Passing along a tip - Z6 and Z7 Automatic Monitor Switch Problem

Midway during my nightsky trip, my Z7 automatic monitor switch suddenly became erratic, to a point I thought the camera was broken due to the rough tumble of hiking with it hanging from my shoulder or neck. It bothered me a great deal because I wanted to be able to look through both the EVF and the monitor while fumbling in the dark with the settings - not to mention I also worried that something else might also be wrong that had caused this problem. I tried the switch back and forth, checked the menu again and again, resetting the camera etc., all to no avail. I am not sure how much these anxieties had negatively affected my photographic results.

Anyhow, I searched for an answer when I got back to the hotel and, thank goodness, again, for YouTube. So all I needed to do was to clean the contact at the front of the viewfinder. Then I took the Z6 out of the bag, tested with it close to my eye and back and forth. It didn't take long for it to begin to exhibit the same problem. So I solved it again by cleaning the contact with a QTip.

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-L6OukJsdg&ab_channel=SmartPhotoReviews

Now would you call this a design problem, or at least an oversight, that begs for an adjustment in their II version? I have used Olympus M43 (went through several camera models and bodies) and never encountered this issue.

Midway during my nightsky trip, my Z7 automatic monitor switch suddenly became erratic, to a point I thought the camera was broken due to the rough tumble of hiking with it hanging from my shoulder or neck. It bothered me a great deal because I wanted to be able to look through both the EVF and the monitor while fumbling in the dark with the settings - not to mention I also worried that something else might also be wrong that had caused this problem. I tried the switch back and forth, checked the menu again and again, resetting the camera etc., all to no avail. I am not sure how much these anxieties had negatively affected my photographic results.

 

Anyhow, I searched for an answer when I got back to the hotel and, thank goodness, again, for YouTube. So all I needed to do was to clean the contact at the front of the viewfinder. Then I took the Z6 out of the bag, tested with it close to my eye and back and forth. It didn't take long for it to begin to exhibit the same problem. So I solved it again by cleaning the contact with a QTip.

 

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-L6OukJsdg&ab_channel=SmartPhotoReviews

 

Now would you call this a design problem, or at least an oversight, that begs for an adjustment in their II version? I have used Olympus M43 (went through several camera models and bodies) and never encountered this issue.

I was having the same problem. Your suggestion to watch the youtube video solved the problem for me - at least so far. Thank you.

Your suggestion to watch the youtube video solved the problem for me - at least so far.

Glad my msg has helped you and maybe others in the future. At first I hesitated on posting this experience but later thought I should just go ahead to do it, mainly because this may be the kind of thing that the user would just tolerate and suffer in silence (lol).

I had a related issue with the Nikon V1 where fluff could accumulate in the slit where the proximity sensor was. Sometimes it saw me, sometimes it saw fluff.

A rocket-blower puff every now and then sorted it.

The sensor on the Nikon A1000 P&S is very easily triggered when not wanted, so if you hold it 'wrong' if switches on and off willy nilly. But it's very easy to clean..:D