I have not read lately regarding A77II's SSS errors...

Read my response to nmaycher. I own both an A77 and A77ii. If you are worried turn off SSS in viewfinder. The A77 doesn't have that feature. The "2" has a lot to offer over the original and a stabilized view in the viewfinder is probably the least useful.

For the record I shoot sports bursts with the feature on and have never encountered an error in 3 months of use.
--
Tom

Look at the picture, not the pixels
------------
Misuse of the ability to do 100% pixel peeping is the bane of digital photography because it causes people to fret over inconsequential issues.

1st few days but not on the same day. The 1st one, the movie SSS was not turned off. The 2nd one, the SS on shutter was not turned off. Note that these two SSS turn off conditions were from web and forum searches input including from here.

Since turning off the SSS on shutter and doing several heavy BIF sessions the last few weekends (1.7K shots alone just last Saturday/Sunday for mostly Sandhill Crane BIFs); so far no SSS errors. This was mostly using A77II with the Tamron 150-600mm. I have to test again my Bigma with this A77II where I had a lot of this SSS errors on two copies (obtained from Amazon, 3rd copy from Sony Store).

Movie stabilisation is done by software shifting the framing over the sensor field, so it cannot be relevant to the issue.

decide on relevancy. Care to post a link on your input regarding movie SSS function on this particular camera model. Thanks.

I've seen your response both times. To me the stabilized finder of the A77II is THE MAIN REASON I would purchase it over the A77 instead of moving to Nikon or Canon where nearly all of the long telephotos offer VR with a stabilized viewfinder.

For this reason I am still watching for verification of the problem and whether it is just in earlier releases or is a problem to be considered. Something from Sony to this effect would go a long way for me in restoring confidence.

gil said:

IanML said:

Movie stabilisation is done by software shifting the framing over the sensor field, so it cannot be relevant to the issue.

Click to expand...

Care to post a link on your input regarding movie SSS function on this particular camera model. Thanks.

Click to expand...

Not necessary to post a link. It's a fact that the A77II, like other recent SLT models, uses electronic stabilization during video. That does not involve any of the physical sensor movement that happens during still shot stabilization and pre-shot viewfinder stabilization.

dlkeller said:

I've seen your response both times. To me the stabilized finder of the A77II is THE MAIN REASON I would purchase it over the A77 instead of moving to Nikon or Canon where nearly all of the long telephotos offer VR with a stabilized viewfinder.

Click to expand...

I guess because I have never had a stabilized view before and have learned to hold the camera very steady. Add to that I would never hand hold a lens like the 150-600 but would instead use a monopod.

sybersitizen said:

gil said:

IanML said:

Movie stabilisation is done by software shifting the framing over the sensor field, so it cannot be relevant to the issue.

Click to expand...

Care to post a link on your input regarding movie SSS function on this particular camera model. Thanks.

Click to expand...

Not necessary to post a link. It's a fact that the A77II, like other recent SLT models, uses electronic stabilization during video. That does not involve any of the physical sensor movement that happens during still shot stabilization and pre-shot viewfinder stabilization.

Click to expand...

Thanks and granted you are correct, one can't just find that info from the manual or the guide . Ian however mentioned relevancy. I didn't start the movie SSS to being off info. Several users in the original post mentioned it and based from my experience on two copies, turning it off seems to minimize occurrences. I don't know yet the actual connections but turning off further some function like the SSS on shutter further reduced my encounter with the SSS error.

There might not be functional connections between the two functions (movie SSS and still SSS), but the circuitries and controllers for both functions could be near each other and if there is not enough isolation, cross talks can't be discounted. It may not be a design issue but lots of things happens in production. A cold solder actually might give some sub par performance on some functions. Also we can't discount some algorithm/programming issues - maybe not true to all copies but could happen to others.

There are so many undesirable things that could happen that we don't know. Unless I am presented with facts, data and results attesting to the validity of the initial statement, I tend to believe that there are other possibilities, directly connected or not. As my experience being an engineer (in electronic chip manufacturing), there is always that expectation that things built per spec, per known eng'g principles, per tested and qualified materials, per industry procedures and other confirmed and tried characteristics would always results in good products all of the time. Unfortunately (at least in my industry) that it is not always the case.

As of now, I stand with my observation that having the movie/EVF SSS off and the SSS on shutter off reduced my encounter with SSS error so far in my 3rd copy. Would this be an absolute observation? No, as my usage progresses, I will surely do some confirmations - turning them ON again one by one and see what happens.

