A7ii Sony Lens Connection Problems

[bljamison]

I have a Sony A7ii and two Sony lenses (28-70 & 24-240 zooms).  The other day I took off the lens to blow dust off of the sensor.  When I reattached the lens, it wouldn't auto focus, and the aperture displayed with a dash instead of the number.  I reattached the lens, tried a different lens, replaced the battery etc...  I called Sony, they told me to gently wipe the copper contacts on both the camera and lens with a cloth, and the problem resolved itself.  The next day, the problem re-occured a couple of times without the lens ever being removed.  One other time, I couldn't get the camera to power on at all.  I flipped the switch several times, and it finally came on.  It's one month out of the one-year warranty (of course).  If any of you have had similar problems, or have a solution, I would love your input.

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

Does it happen with both lenses or just the 28-70? If it's both it's more likely to be the camera rather than the lens.

 

If you suspect the camera there's not a lot to do on your own. I would suggest cleaning the contacts carefully with rubbing alcohol, doing a factory reset and leaving it without a battery and memory card for a couple of days.

 

If that doesn't solve it you should get a quote for repairs.

[bljamison]

You are correct, it has happened with both lenses which also led me to believe it was the contacts on the camera more than anything.  I suppose I'm glad to hear that there weren't a lot of people out there with the same problem which would indicate some kind of defect.

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

Connection issues aren't that unusual. I've had it on several cameras and lenses that I use frequently. Hopefully a clean and reset will fix it.

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

P.S. I forgot to mention that it's worth checking if camera and lens firmware is up to date and if not updating them. I forgot to mention it because I do it as a matter of course, but people may have different habits.