Dynax Digital Forums

I got my A700 back from repair on Monday. I was only able to go out for a short time yesterday and today and got what I think were really poor results. I set up a lens test using the 70-400G (@400mm) on both my A700 and my (wife's) brand new A230. Same camera settings where possible, tripod mounted, indoor lighting. EXIF for both images the same: f5.6, 1/40, iso 400. Camera shows Ver 4 software.
See the results below. Any ideas???  Images are 100% crops.

A700


A230


Next two were using the Sigma 105mm Macro

A700


A230


Thanks,
Peter

What was the initial problem you sent it in for? Mine's in for repair at the moment. Fingers crossed it comes back ok.

Be interested to hear what he expects of you. You can fine tune the focus using screws on the camera but I've never heard of Sony 'talking you through' the process.

Well, the tech called me and had me "re-set the defaults" in the camera.
This did not solve the problem so I have to send it back to them.
They said they would make it a priority. (I have heard that one before)
Needless to say; I am not a happy camper!

Before you send it back do a quick check on the front back focus.  For simplicity just put a ruler on an angle and focus the A700 half way along and see if there is a sharp point to the image away from centre.  And do the same when you get it back...john

Sorry to drag up this thread again but I seem to have the same problem with my A700 and again its a bad repair on Sony's behalf. My A700 has been sent back once before with focusing problems and it seems to have developed the same problem all over again. I shot a wedding over the weekend and pretty much all the photos have come up slightly out of focus. They're not so bad that they are unusable but they are certainly all 'soft'

I ran a test this evening and the auto focus does seem to be hugely erratic. Sometimes its fine but most of the time the focal point is quite soft, very similar to Peter's test pics with the ruler in the above post. I'm going to go into Jessops with it tomorrow and see what they say but it looks like yet again I'm going to have to send the camera back to Sony for re-calibration. It'll be annoying to be without my camera again for a few weeks.

If it did go back to Sony under warranty if they don't fix it properly this time and it happens again on the third repair you have good grounds for a replacement (I remember being told when mine went back twice for the same fault that if the failed a third time they might replace the camera)

The camera has always been sent via Jessops back to Sony. The guy in Jessops said that if it isn't fixed properly this time I've got good grounds for claiming a whole new camera body off Sony. The fault is definitely the A700 and not the lens. Tested it with multiple lenses.

Its annoying because one of the reasons I forked out for an A700 replacement over my old 7D was that the autofocus on the 7D was pretty dreadful, especially in low light conditions.