With no new reported SSS error, it could be said for now that maybe the error could be a quality issue on some batches and I hope it was.

Sorry if this is a rather lengthy input and for sure not directed to you but more as a response to the usual generalization that if one has some knowledge, one thinks it is the last word and applicable to all.

--
Cheers,
gil - San Jose, CA
Cheap Lens, JPG and 100% Handholding Provocateur
Like happiness, photography is often better created than pursued.

gil said:

... I didn't start the movie SSS to being off info. Several users in the original post mentioned it and based from my experience on two copies, turning it off seems to minimize occurrences.

Click to expand...

That could be, and in my view is, a coincidence.

One would need to experience the issue with movie stabilisation on, and then turn it off, and show that, with no other changes, the problem had stopped, and that the procedure is repeatable.

In the absence of such evidence, I think it is reasonable to assert that a connection is implausible.

gil said:

There are so many undesirable things that could happen that we don't know... I tend to believe that there are other possibilities, directly connected or not.

Click to expand...

I won't disagree with that. I have recently spent a lot of time and money troubleshooting three seemingly separate issues with my car: fog lights intermittently coming on at random and draining the battery; the ignition switch intermittently failing to start the engine; and the car radio's data display intermittently failing to illuminate. Odd as it seems, I now know that these different symptoms are all connected to issues with a complex multifunction controller switch on the steering column, and a tiny broken part associated with the ignition switch.

often, it resulted in SSS errors but I am a heavy BIF users and I do swing the camera lens at all directions and only encountered the error when doing BIFs, not when doing stills. Observation was not scientific nor I noted it down but as far as I know, I encountered more when it is off. Is there a direct connection? I don't know as I also encountered SSS error (to a lesser degree) when it was already turned off.

Did you read the original posting? Do you have the A77II? Do you do heavy BIFs with big lenses like the Bigma 50-500mm or Tamron 150-600mm? If none of these, your responses and uncertainty is as good as my unscientific in-the-field observations. Sorry as I can only talk about my actual experiences and not a generalization. I have been doing heavy BIFs for more than 10 years and the only changes so far are the gears.

cheers,

gil

IanML said:

gil said:

... I didn't start the movie SSS to being off info. Several users in the original post mentioned it and based from my experience on two copies, turning it off seems to minimize occurrences.

Click to expand...

That could be, and in my view is, a coincidence.

One would need to experience the issue with movie stabilisation on, and then turn it off, and show that, with no other changes, the problem had stopped, and that the procedure is repeatable.

In the absence of such evidence, I think it is reasonable to assert that a connection is implausible.

Click to expand...

doing failure analysis on work items. As they say, nothing is certain except for taxes and death (but some are already cheating these two certainties ).

gil said:

... Do you have the A77II? Do you do heavy BIFs with big lenses like the Bigma 50-500mm or Tamron 150-600mm?...

Click to expand...

I have the a77II, and have used it with Minolta 100-400mm on aircraft in flight at an air display, with high angular rates. I had stabilisation on (and movie stab on, for what it's worth) and did not encounter the problem, but that is not conclusive, because the current hypothesis is that not all a77IIs are affected.

counting those that had it, it looked like a small percentage (guessing only as I don't have the statistics especially region-wise). Yes, your field experience is similar to BIF shooting and you were lucky not to encounter it. It was frustrating while in the field and highest percentage encounter in my 2nd copy. As in my older input related to this issue, I ordered my 3rd copy banking on a premise that it could be more of a batch problem rather than a design flaw. I will probably turn on those that I turned off when I have more time to play beyond my basic settings.

cheers,

gil

IanML said:

gil said:

... Do you have the A77II? Do you do heavy BIFs with big lenses like the Bigma 50-500mm or Tamron 150-600mm?...

Click to expand...

I have the a77II, and have used it with Minolta 100-400mm on aircraft in flight at an air display, with high angular rates. I had stabilisation on (and movie stab on, for what it's worth) and did not encounter the problem, but that is not conclusive, because the current hypothesis is that not all a77IIs are affected.

Click to expand...

sybersitizen said:

gil said:

There are so many undesirable things that could happen that we don't know... I tend to believe that there are other possibilities, directly connected or not.

Click to expand...

I won't disagree with that. I have recently spent a lot of time and money troubleshooting three seemingly separate issues with my car: fog lights intermittently coming on at random and draining the battery; the ignition switch intermittently failing to start the engine; and the car radio's data display intermittently failing to illuminate. Odd as it seems, I now know that these different symptoms are all connected to issues with a complex multifunction controller switch on the steering column, and a tiny broken part associated with the ignition switch.

