Eye Sensor sensitivity

[Bill Fifer]

Hello all.  I'm 83, live in the Philadelphia, PA suburbs, and switched from film a long time ago.  For years I used Nikon DSLRs.  I started with a "pocket" Sony WX300 two years ago and now have an RX100M3, an a6000 and an a7II and have sold all my Nikon gear.  I also have a Fuji X-T1 with many lens and at times am torn between using it and the Sony cameras.

 

Why I joined the forum today was because I think it may have solved a very frustrating problem I have with my a7II:  I take a lot of photos outdoors with the camera held very low using the LCD pulled out.  Yesterday I was trying to catch a new baby preying mantis only an inch long sitting on a small orange poppy flower in a pot only 15" above the ground.  At 83, I don't get down on the ground easily, so I love the flip out LCD.  Unfortunately I was having a devil of a time getting the LCD to come on and stay on!  And this in bright mid afternoon sunshine!  Doing a Google search for "Sony a7II eye sensor sensitivity problems" I finally found this forum with a discussion back in April where the recommended solution was to stick a neutral gray "sticky" over the left half of the eye sensor, and after doing so, the problem (for some) was solved.

 

OK, I am confused.  If holding the camera too close to one's body puts the eye sensor in shade, causing it to think it is being held up to one's eye, I would think that putting anything over that sensor to dim the light entering, would automatically cause it to switch to the EVF causing the LCD to go blank.  Can anyone explain to me why this works half dimming the light entering the sensor?

 

Thanks in advance, Bill Fifer

 

 

 

 

[Snowfun]

Apologies for not being able to address the issue you raise but I'd love to see the photograph you describe!

[Bill Fifer]

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Guest all8]

 

OK, I am confused.  If holding the camera too close to one's body puts the eye sensor in shade, causing it to think it is being held up to one's eye, I would think that putting anything over that sensor to dim the light entering, would automatically cause it to switch to the EVF causing the LCD to go blank.  Can anyone explain to me why this works half dimming the light entering the sensor?

 

Thanks in advance, Bill Fifer

 

I was under the impression that this sensor was based on an infrared proximity sensor where one side of the sensor sends IR light and the other side receives that light when it reflects of a close by object. You can try this in a dark room and see that it does indeed work. If you cover the receive side (left) then the sensor can never receive IR light and thus the LCD remains active no matter how close an object might be to the sensor. That is how the fix works.

[Snowfun]

Thanks. The third picture is super fun!

[LeButler]

Sounds like a finger was straying too close to the eye sensor - easily done.

 

I suspect the eye sensor compares changes in light rather than switching at absolute levels.

(i.e. reducing ambient light with a filter increases the trigger level for switching the screen off/EVF on).

 

 

PS lovely colour in your photos!