P100 video mode problem - help please!

[-Beppe-]

Having so far avoided the usual problems associated with the P100, I have eventually come across a problem... I think. Can someone please confirm if this is normal behaviour or not.

When I switch to Video mode, the camera makes a kind of mechanical noise. It sounds a little like a tape being wound, or maybe some kind of electrical short. I haven't really used video mode before, so maybe this is normal. I have serious doubts though. The noise is not present in any other mode. I hadn't noticed it until this morning when I took the camera off charge and swapped the battery for another fully charged one (I alternate the two). I don't think it is the lense mechanism making the noise. Maybe it was rewinding the memory stick? (JK)

Can anyone advise me what to do with this please? I guess the answer is obvious - send it to Sony - but I am about to move between Sony guarantee zones. Can anyone tell me how long Sony take to repair and return items?

 

[Mike Fitzgerald]

I note your thoughts about the lens mechanism, but my guess is that that is what it's most likely to be, i.e. full time auto focus kicking in. If the camera offers this as an option in still picture mode (some models do) then you might be able to prove it one way or the other by enabling it and observing. Just my $0.02.

Mike

Having so far avoided the usual problems associated with the P100,
I have eventually come across a problem... I think. Can someone
please confirm if this is normal behaviour or not.

When I switch to Video mode, the camera makes a kind of mechanical
noise. It sounds a little like a tape being wound, or maybe some
kind of electrical short. I haven't really used video mode before,
so maybe this is normal. I have serious doubts though. The noise is
not present in any other mode. I hadn't noticed it until this
morning when I took the camera off charge and swapped the battery
for another fully charged one (I alternate the two). I don't think
it is the lense mechanism making the noise. Maybe it was rewinding
the memory stick? (JK)

Can anyone advise me what to do with this please? I guess the
answer is obvious - send it to Sony - but I am about to move
between Sony guarantee zones. Can anyone tell me how long Sony take
to repair and return items?

 

[-Beppe-]

...your 2 cents have been noted because they make sense. I will certainly try switching off the AF when I get home. However the noise was loud enough for the microphone to pick up, and I don't recall it doing that when I was experimenting with the video mode (back when this was a new toy).

Mike

Having so far avoided the usual problems associated with the P100,
I have eventually come across a problem... I think. Can someone
please confirm if this is normal behaviour or not.

When I switch to Video mode, the camera makes a kind of mechanical
noise. It sounds a little like a tape being wound, or maybe some
kind of electrical short. I haven't really used video mode before,
so maybe this is normal. I have serious doubts though. The noise is
not present in any other mode. I hadn't noticed it until this
morning when I took the camera off charge and swapped the battery
for another fully charged one (I alternate the two). I don't think
it is the lense mechanism making the noise. Maybe it was rewinding
the memory stick? (JK)

Can anyone advise me what to do with this please? I guess the
answer is obvious - send it to Sony - but I am about to move
between Sony guarantee zones. Can anyone tell me how long Sony take
to repair and return items?

 

[-Beppe-]

(trigger happy today)

I meant to add "Thanks Mike", because I'd never have thought of that.

Mike

Having so far avoided the usual problems associated with the P100,
I have eventually come across a problem... I think. Can someone
please confirm if this is normal behaviour or not.

When I switch to Video mode, the camera makes a kind of mechanical
noise. It sounds a little like a tape being wound, or maybe some
kind of electrical short. I haven't really used video mode before,
so maybe this is normal. I have serious doubts though. The noise is
not present in any other mode. I hadn't noticed it until this
morning when I took the camera off charge and swapped the battery
for another fully charged one (I alternate the two). I don't think
it is the lense mechanism making the noise. Maybe it was rewinding
the memory stick? (JK)

Can anyone advise me what to do with this please? I guess the
answer is obvious - send it to Sony - but I am about to move
between Sony guarantee zones. Can anyone tell me how long Sony take
to repair and return items?

 

[RobT]

I have a P100 since the week it came out and have taken a fair amount of video (about 45 minutes worth) and have never heard a noise. True, most of the time it was in load areas, but there were some quiet shots that I took and I don't recall any noise. Certainly not enough to be picked up by the microphone.

 

[jsonic]

Hi Beppe,

It should not make a noise, have a p100 for three months now and neber heard a noise when filming.

By the way MS is eletronics so it does no things like rewinding. It should work completly noiseless.

Just tried it, if beep is on it will beep when stating filming and a noise when you stop, nothing in between. With sound set to shutter there is no noise.

The battery you use are they original Sony or aftermarket?

I could be the battery that is making a noise, this is quite common with loadable batteries.

Jeroen

 

[-Beppe-]

Hey Jeroen

Thanks for replying. The two batteries I have came with the camera (P120) and are therefore Sony originals. I never realised that it could be the batteries making noise, as I had never heard of that before! I will be certain to swap the batteries when I get back from work to see if my camera is okay! If it is the battery, is it a healthy noise to hear?

I didn't think that other cameras will make the noise, so even if it is the AF then there must surely be something wrong. I'll wait until I have had a chance to try the suggestions given to me today. I was joking about the MS btw

Cheers

Beppe

Hi Beppe,

It should not make a noise, have a p100 for three months now and
neber heard a noise when filming.

