My camera trouble

[Ralph]

I don't know if it is over or not. I have done what everyone has said to my best abilities and each time I done test.
Each test seemed to work for a certain time then would revert back to the same thing of losing the focus and touching the lens some part of the menu would come up.
But it was the focus and each time I either has to turn it off or rotate the mode dial all the way around and back to manual.
I was sitting there and thought about the battery pack and wondered if it was this as it is a generic brand.
I took it off and wondered what I done with the battery door. Remembering that that made it so the door sit in there safe and out of the way.

Test time again and only once did the menu pop up and that was it but it kept focus. I even made sure I took time between shots to see if this would
like last time play trick but once pointed it locked on the subject. I stayed out until there was 2 bars left on this battery and I had only one tricky situation
Where it took a little longer to find focus.

So I need too do a good outing but it is wet here and bush tracks are hard to get along them. But it is the only way that I can do a full test.
I am sure I will work out a place and be able to do my test. And yes if this works it will mean more changing of the batteries.
Then maybe down the track look at a genuine Sony Battery pack for it.

 

[iain clyne]

I have had trouble with a third party battery grip on a Nikon causing the camera to throw a fit, took the grip off and the camera was fine.

 

[spudhead]

So like Iain is implying and you are not saying clearly, you are using a battery grip? is that correct Ralph? because if it is it is easy to have issues with these ie catching the wrong button or similar

 

[Ralph]

Ralph, it could be anything, but I use more off-brand batteries than I do Sony and have no problems.

These things need to be thought-through logically: If the battery packs worked properly all this time, then that is not the problem. I could see one pack going bad and causing issues, but all off-brand going bad at the same time doesn't make any sense.

There is something going on with the camera. It sounds like contacts or maybe dust got into the dial and it clears enough to work for a bit when you rotate it.

The process of elimination is the best way to try and narrow it down, although with electronics you may never be able to, but maybe try these. Remember, only try any change one at a time. If you do several things and it fixes it, you won't know which one it was.

Have you tried this with all of your lenses? Give each lens a good try. Do they all do it? If it's limited to one lens, there's the problem.

What happens when you try to wiggle the lenses? Do they remain firm or wiggle? Do they maintain contact?

If it does do it with all lenses, then you know its camera related. Next, try cleaning the contacts on all your lenses and on the camera itself. Use isopropyl alcohol and scrub them good. Try to note if any of the contacts look different from the others. Do all of them stick up the same amount? Does one look dirtier (or more worn and shinier, or more scratched) than the others?

How does the mount look? Are there rub marks on it? Do the lenses have the same marks? Do they look worn?

You can also try cleaning all of the battery contacts on the batteries and in the body.

It sounds to me like the camera and lens are losing communication. Without looking at it, it's most likely in the mount and/or contacts. Next would be dust or dirt in a dial losing contact, and if not those, then I'd say it's in the electronics.

Good luck with it, I hope you can sort it without having to send it off for repairs.

What you have said I done a while back as Clint mentioned this to me to try and it made things clean but the problem. stayed.
I did put on my one and only other lens I have being the 400mm and the same thing happen and if anything it actually looked slightly worse if there is such a thing.
I took the Battery Pack or as some call it the Grip Pack I think and the only thing that has shown up is that the menu will pop up on the screen while I am supporting the lens. But this is far less that it was before.
I am going to that mate of mine as he has got birds about in numbers and it has been very wet so this is a safer option for me to go to and test it fully with the one battery and with luck use that battery and then move on to the next one..
I really thank you for the time you have put in here and I know it has taken a while to do and I really appreciate it completely.
I rang a company in the closest city to home being Adelaide in South Australia. They sent me paper work to put on my camera if all fails and it is free postage to them and $84 for them just to take it then there will be the cost to fix it and I am willing to go this way as I really deep down think that I am going to need the camera to be looked at by those in the know as I have done all that has been said. With this afternoon although cloudy should give me the full story. I will let you know if it does go to the camera doctor or I put up with it how it is.
Thanks so much Tim

 

[Ralph]

I have had trouble with a third party battery grip on a Nikon causing the camera to throw a fit, took the grip off and the camera was fine.

So far without the Battery Grip it has been doing a lot better but today is my test day. And if this proves to work then I may look at a real Sony Battery pack.
Thank you Iain

 

[Ralph]

So like Iain is implying and you are not saying clearly, you are using a battery grip? is that correct Ralph? because if it is it is easy to have issues with these ie catching the wrong button or similar

I have been using a generic Battery grip on my camera for a long time then things began to play up.
After doing what has been mentioned I took the Grip off and put on the door to where the single battery goes and it has been okay.
Like I said I have had the menu show up in the screen or live view and then it comes good and nothing after that.
I am feeling it will need the doctors but after the test today I will know the full story.

 

[Ralph]

I think this is quite good as these were a good distance off and I think the shot is clear enough to be a pass.
The menus showed up once but that was it. So I think I might just settle with this.

• ILCE-7M3
• 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports 021
• 366.2 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/2500 sec
• ISO 640