Having a big problem with my a6700 I think I need to send it back

[goactive]

When I first got in my a6700 I tested it with off camera flash just at home for a few test shots and it worked no problem.

Yesterday I took it out on a job and used off camera flash for the first time in real use and ran into a strange problem that now today at home I can reproduce over and over.

When shooting everything will be working great the flash fires and takes a photo then all of a sudden I push the shutter button and nothing happens and the camera is locked but then 4 to 15 seconds later the flash fires at random and the camera is back working.

Go to take another shot and the camera dose this again the flash files maybe at 5 second time or some time at 12 second later each time the camera is locked up till the flash is fired.

Some times it may do this 3 or 4 times in a row and then go back to working as it should for 5 to 6 more shots and then dose it again all messed up.

I did this on the job so I had to pull out my Nikon Z6 I also had with me to finish the job.

Now testing it today I can repeat this problem over and over.

I can be shooting maybe 10 to 15 shots all working perfect and then all of a sudden the camera locks up and the flash fires many seconds later and then the camera is back unlocked but it will may times do this over and over in a row 4 or 5 times doing this lock up and flash delay and then just go back to working right intermitting.

I am using a off camera Godox ad200 flash and shooting all in manual.

It works till the camera messes up and then it dont but then will g back to working till it messes up again.

Its like the camera is going into a self timer random mode at times so it is not taking the photo till it wants to at any given time and it is different each time ranging from 4 to 15 seconds.

Is there any setting I should be looking at to check before I have to send this back for a replacement and hope the replacement dose not have this same problem.

I do want a working replacement not to just send it back.

 

[little al]

Hi goactive,

Just to help as requested so you may not have to send the camera back: "Is there any setting I should be looking at to check before I have to send this back for a replacement and hope the replacement does not have this same problem."

Here is a dPreview thread from July 2017 about issues with the ad200: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4186316

Also, in August 2022, some firmware to address compatibility issues with Leica were issued by Godox:

https://godox.com/firmware-flash/

These links may or may not be related, but hopefully you will find a solution quickly.

Cheers

 

[DutchMM]

I have a couple of dumb questions for you.

1. Is there no possibility that the hang up is caused by the camera's need to clear its buffer? With a V60 card, I have shot bursts of 35 ARW, with the V90 over 42; these are longer bursts than you describe in your problem definition, but you also don't mention what grade of memory card you had in the body.
2. You don't say how you were triggering the AD200. In the case where the camera refused to fire, would the light fire in test mode (if you were using a Godox trigger)?
3. Again, there is no possibility that the thyristor was re-charging? I apologise to Godox - and to you! - if they have something whizzier than a thyristor in the light.
4. Can you rule out overheating? I note from the manual (a masterpiece of clarity compared with many earlier Godox manuals) that there is an overheat indicator on the light, and that the recommended cool-down period is about 10 minutes.

Sorry for all these questions. It would also help to get more details of the flash settings you were using. I have a couple of Godox Ving II lights and a Xt2 trigger, so I can see whether I am able to reproduce your problem. Not exactly the same kit,, but if I were able to reproduce the issue, then we could investigate whether the issue lies with the settings or something systematic about the body.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Dave981]

Is it shooting when you press the shutter and then waiting for the flash or does it wait to shoot with the flash? About the only thing I know of that delays the shot is focus priority in AF.

I just shot about 20 shots off-camera with the a6700/Godox X1T-S/TT350-S and never had a hangup, but I haven't had a chance to do much flash shooting yet.

 

[goactive]

I have a couple of dumb questions for you.

1. Is there no possibility that the hang up is caused by the camera's need to clear its buffer? With a V60 card, I have shot bursts of 35 ARW, with the V90 over 42; these are longer bursts than you describe in your problem definition, but you also don't mention what grade of memory card you had in the body.

No I am shooting one photo at a time not shooting fast at with flash as I need to flash to recycle as well. I am using a V60 card

1. You don't say how you were triggering the AD200. In the case where the camera refused to fire, would the light fire in test mode (if you were using a Godox trigger)?

I am using a godox trigger a non Sony version so it just triggers and I use manual this works on all my other cameras like this. And it dose work till it dose not

The trigger will trigger the flash when pressed on its own

1. Again, there is no possibility that the thyristor was re-charging? I apologise to Godox - and to you! - if they have something whizzier than a thyristor in the light.

