A350 finder out of alignment

[spacecadet]

Well I did drop it, not far but far enough, and now I get 20% extra at the top and correspondingly less at the bottom of frame. What's recorded is similarly displaced up. from the live view image. I'm inside but there doesn't seem to be an adjustment, or anything damaged.

Additionally, the sensor shakedown now happens at switch on, not off.

Any clues?
BTW if anyone want to know what the inside of a DSLR looks like I'll post some images (not taken with the DLSR, of course, so wouldn't pass QC).

[John Mitchell]

No clues. Sounds like a job for the Sony repair person. May not be worth it, though, given the age of the camera. You can probably find a used a350 for less than Sony will charge to fix the problem. Good luck.

 

P.S. The a58 has been selling for under $500 in Vancouver. It looks like a nice camera except for the silly plastic lens mount.

[spacecadet]

Thanks for the tip but CDN (even)! $500 is hard to come by and four years is way too short a service life in my book.I

I wonder if DK is home.

[John Mitchell]

Thanks for the tip but CDN (even)! $500 is hard to come by and four years is way too short a service life in my book.I

I wonder if DK is home.

I hear you, believe me. Paying for new equipment isn't easy these days. However, the good news is that you can now buy a good camera for a lot less than you used to. With today's much improved sensors, even the "entry level" models produce excellent images. There's no need to mortgage the farm. DK is definitely the man you need to talk to.

[spacecadet]

Update: repairer is saying faulty gyro assembly. Never heard of one, anybody else?

[David Kilpatrick]

The gyro assembly is your stabilisation controller. Actually I doubt it's that, more likely the entire thing, but the gyro and the carriage holding the sensor need replacing. The misplaced live view is caused by a small video camera in the top which aims at the focusing screen to provide this. Both faults indicate that an area in the camera just behind or around your sensor received a massive shock displacing components vertically. I doubt the camera will EVER be back to full calibration, and focus may well be out after it's repaired.

 

The best replacement for the A350 is the A580. I got one for an effective GB £300 s/h. A350s normally go for £250 here and for the extra, the A580 may never quite give you the lovely colours the A350 has (I don't know any camera from any maker which can match the A350 for colour - but no-one uses CCDs any more, it was the very last generation of CCD). However, it will give effortless ISO 1600 without noise being visible at all, ideal for Canadian winters.

 

Surprisingly enough I would also recommend the A55 if you can find a cheap example used. I have kept mine. Too good to let go.

[spacecadet]

Thanks for being at home, or at least at computer, David.

It did work perfectly after the drop, I only noticed when I took the pix off this morning. It only fell a foot onto carpet, ah well.

Although it is now moot as I have torn a ribbon cable so that is probably that. I shall miss the colour, always as jpegs as well.

Any mileage in giving the sensor a vertical shove in cleaning mode, if I can bodge the ribbon cable?

I'm grateful as always. m

[spacecadet]

Well in case anyone is curious I went with the A55 as I got a very good s/h price, £230 and I can sell the kit lens on and the A350 for scrap. The A580s go for a fair bit more. Looks decent but I wouldn't have looked twice at a pellicle camera (showing my age now) without a DK tip. Thanks again

[John Mitchell]

I've never owned the a55, but it looks like a great little camera. It even has built-in GPS, I believe. Also, the a55 is so light that if dropped, it will probably bounce.

 

What the heck is a "pellicle camera with a DK tip"?

[spacecadet]

The last time anyone had a go at a fixed mirror.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_Pellix

DK is David K. Tip: recommendation, see above.

Speaking of bouncing the corner I dropped the A350 on is covered with rubber.

Not bad so far but I haven't yet used it in daylight. Going back to a monitor finder is odd.

But DK said it's OK and that's good enough for me. Again.

[John Mitchell]

The last time anyone had a go at a fixed mirror.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_Pellix

DK is David K. Tip: recommendation, see above.

Speaking of bouncing the corner I dropped the A350 on is covered with rubber.

