My Sony Alpha A700 Took a DUMP Already!!

[Cogito]

Commiserations! But at least your 5D isn't suffering from FFB - or do you have that pleasure to come. It is a shame that producing a camera nowadays seems fraught with problems which may be unique to your actual camera, but which ought to have been 'sorted' before quite a lot have been sold.
Hope you get it fixed.

[Javelin]

wow. I've never even seen anyone hint at an AF failure like that. think it's a flakey switch or something ?

[Javelin]

Can you check and see if the driver pin on the camrea side of the mount still spring loads into the camera ? It should be sticking out without the lens on and when you push it in it should go freely and pop back out if released

[Javelin]

if you didn;t hear anything when it stopped working then thats a bad sign. if after you leave it for a while it still doesn;t work try fitting a lens to it while the camera is turned on. the no lens error should pop up then when you fit the lens back on it should shut the error of. My thoughts are that it might have to re-initialise something after it pops that error and might be enough to jolt the circut back to life it it's just a static lock or something

[Dr. Harout]

Sad to hear this Don. Really I am. Not that I have an A700 too, but it's frustrating if such happens.
Now, few questions if you don't mind:
1- How much is the counter on your A700?
2- Does that Tokina work fine on your KM5D?
3- Did you try with AF Drive Speed (from the menu) set to 'Slow'?
4- Did you try with DMF on?

Though I think I might guess the answers, but anyway the problem lies probably within the lever on the right side of the lens (broken contact?).
I do hope they fix the problem in no time. We here are with you.

[David Kilpatrick]

Check you didn't nudge the AF/MF switch. Sounds too basic to be true, but I fixed up a professional with an A350 for underwater work using the LV screen, and he was about to return it very angry to the dealer after losing a whole set of shots due to focus failure - he had knocked the S/A/C/M switch round to manual and never noticed.

You could also try reloading the v4 firmware, don't know if the camera would accept that as an option or just say the firmware was already up to date.

David

[KevinBarrett]

Good thing I still have a sense of humor on this...As many of you know I have been saying the Siggy 70-300 APO DG Macro was tough enough for the a700! Anyway, now everyone knows my Sony A700 focus system failed before my three year old 70-300 did! I guess my a700 just ain't as tough as that darned Siggy lens.

-Sonolta

Maybe you would rather have had the Siggy fail instead! This causes me to wonder whether there was some sort of ever-present resistance in the AF drive with the Siggy, so that if the lens's gear didn't give out, the camera's would instead?

[David Kilpatrick]

Final thing to check Don - the menu item 'AF w/shutter' - when set to OFF the shutter button no longer activates AF. Is there any way you could have set this to OFF? Just check it before sending for repair.

David

[Dr. Harout]

Just would you please tell us how much you shot with the camera, I mean how much is your counter?

[Dr. Harout]

Then I will ask you one more thing Don.
After your camera gets fixed, do investigate about the problem which we should state here and on other forums too, loudly and clearly. We have to sound the alarm.
But first things first, we are all eyes and ears to get news from your A700.
Wishing you all the luck buddy.

[KevinBarrett]

Kevin, give it up for awhile on the Sigma bashing!

When did I ever bash your Sigma before? As I recall, the only other time I entered a discussion about the Sigma APO was to tell you how I'd recommended it to a friend. It's actually the last lens my father bought for his Nikon before he passed away. It was fun to use and I've always been impressed with its IQ.

[stevecim]

Hi Sonolta

Might be a good time to extend the warranty , before you send it in

If you need someone to come over and take shots of the cheerleaders let me know


Stephen

[[SiC]]

Sad to hear Don
Hope it works out smoothly.

[Dr. Harout]

I shipped my camera out to Precision Camera using the Sony provided prepaid label on the evening of 10-3-2008. Precision has just signed saying they received the camera today (10-8). Anyone care to make a guess as to when I will have the camera back in my hands? Fall colors are just around the corner, and I am hoping to get my camera back sometime next week to make a few spectacular fall captures!

-Sonolta

I keep my fingers crossed, Don.
Really hope everything will turn out fine.
I think you still have the KM5D, don't you?

[gpr2020]

Sorry to hear that, I have 2 a700 intensively working and no such problems. And a couple of friends also have some and no issues. All electronic/mechanical things will and can brake one day. It has nothing to do with Sony or whatever the brand is.
So you should just calm down and wait to get your gear repaired instead of saying your other stuff did not brake but Sony's did.
Should look at the problem in a more mature way.