Click to expand...

and to me they sounded like a 'system' error. So that diagnosis wouldn't have surprised me. The SSS error and some card read write errors have felt to me like a power issue, vs an overheat.



I noted on this thread some people having more intermittent issues. Not as bad as the early reports. Are mentioning some BIG lenses that maybe screw drive focus. That may not be a bad camera vs something not tested well



My two main lenses are SSM I have never seen the error even with extended use of the 70 - 300g at high FPS and SSS on in VF.

So it would be interesting to look at battery age, lens type etc vs who has seen the error.



--




K.E.H. >> Shooting between raindrops in WA<<
Don't Panic!.. these are just opinions... go take some pictures..

[No message]

jpena said:

Are people still suffering the same situation? is the steadyshot system still giving headaches? are people who bought the camera in the last month also getting the error under similar/same circumstances?

Click to expand...

Another question I would like to know the answer to:

Has anyone had their problem solved by a replacement of the camera?

It seems strange to me that the usual explanation of this error is: "It is just a few bad copies". If it is only a few bad copies, then why are there so many stories about people getting their camera replaced because of this problem and receiving a new copy with the same problem?

The cynical answer to this question is probably that "You must have a bad copy" is just another way of saying "I don't know how to reproduce the problem with my copy".

Allan Olesen said:

jpena said:

Are people still suffering the same situation? is the steadyshot system still giving headaches? are people who bought the camera in the last month also getting the error under similar/same circumstances?

Click to expand...

Another question I would like to know the answer to:

Has anyone had their problem solved by a replacement of the camera?

It seems strange to me that the usual explanation of this error is: "It is just a few bad copies". If it is only a few bad copies, then why are there so many stories about people getting their camera replaced because of this problem and receiving a new copy with the same problem?

Click to expand...

I don't think its the proverbial "bad copies". Personally, I don't believe in that saying UNLESS the manufacture comes out and has said they made a production change to deal with a bad part or there were faulty builds by the line personnel. You have not seen this from Sony have you?

I think its the nature of the beast under certain conditions and equipment. It just happens and can be duplicated by SOME folks based on the equipment combo they have, which seems to me would be an interest to the manufacture.

In reality NO ONE here knows but we all can speculate. Whats sad is that regardless of whether it is one unit or 5, Sony should be all over it.

Allan Olesen said:

The cynical answer to this question is probably that "You must have a bad copy" is just another way of saying "I don't know how to reproduce the problem with my copy".

Click to expand...

gil said:

often, it resulted in SSS errors but I am a heavy BIF users and I do swing the camera lens at all directions and only encountered the error when doing BIFs, not when doing stills. Observation was not scientific nor I noted it down but as far as I know, I encountered more when it is off. Is there a direct connection? I don't know as I also encountered SSS error (to a lesser degree) when it was already turned off.

Did you read the original posting? Do you have the A77II? Do you do heavy BIFs with big lenses like the Bigma 50-500mm or Tamron 150-600mm? If none of these, your responses and uncertainty is as good as my unscientific in-the-field observations. Sorry as I can only talk about my actual experiences and not a generalization. I have been doing heavy BIFs for more than 10 years and the only changes so far are the gears.

cheers,

gil

gil said:

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

This report is interesting to me:

Are you using larger lenses and what is their focus type, Screw.. etc?

To me this always feels like a power issue.. Will be interesting to see if it new camera has it and with what lenses.

I have never seen it.. even panning at high FPS..

the number of reports makes it seem like there was a group of cameras more prone to it.. but one also has to wonder.. HIGH FPS, Long use of SSS, and Larger lens with more power needed to focus.. might create a situation like .. Can't run the Microwave, Espresso Machine and AC at same time..

Allan Olesen said:

jpena said:

Are people still suffering the same situation? is the steadyshot system still giving headaches? are people who bought the camera in the last month also getting the error under similar/same circumstances?

Click to expand...

Another question I would like to know the answer to:

Has anyone had their problem solved by a replacement of the camera?

It seems strange to me that the usual explanation of this error is: "It is just a few bad copies". If it is only a few bad copies, then why are there so many stories about people getting their camera replaced because of this problem and receiving a new copy with the same problem?

The cynical answer to this question is probably that "You must have a bad copy" is just another way of saying "I don't know how to reproduce the problem with my copy".

Click to expand...

The "usual explanation" is not an explanation offered by many people, it is a explanation offered many times by one person.