Same flash I use on my Nikon Z6 for jobs that works 100% of the time and worked as it should as soon as I put it on my z6 to finish the job.

1. Can you rule out overheating? I note from the manual (a masterpiece of clarity compared with many earlier Godox manuals) that there is an overheat indicator on the light, and that the recommended cool-down period is about 10 minutes.

No over heating it will do this here at home right from the start after the camera has been off all night after a few shots.

Sorry for all these questions. It would also help to get more details of the flash settings you were using. I have a couple of Godox Ving II lights and a Xt2 trigger, so I can see whether I am able to reproduce your problem. Not exactly the same kit,, but if I were able to reproduce the issue, then we could investigate whether the issue lies with the settings or something systematic about the body.

I am using the Godox X pro trigger.

Camera in manual and shutter in mechanical.

Shutter speed below 160 or at any speed it flash syncs to. With the AD200 it will do a clean flash sync at 200.

I shoot portraits for a living and use this flash system 4 to 5 times a week for many years now I have two of them.

Doing more testing at home I see another problem - when the flash trigger is on the camera the camera at times at random will no longer focus and then all of a sudden go back to focusing right but at times it will not focus at all.

Take the flash trigger off and no focus problem.

I got this camera for shooting portraits as a main use and I need the flash to work with my ad200 I use all the time off camera.

The trigger is only using the center pin to just trigger the flash to work in manual no TTL I dont every use that.

I have a few flash triggers I will test them as well. This one is a Fuji trigger I use on MY Nikon as on the Nikon if i use a nikon trigger it shuts off the live view and i want that on. I have videos show this works kind of the same on sony you use a non Sony trigger to keep the live view on working as normal and just shoot in manual with the flash.

I shoot outdoors so want the live view working to set my background exposure and see it live to see the sunset.

Cheers

Mike

 

[goactive]

Is it shooting when you press the shutter and then waiting for the flash or does it wait to shoot with the flash? About the only thing I know of that delays the shot is focus priority in AF.

When it is having this problem it seems to work like you have the self timer on.

I did more testing counting and it seems to be waiting ten seconds and then taking the shot with the flash like it has just jumped to the self time mode so you can go jump in front of the camera. But it is doing This at random I am not using self timer its not on.

Testing more here I may take 5 shots and then it dose this or I may take 30 shots and then it dose this no set pattern.

I also see that the flash is not firing all the Time as well many times it will not trigger the flash to fire and miss one or two before gong back to working.

And now I see at times the camera will not focus at all when the flash trigger is on going in and out at random. Take it off and no problem.

I just shot about 20 shots off-camera with the a6700/Godox X1T-S/TT350-S and never had a hangup, but I haven't had a chance to do much flash shooting yet.

 

[Dave981]

If you're using a non-sony trigger, I'd at least try a sony-compatible trigger before returning the camera to make sure that the problem isn't some compatibility issue. Sony packs several functions into the current multi-interface shoe including flash triggering but also microphone input and probably other stuff.

Barring that, you might try a MIS adapter, or at least make sure your trigger doesn't have any metal parts at the front of the base that could short some of the pins on the Sony, or back it out just a bit away from those pins.

As for live view, you might play with the exposure effect setting in addition to live view on/off.

here's the forward edge of the foot of the sony version of the godox x1t:

 

[DutchMM]

I can't reproduce your problem. I am using an Xpro ii S trigger (I know I said X1t in my previous post; I had forgotten that I broke that one) with a V860 ii off camera on 2.4 Ghz channel 1. It took me some time to get it all to work - the last time I had it out I still had an a77ii - but once it was all connected up, the only hesitation was when the thyristor (or whatever) was recharging - about once every 15 - 20 shots.

FWIW, my on camera flash settings were:

• Flash mode: Fill-flash
• FEC: 0
• Exposure compensation setting: Ambient only
• Wireless flash off (silly idea: can you trigger the AD200 with the Sony wireless flash protocol as opposed to the radio transmitter in the X-Pro?)
• Reg Flash shooting set : 1/60 to 1/160

Sorry I can't shine any light on your problem.

Mike M

 

[goactive]

If you're using a non-sony trigger, I'd at least try a sony-compatible trigger before returning the camera to make sure that the problem isn't some compatibility issue. Sony packs several functions into the current multi-interface shoe including flash triggering but also microphone input and probably other stuff.

Barring that, you might try a MIS adapter, or at least make sure your trigger doesn't have any metal parts at the front of the base that could short some of the pins on the Sony, or back it out just a bit away from those pins.

