EX3 Zoom Sticking at Slow Speeds

[Don Greening]

A zoom speed of 1 is jerky on my EX3 but 2 or faster is smooth.

– Don

[Olof Ekbergh]

Sony replaced my lens when I had this problem under warranty, it should be smooth even on 1.

This is a fairly common problem, I have read about 4-5 others with the same problem.

Search posts and you will find threads about this problem.

My dealer lent me another lens when mine was at Sony NJ. It took about 2 weeks but Sony sent me a brand new lens. It has worked great for the past 6 months.

My original lens seemed a little jerky when I first got it, I thought it was me. Then it got much worse even 13 was jerky.

Olof Ekbergh

[Bob Gonsett]

Thanks Olof. That’s what I thought too. It does seem to be getting worse. Like you, I thought it was me at first.

Other professional lens offer a smooth creep in, ramping up in speed. This EX3 lens jerking is just not right.

I called Sony and they wanted the whole camera. I am inclined to just send the lens. You have good dealer to lend you a lens. I think another call to Sony is in order.

Thanks!

[Mike Jackson]

Just had my lens replaced on the EX3 and it is unusable.I will try to get another new one or at worst ask for my original lens back.It wasn’t great but it was a lot better than the new one supplied.We do a lot of interviews which always start at the wide end of the lens and then zoom to a single from a two shot.Forget it .It looks like some one has bumped you from behind when you try to ease the zoomrocker.Let me know if any one has success with the fix on this problem.
MJ

[Craig Seeman]

I had this issue with my EX1 in early 2008. Sony tried replacing the lens but told me that didn’t fix it so they replaced the entire camera.

I’m mentioning this because although the EX3 certainly has interchangeable lenses, the issue may not simply be fixed by replacing the lens. My guess is may well be a lens / camera communication issue.

[Mike Jackson]

You may be right Craig.This happened when they did the firmware upgrade and replaced the lens. It may be the upgrade as it also screwed up my 60fps. 50 fps is OK but 60 with any combo of shutter or no shutter results in horrible flicker and banding running through the frame. All fine before the firmware upgrade.Any way the EX3 is down for the count until sony can help me out.Maybe Fujinon could get involved and let us know that it is a Sony problem.
MJ

[Craig Seeman]

The firmware upgrade can DEFINITELY introduce problems. For me the odd problem was I could not playback files from card and have HD-SDI out at the same time. Almost not even a rational technical connection. I brought my camera back to Sony service center and they reinstalled the firmware and it fixed the problem.

Sony had no problem replacing the camera when I had the zoom issue. They tried replacing lens first and called and told me that didn’t work and got Sony approval to replace. It took 3 weeks.

Sony had no problem redoing firmware install a 2nd time. Fortunately for me I live only 20 minutes from their New Jersey center so I brought in the camera and the did it while I waited.

[Harry Newman]

Thanks guys.

I thought it was me. My 3 month old EX3 does the same thing. Now I know I’d better see what the dealer or Sony can do for me.

The camera is great, but the zoom rocker is unacceptable. None of my other cameras have every had a slow zoom problem.

Thanks for helping me discover that it’s the camera, and not me.

[Chris Clifton]

I also have this problem as well as back focus issues, which is the main problem. Unusable for 8 months going on 9 months and no help from Sony despite repeated efforts–shipped to California, returned unrepaired, and after a lot of whining I was told it would be replaced. Yet, I still have it, and am making payments month after month. I need to know if others have received same treatment. If you still have not been serviced, if repairs are not happening, if there IS NO REPAIR but we’re being told there is one pending, I need to know. Enough is enough.

[Mike Jackson]

It seems as though Sony have have just undone all the the great breakthrough work they have done with this this amazing EX-3 camera.Doesn’t matter how good this camera is ,if you cant do a simple zoom for a client then they say lets use something else.I was in that boat yesterday.Client loves the pictures but asked for the 709 because it will zoom from a 2shot to a single smoothly.Surely Sony will acknowledge this when they see all their hard work go down the drain over a simple lens fault. Long Live the EX-3 but please sort out this otherwise faultless lens.
MJ