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Zoom top handle bug?
When using the Zoom on the top handle, switch set to LOW, Speed in Menu set to 10 (or less), Z at 0 (zoomed out wide), when I zoom in it steps or pauses rather than zooms in smoothly.
Steps to reproduce:
Menu – Camera/Zoom Speed/Low – set to 10 (or even lower)
Set Top Handle Zoom Switch to LOW(L)
Use Control Grip Zoom rocker and zoom in Z0 as your starting postion
Press Top Handle Zoom to go tight (numbers should go from 0 to 99).Comments:
If I set Z to 99 and press top handle zoom to go wide (numbers decrease to 0) it smoothly zooms out.
If I set Menu – Camera/Zoom Speed/Low to 15 and follow the above steps Z goes from 0 to 99 smoothly.
If I set Menu – Camera/Zoom Speed/High to 10, set Top Handle Zoom Switch to HIGH(H), I get the same issue so it seems related to low speed setting as zooming from wide to tight regardless of whether such low speed (10) is assigned to High or Low.So it only happens at very very low speeds and only going from wide (0) to tight (99).
It seems to be an intermittent issue. It doesn’t happen all the time but it’s more frequent as the zoom speed is set further below 10.
There seems to be a delay/lag in top zoom handle button response at these low speeds when zooming in compared to zooming out.
I can’t imagine this is a hardware issue since top handle zoom and servo control work at higher speeds and the issue is only in one direction and at a very low speed setting (such as 10 or lower).
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11 Replies
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Craig,
I understand that you want your new camera to do everything perfectly, but you’ve got to understand that it’s a $7K prosumer unit!
The Digital Microforce and Heden Motor that I use on my Canon Cine Zooms costs almost two thirds as much as your camera ($2600 + 2100). They do however allow very smooth and slow zoom moves, just like you see on the Hollywood feature films you watch in the theater forty feet tall, and that’s because they’re using the same thing, not a $7K video camera.
I might sound snobby, but when Sony builds these cameras, the main design criteria is the selling price. In the case of your complaint, the problem is with the quality of the zoom motor. They bought a unit at a price point that fit. I don’t think your problem could be called a bug. That’s not to say that your motor or the drive device it uses isn’t faulty, check other samples of the camera and see if they’re similar. If they are you’re SOOL. Sorry.
JS
JS
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It’ll be interesting to see how something like the new Zoe lens controller handles supper slow zoom, which is certainly within the controller’s capability. Then we’ll see if it’s a motor thing or not. As soon as I see what VariZoom has to offer I’ll make a decision on which controller to buy.
– Don
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[john sharaf] “That’s not to say that your motor or the drive device it uses isn’t faulty, check other samples of the camera and see if they’re similar.”
That’s why I’m posting here.If it is a a general characteristic of the motor than maybe they could have limited the lower zoom speed . . . unless there was a reason they couldn’t.
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Craig,
[Craig Seeman] “If it is a a general characteristic of the motor than maybe they could have limited the lower zoom speed . . . unless there was a reason they couldn’t.”
I’m not entirely following this. How is this characteristic different from the zoom rocker on the grip? Or is it just that the zoom rocker is just that, a rocker and not buttons? Can you or not duplicate the problem with the rocker?
Ron Shook
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
CreativeCOW Forum Host for Discreet edit* -
Zoom Rocker on the grip is touch sensitive.
The Zoom on the top handle is a speed programable switch that is NOT touch sensitive. It’s basically an on/off switch in the shape of a rocker. Program the speed to 10 or lower and you may find problems in zoom in/our.At very slow speeds (10 or lower) I find the Zoom In delays a significant amount of time when pushing in the Zoom In direction.
I find that at times, the zoom steps rather than executes a smooth zoom in.
I find the above intermittent (sometimes doesn’t exhibit the issue).
I gave detailed steps to reproduce so it’s very clear what I’m describing and how you can test for it.
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Craig,
Pardon me!
Ron Shook
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
CreativeCOW Forum Host for Discreet edit* -
But can we pardon Sony?
[Ron Shook] “Craig,
Pardon me!
Ron Shook “
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I just tried this a couple dozen times and didn’t have any issues.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
Sony EX-1 has arrived and it’s fascinating. -
How low did you bring down the speed?
It’s so gosh darn intermittent and now I find it’s sometimes the zoom out, not the zoom in.
I’m finding a speed of 10 working now (sheesh!).Someone else on another forum tried between 1 and 3 to do a slow creep and spotted the same problem.
Try a speed of 5 or maybe even 1 to 3 range as someone else saw it.
What I find is if I start at 0 or 99 depending on which way you go, it will occasionally pause or begin to step from number to number. I had to go through the entire range to see it happening (0 to 99 or 99 to 0).It’s really hard to discern issues when you don’t have a 2nd camera to compare it to.
Thanks for checking.
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I’ll give it a shot on our shoot tomorrow.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
Sony EX-1 has arrived and it’s fascinating.
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