As for live view, you might play with the exposure effect setting in addition to live view on/off.

here's the forward edge of the foot of the sony version of the godox x1t:

I am going to try some more things I have to go to a small wedding here in just a bit to shoot I have tomorrow off so will try some more things.

I do not have a Sony version as I only need the center pin to trigger the flash for manual shooting same with my Nikons.

But I do have another mount that is only center pin to center pin I will try so it has nothing extra to touch anything I need to find it. So the trigger on the center pin mount on the a6700 only one center pin to touch.

I used it on a Nikon flash trigger to stop it from turning off the live view.

It dose seem to be a flash trigger problem as I dont have any of the problems when it is not on.

My window for a return is dropping away as well soon.

But strange it works till it dont and then starts working back for more till it dont.

I think the Sony trigger will turn off the live view as well or put it into the strange flash preview that is never right view.

--
Started shooting digital back with the first 2MP cameras. Over 20 cameras later still going. I shoot for a living - family and people portraits, weddings, Sports and a little of everything.

 

[goactive]

I can't reproduce your problem. I am using an Xpro ii S trigger (I know I said X1t in my previous post; I had forgotten that I broke that one) with a V860 ii off camera on 2.4 Ghz channel 1. It took me some time to get it all to work - the last time I had it out I still had an a77ii - but once it was all connected up, the only hesitation was when the thyristor (or whatever) was recharging - about once every 15 - 20 shots.

FWIW, my on camera flash settings were:

• Flash mode: Fill-flash
• FEC: 0
• Exposure compensation setting: Ambient only
• Wireless flash off (silly idea: can you trigger the AD200 with the Sony wireless flash protocol as opposed to the radio transmitter in the X-Pro?)
• Reg Flash shooting set : 1/60 to 1/160

Sorry I can't shine any light on your problem.

Mike M

Did you try at 200 my ad200 will sync at 200 good for knocking the sun down more and at ISO 50 outdoors.

 

[flint-hill]

Dave981 probably has this one right.

But first, double check to make sure the A6700, the Godox trigger, and the AD200 are all on the same M/TTL setting.

A non-Sony-specific Godox trigger is not guaranteed to work with the A6700 even if it works with other Sony cameras.

There's no predicting what the failure mode will be in this situation. It may be exactly what you're seeing. That is, it may work for a while then fail.

The important issue is that you're using a trigger that shouldn't work on this camera, and you observe that it's not working. You should get that variable out of the system by using a Sony-specific Godox trigger to fire the AD200 before you return the A6700.

Or find another way of triggering the flash.

 

[DutchMM]

Haven't got the AD200, so couldn't try. Good luck with your further research and best wishes for a solution.

 

[goactive]

Dave981 probably has this one right.

But first, double check to make sure the A6700, the Godox trigger, and the AD200 are all on the same M/TTL setting.

Yes they are and I used it today at a wedding with my Z6 with no problems as I have all year. I used flash a lot today.

I ended up not using the a6700 today.

A non-Sony-specific Godox trigger is not guaranteed to work with the A6700 even if it works with other Sony cameras.

But the Sony version dose not keep the live view in the camera on right I can not use it like that.

There's no predicting what the failure mode will be in this situation. It may be exactly what you're seeing. That is, it may work for a while then fail.

I will test more

The important issue is that you're using a trigger that shouldn't work on this camera, and you observe that it's not working. You should get that variable out of the system by using a Sony-specific Godox trigger to fire the AD200 before you return the A6700.

Or find another way of triggering the flash.

Any trigger works for the most part when you shoot in manual as it only needs the center pin to trigger the flash nothing else. I have used at lest 40 different flash over the years they all work this way.

But maybe another pin is touching something that freaks it out at random. I will test that with a different only center pin mount.

If the Sony version Messes up the live view I can not use it. I need the full live view on when using the flash. All the videos I have watched on it now all show that is what happens with Sony. With Nikon when you use a flash trigger It turns off the live view thats why I use a non Nikon trigger for it so the live view stays on.

Here is an example from today a small beach wedding I just edited from my Z6. I am using the live view to see and set my background exposure super fast and then filling in with the flash. I am moving around and moving the flash around and changing the setting as I am shooting using the live view. At sunset the background changes every few min and new adjustments need to be made as it gets darker and darker out.

