Sony Alpha 100 - Control Dial

[cenwyn]

Does anyone else have the following issue?

When I'm using the control dial in Manual, Aperture or Shutter Speed mode, more times than not when moving the control dial to the right (clockwise) the settings jump back!

e.g. if in Aperture mode, moving the dial to the right should allow me to move up smoothly through the aperture range, however it will jump back to a previous aperture setting making it very difficult to get to the smallest aperture settings.

Is this a general fault with this model, or am I the only one? Does anyone know what I can do to resolve this issue?

Many thanks.

[David Kilpatrick]

The Alpha 100 control wheel can become erratic. It's probably something worth getting repaired. One of our two Alpha 100s has a wheel which sometimes does not operate properly, or only works in one direction. It's a weakness of the electronic build that this happens.

David

[cenwyn]

Thank you David for your reply.

I have just spoken to the Sony support team and this seems to the first case they have come across where the control dial is an issue. I'm very disappointed to find out that I would need to send the camera away to their central repair service to get it fixed for a charge of £114.56. A little excessive for a camera that is only 16 months old.

I'm wondering whether a better option would be to exchange the 100 for the 700 once the 700 comes down in price. Then again, I'm assuming they use the same control dial hardware and software, therefore this probably wouldn't be a wise move.

Looks like I will have to live with this fault for a few years and then opt for a Nikon or a Canon. Choosing this option means I will have to continue to use the kit lenses that I bouight with the camera rather than innvesting in new lenses.

Very disappointed.

Definitely not impressed with Sony at this moment in time.

Regards.

[David Kilpatrick]

Before you do anything, blast some cleaner air down the side of the control wheel (you keep saying 'dial', but the 'dial' is the thing on the top marked PASM etc - the thing you turn at the front with your shutter finger is normally called the command or control wheel - maybe Sony service misunderstood you if you said control dial to them?). Clean the lens contacts/mount contacts with a dry lint free cloth (microfibre does fine). Do a reset of the camera. These are all basic procedures just to ensure there is no foreign matter down the control wheel slot which is interfering (try to blow anything out which may be there), no communication problem with the lens (aperture settings) and no temporary firmware corruption in the camera CPU.

David

[rogprov]

...
Looks like I will have to live with this fault for a few years and then opt for a N*k*n or a C*n*n. Choosing this option means I will have to continue to use the kit lenses that I bouight with the camera rather than innvesting in new lenses.

I'm very understanding of your frustration and disappointment but all models of all makes of camera can go wrong. After the guarantee period has expired you'd get a similar response from any manufacturer. Moving to a different make will not insure against a failure.

Try David's suggestions and, if those don't help, find a local camera repairer and get a quote - you may be pleasantly surprised Here's one I can thoroughly recommend http://www.camerarepairworkshop.co.uk/ but, not knowing your whereabouts, they may not of course be convenient for you.