Not bad so far but I haven't yet used it in daylight. Going back to a monitor finder is odd.

But DK said it's OK and that's good enough for me. Again.

Thanks, I actually figured out after I made my last post. Hope you enjoy the new camera. Not many cameras can survive a drop, unfortunately, not even sturdy DSLRs.

[David Kilpatrick]

A55 is a great little camera for its current s/h value. They have not made its equivalent since (want GPS, forced to have noisy 24 megapixel sensor; want 16 megapixel sensor, no GPS - unless you get the A55). That's why I have kept mine. Same batteries as NEX, so makes a great companion for NEX, long and macro lenses on the A55 (in-body stabilisation), wide lenses on NEX (stabilisation not so much needed).

[John Mitchell]

A55 is a great little camera for its current s/h value. They have not made its equivalent since (want GPS, forced to have noisy 24 megapixel sensor; want 16 megapixel sensor, no GPS - unless you get the A55). That's why I have kept mine. Same batteries as NEX, so makes a great companion for NEX, long and macro lenses on the A55 (in-body stabilisation), wide lenses on NEX (stabilisation not so much needed).

I've thought of looking around for a used a55 to complement my NEX. However, since I've more or less switched to e-mount lenses, I'm probably going to pick up the inexpensive a3000 to use with the 55-210 e-mount lens that I have. I don't really need anything longer than that. Having to carry around two types of lenses (a-mount and e-mount) seems a bit much. Also, I have a feeling that Sony is going to put more into developing the e-mount system in the future. But you just never know what the masters of marketing at Sony are going to do next..

 

BTW, does the a55 have in-camera lens distortion and CA correction options?

[David Kilpatrick]

A55 has no AF calibration, lens correction etc features - just plain old raw and JPEG. I've just ordered two rather expensive Sony cameras and could be selling my A99, A77 - but almost certainly keeping the A55 still!

[spacecadet]

I didn't buy it for the HD video but it is quite fun, even though my computer struggles to cope with it, and my 2009 reader can't cope with SDHC cards. Even had to install XP SP3, finally.

The noise-free 1600ISO is much more useful and I'm assuming it's usable up to 6400 with some NR. That will get me a few more on Alamy.

A350 going on ebay for scrap soon, so if anyone needs a spare sensor....

David did mention the rather nasty EVF on the 3000-

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/2013/10/09/sony-alpha-3000-review-by-david-kilpatrick/

I'm finding the A55's quite useable so far

[John Mitchell]

I didn't buy it for the HD video but it is quite fun, even though my computer struggles to cope with it, and my 2009 reader can't cope with SDHC cards. Even had to install XP SP3, finally.

The noise-free 1600ISO is much more useful and I'm assuming it's usable up to 6400 with some NR. That will get me a few more on Alamy.

A350 going on ebay for scrap soon, so if anyone needs a spare sensor....

David did mention the rather nasty EVF on the 3000-

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/2013/10/09/sony-alpha-3000-review-by-david-kilpatrick/

I'm finding the A55's quite useable so far

You've probably figured this out already, but buying a cheap card reader that plugs into a USB port should solve the SDHC card reading problem on your antique computer. It worked for me, anyway.

[John Mitchell]

A55 has no AF calibration, lens correction etc features - just plain old raw and JPEG. I've just ordered two rather expensive Sony cameras and could be selling my A99, A77 - but almost certainly keeping the A55 still!

Thanks, David, that's what I figured after reading the reviews. Used A55's are hard to come by in Canada, and people ask a lot for them, usually more than a new a58. So I guess the a55 really is a keeper.

 

Those new Sony cameras are indeed pricey. You're certainly a man of many cameras. Hope you didn't have to mortgage the castle.

[spacecadet]

Odd that, here used A55s go for less than A580s. Folk must be frightened of that EVF. Still, I win.

John, it's new readers for me. Apparently SDHC isn't backwards compatible and I needed SP3 as well so the computer can see it.  I'm plugging in the camera for the time being.