When we have a good sunset I can shoot into it and set the background exposure using the live view and change it as the sun is setting as I can see it changing in the live view to re-adjust every few shots..

I would like to use the a6700 to replace my Z6 for this but I need the live view on with flash.

I have neck and back problems from years of shooting with heavy cameras. The a6700 is much lighter to use. I shoot over 100 paid jobs a year.

I wish the a6700 had a much better view finder as its very poor VS the Z6 or the Z50. The color is not as good and it is not very sharp to see the image preview not even close.
I got in a Sony RX10 4 the other day and the view finder on it that is around A 6 year camera now is much better. Its huge and sharp and great color and its a one inch chip camera. I am wondering if I have something wrong with my view finder as well on the a6700 its that bad.









--
Started shooting digital back with the first 2MP cameras. Over 20 cameras later still going. I shoot for a living - family and people portraits, weddings, Sports and a little of everything.

 

[DutchMM]

And you have looked at Shooting -> Shooting Display -> Live View Display Set. -> Live View Display and Exposure Effect? (page 334 if you download the printable version)?

 

[flint-hill]

"But maybe another pin is touching something that freaks it out at random. I will test that with a different only center pin mount."

Yes, that could be what's going on.

For another data point, live view works on my A6700 with Godox X2TS Sony-specific trigger in manual or TTL modes when used to trigger a TT350S and dumb flashes with Godox receivers.

Setting M or TTL on the trigger forces the matching setting on the TT350S. It all works perfectly, including live view.

Not sure what's going on with the live view issue. It ought to be working with the Sony specific trigger.

 

[Dave981]

wrt live view and flashes: From https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2320/v1/en/contents/0414_live_view_disp_set.html, you want to have (1) Live View Display/Setting effect->On and (2) Exposure Effect->Exposure Setting Only.

The terminology is a bit screwball, but the first basically means you want the display to show what the image would look like taking into account the camera settings (i.e., the visual effect of the settings). Cases where you wouldn't want this is when taking, e.g., long exposure shots in the dark where either the display wouldn't be bright enough to see anything or it would be time-averaging and really laggy.

The second means do the first without guessing what the scene would look like if a flash fired. So under these conditions you should be able to expose for the background and then light up the subject with the flash. I don't know if you can use both manual and ttl or just manual mode.

As for the EVF, you can adjust its brightness and refresh rate, but it's still 0.39" vs. the 0.5" on bigger cameras. It's probably within spec, but pretty much everyone with a6x00/a7c's are more putting up with/getting used to the evf than thrilled about it. I started with an a6000 so I'm used to it.

 

[Windeguy]

Make sure the center trigger pin is making contact with the camera. You may find that moving it all the way forward or back slightly may have an effect on your problem.

 

[goactive]

I did more testing and I still have the problem. I was really thinking this would work to fix it.

First I used a center pin mount in between the trigger and the camera. its all plastic with nothing but a center pin so nothing touching other parts of the camera but the plastic.

That still gives me the same problem after so many shots it messes up.

Then I pulled out my Godox/Flashpoint manual flash I have - It only has a center pin being a manual flash.

Same problem after around 12 shots it failed and waited ten to 11 seconds to fire the flash and did then a few times in a row and then went back to work right for more shots and then messed up again.

So I can not use any flash even a manual flash that is not touching anything else on the camera.

I will make a video of it tomorrow. I have to send this back as this manual flash I also use at times on jobs when I dont need the more powerful AD200 flash or for a quick lighter setup.

I can only hope that my camera has a real problem and I can get a replacement that dose not have this problem as if it also dose then this is quit a mess for Sony and photographers that use different flash system and manual flashes.
I would think any flash trigger system maybe not Sony would have this problem if the Sony version dont have this problem.

Over the years I have used many different flash system and many triggers only have the center pin just to trigger, And I have use lots of manual flashes as well all one center pin.

Something is wrong here. I hope its just my camera as I picked up 4 lens I can not send back now, and extra batteries and a charger.

What's worse is the camera is now not in stock to even get a replacement.

 

[Dave981]

Sproradic problems are hard to solve - is it a number of shots or a time between/total shots, etc. There are reports of difficulty near the sync speed. Does the camera jam up with just the adapter in the hot shoe and not the trigger, etc.?

Good luck - it would be nice if you could test your camera with a sony-compatible flash or your flash with another a6700 (or a6x00 where x<7), but I understand return windows.

 

[Windeguy]

Have you contacted Sony support about this?