A7RII Bad Copies ?

[mBev]

Anyone experienced a bad copy of the A7RIi? Mine arrived yesterday from B&H and I'm very disappointed. IQ on par with my 5DIII, lower actually. Also got the metabones IV and updated the firmware. My EF24-70II front focuses terrible. I'll call B&H tomorrow and get their take on it. Admittedly new to the camera and anything Sony so user error is suspect. Started out shooting raw and even did some L Jpg comparisons.

[Aonko]

Are you using phase detection autofocus? In settings it is the gear menu page 7, that should help with front focusing. Also make sure APS-C/Super 35mm is off as well, gear menu page 6.

[mBev]

Phase detection yes

APS-C/Super 35 was on Automatic, just changed to Off. A quick shot before all my daylight was lost shows better IQ. Can you explain what was happening there? I'll test more tomorrow.

[Aonko]

It may have registered the lens as an APS-C format lens, reducing the exposure to 18MP by taking a APS-C sized crop from the sensor. That should be easy to tell, different file sizes and of course it is easy to check the resolution of the photos in most programs.

[christer]

........ Mine arrived yesterday from B&H and I'm very disappointed. .....

 

Have you RTFM? Even though I came from a Sony Nex, it took me more than one night's sleep to master the functions I need.

[bplet]

Perhaps an example image?   I've worked through a lot of issues I was not expecting (but then figured out), but front focusing is definitely not one of them.   I'm assuming you're not talking about something like "Face detect focused on the tip of her nose, instead of her eyes", right?  

[mBev]

I took more time testing the new A7RII and really am puzzled to say the least.  

 

Bplet, only using small spot AF and finding significant front focusing.  

 

Christer I've been reading it, started well over a week ago

after ordering it.  

 

Aonko, I did see where setting APSC/Super35 to auto was forcing crop mode.  BUT, it has no effect when your set to RAW.  I did change it to OFF before further testing.  Thanks for pointing that out.

 

So here is the deal.  Using a brand new metabones IV adaptor which I updated to the newest firmware, I have autofocus errors on my most used Canon EF lens.  

 

EF24-70 2.8 II, at 70mm, 16 feet to subject, front focuses by 11 inches.  At 35mm, 8 feet to subject only very slightly front focused, not bad.

 

EF70-200 2.8 IS II, at 70mm, autofocus not perfect but almost.  At 200mm focuses pretty close but I had to keep moving the AF point to find something it liked enough to stop hunting.  Some areas I pointed at had decent contrast but no joy on the hunting.

 

Now for the image quality piece of this.  Maybe I was just expecting WAY to much but this camera is not blowing me away with image quality like I hoped.  I very much want to love this camera.  Maybe I still can but something needs to change and I don't want to sink a couple thousand into native glass to find out it that's the issue.

 

I have uploaded six RAW files (DNG).  The file names order them by scene and camera used (A7R2 or 5D3).  PLEASE download and have a look.  There is one pair at 70mm and one at 200mm taken in my garage pointed at a storage rack.  The focus point is the Real Kill Indoor Fogger box (not the can).  I manually set focus using focus magnification on the sony, just auto on the canon. The other scene is from my back porch of a nearby house.  If I pixel peep I can see more detail in these.  I really think I have something wrong.

 

http://vwings.com/images/A7RII/ 

[Aonko]

It seems to me that all of the a7RII photos are displaying pretty significant camera shake. What is your shutter speed on these out of the a7RII? I don't know which of these settings below you are using and make absolutely sure your adapter is on version 0.41.

 

Quote from Brian Smith

 

Metabones has released Firmware Update 0.41 for their Metabones Smart Adapter IV (Order here). This is a major firmware update for Sony a7II and a7RII because it addresses incompatibility issues between Canon IS lenses and Sony a7II camera IBIS. Prior to this firmware update, Metabones Smart Adapter IV (and other Canon smart adapters) would over-compensate for image shake by using both Canon lens IS and camera IBIS.

With this update, users can use the lens IS switch to choose between using lens-based optical Image Stabilization and Sony a7II / a7RII IBIS:

• If the lens IS switch is ON, lens-based optical IS is used and camera IBIS is turned off automatically.
• If the lens IS switch is OFF, the a7II/a7RII camera-based IBIS takes over image stabilization.
• To turn off all IS, hold down the WO button on the adapter while switching the lens’ IS OFF.

 

P.S. This is the correct link to his photos www.vwings.com/images/A7RII/

[Aonko]

Could you post some of the original RAW files not processed through adobe software? The ones that are front focused. Phase detection should make that pretty much impossible unless your adapter is defective.

 

P.S. Sorry for the double post, but I saw he was reading my first post and then left.

[mBev]

The shoe rack photos were 1/100th sec each. Both tripod mounted and delay timer used, EFCS on, IS set OFF on lens, OFF in camera. The house photo had IS set ON on the lens and ON n the camera. SteadyShot settings AUTO.

[Aonko]

I would suggest trying it with it on in the camera and off on the lens.

[mBev]

Will give that a shot in the morning. Firmware update was to .41. Shouldn't you be able to hear IBIS running? A slight hum or something. It does not even look like it kicks in on my non stabilized lens and I can only visually see its effect with a stabilized lens.

 

I could upload a file of a front focused subject but all you can see is an OOF subject and grass in front n focus. Same for the shoe rack photos I tried to shoot on the 24-70 but I'll have to take those tomorrow because I did not even trip the shutter recognizing the focus error. I messed around for a couple hours moving a memory card box back and forth on a stick extending toward me to measure the actual point of focus. I can replicate that and shoot it but I don't see how that can help.

[Aonko]

You can hear it momentarily when the camera starts up but it doesn't matter if it on or off. The shoe rack photos are blurry and the lack of detail is from camera shake. The house photo is exhibiting the same issue but I wonder if maybe the IBIS is conflicting with the Canon IS. When you reshoot turn on Silent Shooting to minimize shutter shake, don't forget to turn it back off when you are done as you lose dynamic range in that mode.

 

As with the focusing issues you kind of me have stumped, try Contrast AF. 

 

You should be able to tell if the IBIS is working if you press in on the wheel where it says DISP next to the LCD screen. Then keep cycling through until you see a shaking hand towards the top of the screen under where it shows what aspect ratio you are shooting in.

[mBev]

I'll reshoot everything tomorrow. Thanks a bunch for the suggestions. That house photo was shot at 1/1000th and stabilized. Took another shot this evening at 12,800 ISO at 1/4 sec, 35mm and was not bad except for really front focused. Maybe this adapter is defective.

[Aonko]

I too believe that is probably the issue at this point.

[mBev]

Update:

I received a replacement Metabones IV this morning and it failed to communicate anything at all between the A7RII and three different late model EF lenses. After a long talk with three specialist at B&H, I RMA'd both adapters and the camera back for replacements. Come this weekend i can give it another go.