Dynax/Maxxum 7 and lenses of 100+mm serious problem

I think there is a serious malfunction on my 7 :(

 

The moment I fit any lens of 100mm or more the autofocus goes haywire and focus

is impossible, the lens just goes "click-clack" as if the lens has reached the

end of its travel ( if that description makes sense ). This also happens with a

zoom covering the 100mm point - on the 70-210 and 24-105 the moment you hit the

100 barrier the control just goes like the old Porsches.

 

I have spent a long time checking with 4 primes ( 5 if you count two 1.7s ) and

3 zooms and double checking back to an 800si and a 404si ( not a problem on

these 2 ) which tells me it is not the lenses and can only be the 7. I can only

assume that something in the electronics has gone kaput.

 

Has anybody else experienced this and if so what was the end result ?

 

I see a dispute coming on and I am not a very happy puppy especially as I have

a project on the go where the 4fps will be very useful/essential :( :( :(

.

 

Clean all contacts and try a new battery, or leave the battery out for 24 hours, and clean the flash contacts.

 

Did it get wet? The flash contacts drive the electronics more than anyone knows. Use an air spray can to blas out the controls (NOT the shutter box). Put the camera wrapped in a towel into an oven that was preheated to 125 degrees F and turned off, and let it sit for a few hours to "steam" out any moisture into the towel.

 

Let us know how it goes.

 

Click!

 

Love and hugs,

 

Peter Blaise peterblaise@yahoo.com Minolta Alpha Photographer http://www.peterblaisephotography.com/

wouldnt it be safer to use the pearl style kitty litter to pull out the moisture? just wrap the camera in a pillowcase and surround it with the pearl silica beads. i use that method when i am coming back inside from a snowboard shoot. that way there is never any risk of heat damage from trying to remove any chances of condensation buildup.

Thanks both - had done all the terminal cleaning and battery replacing and left it overnight in warm place packed with silica gel. Result - anarchy.

 

The only real heat here will be with the vendor !

Hi,

 

This is a classic symptom of incompatibility between the modern 7 camera and older, especially third-party lenses. My 7 managed to ruin a Sigma 90mm f/2.8 like this. Whilst I got Sigma to sucessfully re-chip my 28 - 60mm f/2.8 for the 7, they said the 90mm didn't need it or couldn't be done. It was a fair bit older.

 

The moral of the story is don't expect old non-minolta lenses to work with new cameras (there's reports of similar issues with other makes too!).

 

Matt

Matt - the problem with third party lenses has always made me wary of them especially with Sigma which I am led to believe are "reverse engineered" ( whatever that means ) whereas others are produced in the standard manner.

 

I checked with all sorts of Minolta lenses including some of the new D versions with the same result - over 100mm it went chaotic.

 

I spent a long time checking this as you start to doubt your own ability and wonder if you are doing something wrong. I have come to the conclusion that there is some sort of communication problem between the camera and the lenses. Seeing as they all function on a 404si and an 800si I feel it must be the camera. As far as I can remember the 404 and the 7 came out at almost the same time.

It certainly sounds very weird. I wouldn't have expected such a problem with Minolta lenses. I own a Minolta 75 - 300mm f/4.5-5.6 (or is it 70mm- ??) that I bought years ago for my first Minolta body, a 500si. It works fine on my 7.

 

All my other lenses are third party and I love them.

 

Sigma 18-35mm f/3.5-4 bought new in 2000,

 

Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 bought secondhand previous generation to above, re-chipped by Sigma for the 7, I LOVE IT!!

 

Tamron 90mm f/2.8 replaced my Sigma equivalent that my 7 trashed, I love this lens even more.

 

 

Matt

Just to report back.

 

The camera was effectively useless - presumably an "electronics". :(

 

The replacement was even worse. :( :(

 

The latest replacement is fine :)

 

Patience is a virtue I guess.