the lexar sticks to be read, but the sony remain readable as well.

david

Ken Croft said:
fatsucker said:

ken,

see my recent post about a firmware fix for the dazzle 6-in-1
reader. i am not sure if your model can use the same fix but, if
not, i am sure dazzle wouldl now have the beta firmware fix for
your model as well. you can email their tech support. i have a
contact there if you need it.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?UK

Click to expand...

The Dazzle site now has a download flash for the single card
reader. But the 717 is at the menders to put the focus thing right,
and I will not do the reader update until the camera is back. My
concern with flashing the reader, is whether it will then read the
Sony cards! [as well as reading the lexars]

ken from the UK

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Sony 717. Lazer alighnment

Ken Croft

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