By the way MS is eletronics so it does no things like rewinding. It
should work completly noiseless.

Just tried it, if beep is on it will beep when stating filming and
a noise when you stop, nothing in between. With sound set to
shutter there is no noise.

The battery you use are they original Sony or aftermarket?

I could be the battery that is making a noise, this is quite common
with loadable batteries.

Jeroen

 

[-Beppe-]

Thanks for replying, I will keep that in mind when deciding whether to send it back to Sony or not.

I have a P100 since the week it came out and have taken a fair
amount of video (about 45 minutes worth) and have never heard a
noise. True, most of the time it was in load areas, but there were
some quiet shots that I took and I don't recall any noise.
Certainly not enough to be picked up by the microphone.

 

[jsonic]

Yes batteries can make a kind of humming noise (like electricity wiring during winter).

I guess that you have a camera problem, it should be noiseless.

I already thougt you where joking ;-)

JS

 

[-Beppe-]

Thanks Mike, you were 100% correct in your prediction about the autofocus causing the noise.

Can another P100 user please tell me if you can hear ANY noise when the autofocus is running in video mode. If I know that this noise is not normal, then I will send the camera back. It is entirely possible that it is present in all models, so I'll not jump to conclusions just yet

Thanks for all your help, it is very much appreciated.

 

[Mike Fitzgerald]

You're welcome

It popped into my mind mainly because I've seen so many posts asking about what turned out to be continuous AF noises in still image mode. I'm surprised at how often this seems to be enabled as a default, and I can only guess that manufacturers have tended to do it as a hedge against slow AF. If the camera has a running start (literally) with focus in the early stages of framing then they'll get fewer complaints about lag. How this gets balanced against the complaints about poor battery life is their problem ;-)

FWIW my previous Coolpix 5700 -- another one with continuous AF as a factory default -- made more of a racket than I liked in this regard, and I seem to recall that, yes, in a quiet enough setting with the auto mic gain trying its darnedest to catch faint sounds, the AF mechanical noise was enough for it to pick up when shooting video. Fortunately my interest in movies has always been close to zero, though I can see it as starting to be more useful now that 30 fps (25 in my neck of the woods) is becoming commonplace.

Mike

(trigger happy today)

I meant to add "Thanks Mike", because I'd never have thought of that.

 

[Mike Fitzgerald]

Beppe, I tend to be cynical about falling quality that we're seeing as a mark of "progress" so often in previously respected products, so I don't really know what to expect these days from Sony in this regard.

However, something I've noticed from sundry posts in this forum is that Sony AF -- certainly in the F series, at least -- has generally been regarded as commendably quiet. You'll need to compare it with other specimens in stores to get useful evidence, but this suggests that you could have a rough one and may well have a case for a fix or replacement.

Mike

Thanks Mike, you were 100% correct in your prediction about the
autofocus causing the noise.

Can another P100 user please tell me if you can hear ANY noise when
the autofocus is running in video mode. If I know that this noise
is not normal, then I will send the camera back. It is entirely
possible that it is present in all models, so I'll not jump to
conclusions just yet

Thanks for all your help, it is very much appreciated.

 

[jsonic]

I can't hear it, least I can hear is the aperture chaging between the two openings.

JS

 

[jsonic]

Jusr tried it again at night in a very quiet livingroom : no noise at all.

Would go back to the store with it!

JS

About quality control :

Bought a Canon, first camer went dead after 15 minutes, second unit worked but oors did not close weel, dust in the lens etc.

MY expensive photopprinters head went dead after just three months

M Sandisk MSpro stick (the firstone) did not wotk properly

MSI K& top of the range motherboard was brooken straight from the box.

Just a few wxamples of the last few months, I thinks competition is good but if this is the results I rather oay a litlle more...

Jeroen

 

[kenrippy]

yes, mine makes a slight and I mean very faint buzz noise while in AF mode on video. I have to put my ear right up next to it. my dad who's in his 70's wouldn't be able to hear it. but I hear it, ever so faintly. setting it to a fixed focus stops it.

Thanks Mike, you were 100% correct in your prediction about the
autofocus causing the noise.

Can another P100 user please tell me if you can hear ANY noise when
the autofocus is running in video mode. If I know that this noise
is not normal, then I will send the camera back. It is entirely
possible that it is present in all models, so I'll not jump to
conclusions just yet

Thanks for all your help, it is very much appreciated.

 

[kenrippy]

in picture mode too, when monitor AF is selected. I'm sure it's normal.

Thanks Mike, you were 100% correct in your prediction about the
autofocus causing the noise.

Can another P100 user please tell me if you can hear ANY noise when
the autofocus is running in video mode. If I know that this noise
is not normal, then I will send the camera back. It is entirely
possible that it is present in all models, so I'll not jump to
conclusions just yet

Thanks for all your help, it is very much appreciated.

 

[-Beppe-]

I will take this to be normal, but maybe a little louder than usual. Maybe there is some dust in the mechanism or something has become lose. If it worsens then I will send it back.

Thanks for all your replies, I found them very useful.

 

[jsonic]

youre welcome!

that's what these forums fore!