Camera and/or lens vibrating for up to a minute

[star4514]

During my recent visit to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, my Sony NEX6LB with a Sony SEL18200 lens started to vibrate when it was turned on. I could not tell where the vibrations came from but they were strongly felt in my hand around the lens. The vibrations continued for up to a minute (estimated). I tried to take a picture while it was vibrating to see if that would stop them - but it did not. The fuzzy picture showed an up-and-down movement. I have attached a couple of pictures and one without the problem.

This was the first time I have had this particular problem but it occurred several times that day and lasted for various lengths of time.

 

Does anybody have any ideas what caused these vibrations? They are not reproduceable on demand - they occur randomly.

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[KMG]

Golem's suggestion that it might be a lens/camera contact problem makes sense to me, try cleaning the contacts up.

 

If after, as Golem outlined you determine it's a body issue, I'll offer the following suggestion for narrowing the cause down further.

 

I'm not familiar with the Nex 6 but I am assuming it has a menu option to clean the sensor. "If" it has the menu option to release the shutter without lens, enable it. The next time you get the vibrating:

 

-take the lens off

-dial in a 30 second exposure in manual mode

-hit the shutter and look to see if the sensor is vibrating.

 

Maybe the body is activating clean mode for some strange reason?

 

Just a shot in the dark.

 

KMG

[star4514]

Golem's suggestion that it might be a lens/camera contact problem makes sense to me, try cleaning the contacts up.

 

If after, as Golem outlined you determine it's a body issue, I'll offer the following suggestion for narrowing the cause down further.

 

I'm not familiar with the Nex 6 but I am assuming it has a menu option to clean the sensor. "If" it has the menu option to release the shutter without lens, enable it. The next time you get the vibrating:

 

-take the lens off

-dial in a 30 second exposure in manual mode

-hit the shutter and look to see if the sensor is vibrating.

 

Maybe the body is activating clean mode for some strange reason?

 

Just a shot in the dark.

 

KMG

 

 

Looks like OSS gone bonkers.   

  

Clean the lens-to-body contacts. Given the 

time of day I suspect condensation, which 

can accentuate contact problems. If it's not 

contact problems, and if no other OSS lens 

ever behaves like that, then blame the lens. 

If other OSS lenses can also be provoked 

then the body is at fault and may need new 

firmware. Also, check that the lens in use is 

OK with your current edition of camera body 

firmware. A Nex6 is an older model. 

Thank you, Golem and KMG.

 

Golem - I looked at the contacts with a 10x magnifier and they look absolutely clean. The condensation may be a factor as I had kept the camera in my camera bag and it started happening a little while after I removed it. It was pretty chilly in the morning and the bag would have kept the camera relatively warm until I took it out.

The firmware and lens have been together for a couple of years so I doubt that is a problem.

If it was a problem with the OSS would the vibrations in the lens continue if I removed the lens, or does the lens have to be mounted for OSS to work?

 

KMG - if the vibrations start I can just remove the lens and see if the sensor is vibrating, can't I? I have the setting Release w/o Lens enabled as I have some legacy lenses I use from time to time. The vibrations started when I turned the camera on, not when I was shooting.

[star4514]

The degree of streaking in the sample shot is not from 

ultrasonic cleaning of the sensor. The streaks are way 

too elongated. IBIS is about motion. Ultrasonic vibration 

is not really motion. If you strike a high pitched chime 

with a striker, you don't see motion but you do hear the 

the high pitched note ... which, by definition, is still less 

than ultrasonic.  

   

And BTW if you remove the lens the OSS would stop.

The camera body is the only source of power. You 

don't even hafta fully remove it. A slight twist disrupts 

the connection. 

Thanks, Golem. Yes, I should of course have thought about the power from the camera. Is it a bad thing to give the lens a twist when the lens start vibrating while the camera is on (to see if the vibrations stop)?

[Username]

Thanks, Golem. Yes, I should of course have thought about the power

from the camera. Is it a bad thing to give the lens a twist when the lens

start vibrating while the camera is on (to see if the vibrations stop)?

   

Just unlatch and twist slightly. There is no mechanical 

coupling, nothing to brak. The electric contacts are all 

slightly "stepped", not in a straight row, so connections

all cease at once, no "cross connection" occurs.