I noticed on dpreview today some maybe good news. There is a new rumor about the rumor about the rumor about a new DSLT. The rumored name is A77. Anyway, the name, when it might be released, possible specs, etc. are, afaik, all rumors. Anyway, the latest rumor is that the previous rumor about a release date is wrong and now the rumor is that it has been delayed to a new release date. Now for what might be some good news. The rumored reason for the further delay is because Sony is working to fix some QC problems. I hope this is true because if it is then it might mean that Sony is attaching more importance to QC. I've got my fingers crossed.

A little bird told me the very same thing!

So far, I have had no problems with my a100 or a900, and I do a lot of shooting.

Doesn't matter Sony just repaird my 1 year out of warranty flash shoe for free.. and in less than 10 days to boot. all you have to do is ask and most of the time they try an accomodate you. not like some who break things then don't try and get it repaired.. and still complain. I had to pay for the shoe on my sigma flash although it was only 30 bucks and I swapped it myself. Sony doesn't have QC problems any worse than any other maker.

Glad you have had a good experience with Sony repair. Really glad. I might just take my wife out tonight to celebrate your good fortune. That is how happy I am for you.

Unfortunately you keep speaking out of ignorance of my situation and this is not the first time. Either you don't pay attention or you have an agenda since I have written about it so many times my fingers are tired of it. I went to a lot of trouble to get my A700 to Sony so they could fix it. "Fix" lasted a month or two. And this was not my first experience with Sony repair. KM had my 7D four times to fix and didn't so then I sent it twice to Sony after the takeover and they didn't do it either. Kudos to Sony though that the last time they refunded my 7D purchase price.



Sorry, but that is just your opinion. My opinion is the opposite -- at least with regards to past products. I can't say much about the most recent ones. If the most recent rumor about the rumor about the rumor about the rumor about the rumor -- I don't know how many levels of rumors we are at now -- is true Sony is taking QC more seriously. That is great news if the rumor is true. I get the distinct feeling this thread really, really annoys you.

Not really. this camera is gone. there aren't any compaints about ths issue anymore you reviving these threads every few weeks is serving no purpose other than for you to poke your finger in the eye of every poster that comes here.

To jump in here with some relevant info: My only Sony issue so far has been the stripped gear on the kit lens.

2 years ago, I gave visiting missionaries from the Philippines our P&S Canon. Don't recall the model, probably a 12 MP whatever was common at the time. They were back in church this weekend with this report:

They sent it in once for repair. Canon is the only camera company with a repair station in the Philippines, and for good reason: their P&S cameras don't hold up to the humid climate. Other makes supposedly do. They loved the quality of pics- their old one was a 3 MP something or other - but after the 2nd time with the problem they decided to abandon it. I forgot to ask what they're using now, but something else that will hold up to high humidity conditions is what's needed.

Dusty

Sony has a problem with the back and front dials on a700. And it's exactly in that very order - back first, front next.

The reason is quite straightforward - avid shimping. The back dial controls the magnification, the front one browses through the shots.

The cameras not using the dials for shimping functions do much better in dials longevity.

As simple as that

Quite a few recent Sony cameras have developed the infamous KM 7D/5D FFB (first frame black problem) and it seems Sony isn't doing much, if anything, about it. Reports of this with the A500, A550, A330, A350, A300, A450, etc. are showing up. Here are some recent threads:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1037&message=38793109

http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/a550-first-black-frame_topic74903_page1.html

http://www.mi-fo.de/forum/index.php?s=c75dd16f04d5f4702fb35b20e822d20a&showtopic=27066&st=0&p=263015&#entry263015

My KM 7D had the FFB problem at the end (along with the Day 1 problem that never got fixed).

This whole thread is about Sony quality control problems, but I can see why a few people keep getting confused and think it is just about the infamous A700 control wheel problem and specifically my A700 control wheel problem. I realize that it would have been completely clear if I had only had the foresight to name the thread Sony quality control problems. I am kicking myself for not doing that.

Oh...wait, I did name it Sony quality control problems. Hmm, nevermind.

Travels in southern Mexico (Yucatan and Chiapas), Guatemala, and Belize were good and I will be back in Hawaii next week. At the moment I am in Austin, Texas for a few days visiting with friends and family.

I brought my wife's A100 with me and discovered a new, major problem with it. This is the A100 I gave her in 2007 and it has had very light use. I wanted to go into the menu to change the date/time and also change from jpeg to raw mode. Since it is setup for her use and she never goes into the menu I don't know when the problem I discovered started, but now when I go into the menu and try to navigate the menu items using the multi-way controller on the back of the camera the menu exits immediately. If you use the front control wheel it will not, but then you can't get to the settings to change them. This happens most of the time, but occasionally the controller will work properly in the menu. Basically, making changes in the menu is almost impossible now.

Then I noticed that the image review button also has a problem. I took a photo and then pressed it to see the image. The image flashed on the LCD and then the normal display returned almost immediately. With repeated presses sometimes the image would stay up, but then if I pressed the button to zoom in the image would go away. Occasionally, that too would work okay though, but usually not.

I tried turning the camera off and on and occasionally both of these problems go away for a few minutes when I do that, but usually they do not.

Hi Henry - not very good at all - I can quite understand that the catalogue of problems has made you cautious of Sony cameras.

Glad to know you've had a good time on your travels though - looking forward to some pictures .

Yes. A few minutes after I posted I turned the A100 on and now when I press the menu button the menu briefly appears and then the LCD reverts to the normal display so the camera seems to now be a paperweight after just a few thousand photos.



I'll be back in Hawaii next week and then it will probably take a week or two to get photos ready and my website updated. I'll probably post after I have done that.