BRAND NEW A700 - ISSUES! EXAMPLES NOW UP!

[David Kilpatrick]

You can't tell unless you check every focus point using a flat target. You must move them all equally, as accurately as you possibly can. If you are in doubt, attach a ruler to the bent arm of your hex tool, or use the short arm to go into the camera and the long arm outside - that way it is easier to measure the rotation. Use a protractor or a caliper to limit the rotation, and only adjust in steps of 1/12th or 1/8th of a turn.

David

[Yagil Henkin]

Seems everything OK with the focus. Hurray!

[[email protected]]

Okay, I have just bought a new A700 - and having read these postings I am quite worried.

What does everyone suggest I do to test the focus of my model ?

Thanks

[Javelin]

sure. go outside and take some pictures. if theres a problem post samples here

[Dusty]

Peter, You can do a test like mastroalex did, where you have several flat objects in varying planes, and focus on one. Be sure to use a tripod, w/ SSS off, and be sure the camera's focus plane is parallel to your subject. Get good lighting, so you can shoot wide open, with a prime if you have one. Don't be afraid to use a higher ISO setting to make sure the exposure is at high speed. Also shoot a stop down from wide open, so that lens softness isn't confused with OOF.

Then test several other lenses, as well.

Hope this helps!

Dusty

[artington]

Just done a focus test on my new A700 and, to my dismay, not only is the focus out (only slightly but nevertheless enough) but also the sensor is misaligned. The image(s) looked slightly tilted on the viewing screen which I confirmed by checking with the grid on Photoshop. I used a Minolta 85/1.4 G and Minolta 135/2.8 for the test, both without filters on a tripod with cable release. I also did a comparison test with my Dynax 7D, which was perfectly aligned and crisply in focus.

Very unimpressive. Back it goes and hopefully will get a good one next - or should I just get it re-aligned?

Taken with 85/1.4 at F/2.0

[Javelin]

I'd swap it with another one insted of sending it off. maybe the store would even let you try it first. I see posts of sensor missalighnemtns but usually it's reported on dropped cameras

[David Kilpatrick]

Agreed - get a replacement body.

David

[artington]

Thanks for the responses. That was the conclusion I had come to and I am now waiting for a replacement to arrive - hopefully one that works properly. Interestingly, the faulty body had firmware 1 in it and appeared to have a properly working eye-start which suggests it came from one of the first batches before the nickel grip elements were removed.

After more than 30 years of using Minolta (and latterly KM) kit with no problems I find this evidence of poor quality control quite worrying, particularly as Sony has a quality image generally. Maybe the push to get margin improvement means the bean-counters are cutting back on QC. This sort of thing happened with American guitars between 1970 and 1990 for exactly those reasons and allowed Japanese manufacturers to make significant inroads into the market with their higher quality products. Interesting to see that Minolta AF lenses are much in demand and, if eBay pricing is any indication, are being pitched at prices higher than the new Sony equivalents at times.

Clearly, the convenience of digital is paramount for professionals but occurrences like this should remind us all of the virtues of film cameras, which do not appear to have such reliability issues. Just compare the Leica M8 compared with the earlier M series for an example from the epitome of quality camera construction.