We have just returned from a week filming with our two new PD170 DVCAM Cameras in Switzerland. Subject Swiss Railways in high mountain pass, red trains very bright sun in snow covered mountains.

Bad news both camera refused to bring in sharp pictures! Would only focus on close subjects ie a few feet in front of camera. Even on full manual setting using Infinity Lock setting distant objects still well out of focus. Both cameras were working fine before on other normal jobs before departure on Swiss job, good results well up to PD150 standard. Nither camera has been damaged but both went through X-Rays at airport.

Tried to sort problem in hotel room camera would only take sharp picture of close objects and would not focus sharp on buildings across road.

Has the reflecting bright light from snow blown out both cameras?

I have been a professional cameraman for over 30 yrs in Gordon my co producer on this shoot using the other 170 over 5 yrs full time now. So we are not new to the business and have both used PD150 VE1000 and I have used Sony Betacam SP and DSR 870 for many years with no serious problems.

On return to UK (with no usable pictures) did more tests but could not sort camera. Phoned Sony UK who said nobody else has complained of this. Told me to press reset on camera. Problem sorted at once. Have now done several tests and all seems well again but phoned Gordon who was working on locatin again yesterday and said camera focus went out again when bright sunlight reflected in lens. I told him to try reset to see if it helps him.

I am asking Sony to take back camera for report as I will not trust it again on any shoot.

Any comments PLEASE?

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GWP

Sony acted very quickly and collected camara the next day, will report in full what they say and do. 25.3.04

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GWP

Thanks... keep us posted!

26 March 04

Camera back from Sony special delivery this morning. No complaints on speed but no letter explaining why I had the fault.
However they very kindly enclosed a photo copy of the instruction book showing me how to focus the camera! I think after 30 yrs in the business I know how to do that!

Tested the camera again and it's working very well. I would like to know if they have done anything to it, perhaps a letter or report will follow in post?

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GWP

[QUOTE]Originally posted by GWP
29th April 2004

I would now like to report that since the camera has been back from Sony the problem has not returned. I'm now very pleased with the sharpness of pictures through the full focusing range with auto and manual focusing.

The only thoughts are now that the airport X-Ray upset the focusing and caused the problem.

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GWP

Thanks for the update. Good to know info.

OK, so if you think the X-rays from the airport security messed up the camera, isn't that something you can test?

I would think that you could go to any airport and just talk to security, explain your problem, and they would pass it through the scanner and let you leave the airport. Then you could check to see if the problem came back?

Have you posed this hypothesis to Sony?

Appreciate your following up on this, on behalf of all PD170 owners who carry-on their camcorder...

Thanks!

Eric

Just want to say how much I appreciate your posting. I have EXACTLY the same symptoms with my PD170P - close focus is fine - but anything a few metres away is way out of focus.
I used the reset button at your suggestion and found a huge improvement - but its still not sharp at infinity.
As far as I know, the camera has never been through an X-ray machine.
I contacted Sony but here the story changes though - I will attempt to make a seperate posting (Sony Warranty or NOT) about the disaster that follows.

Andy thanks for making contact and it was good to compare notes on the telephone. You too seem to be having the same problem, perhaps it is an early batch of cameras that came to UK?
Since my last posting I must say our two 170 cameras have not been perfect. In dull or soft light they work very well but focus problems start when light is very bright. Even with camera locked on INF it still goes mad in brignt reflective conditions.
They just can not focus well at high light levels so my early theory about X-Ray at airport is wrong. It is bright light that causes the problem and makes focusing almost impossible untill you hit the reset button. This drastic action only cures the problem sometimes.
My co-director was on a shoot today with his 170 in bright light and lost the whole days work to focusing problems.
This is now so serious that we can no longer use these cameras in bright light conditions.
I have no choice but to contact Sony UK once more. I will keep you posted with developments.

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GWP

[QUOTE=GWP]
We have now done more tests with both our 170 cameras and there is no doubt they are not holding sharp focus at medium distance to infinity. Manual or auto focus are the same. You zoom in to focus and as you pull back to wide focus is lost. We have now made test tapes with both PD170 cameras as well as with VX1000 & VX2000 cameras. The 1-2000 camera are much better and give good sharp inf picture and hold focus through the full zoom range. In a nutshell the lower priced and older DV cameras are sharper than the new DVCAM 170s!!
The tests have been sent to Sony with a report.

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GWP

Graham,
Since we spoke, I've sent my PD170 back to Video Action and they've replaced it with a new one . . . BINGO!
I've no problems with focus now - so there definitely IS a fault and I suggest you get onto Sony to get replacements for the ones you have.

(Tempted to say my 170 is infinitely better now - but I'd best not).
A

Andy sounds like good news please keep us informed how you are getting on with your replacment camera.

I have sent our tests from our 2 faulty 170s back to Sony and am still waiting to hear from them. They have now collected my 170 for more tests.

Graham (GWP)

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GWP

Spoke to Sony yesterday but still no news from the technical people who are looking at my camera and the test tapes. In mean time we still have the other 170 that we can not trust and are having to use our old Sony DV 1000 now 6 years old and taking much sharper pictures!!!
This has gone on a long time now if Sony do not replace the cameras on fix them we are in trouble!
We hired 150s several times last year and were so impressed with the results (quite a lot better than our old 1000 as one would expect!). It was on the strength of the results from the 150 cameras that we purchased our pair of 170s when they came out in UK last Dec.
As stated both our 170s produce super sharp picture in close up but focus falls off from 12 feet to inf!! If you foucs on a distant object when zoomed in on it you can see it go unsharp as you pull back to wide angle!!! Sadly the black and white viewfinder and the pull out colour LCD are not sharp enough to let you see the focus problem. It's only when you get back to the studio and see picture on the editing monitor you see the soft shots but by then it is too late.

Graham, gwpvideo.co.uk

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GWP

Sony returned my camera today after 2 weeks away. They said lens collimation was out and they have now reset it to factory standard and please would I do my own tests and confirm if there is an improvement in sharpness?
1st impression out of box is that picture in the b&w viewfinder looks for the first time sharp and clear! Did first test of inf at tele pulling back to wide and for first time camera seems to be holding focus through- out the range.
I will do more tests but first impressions look good!
We are still holding back 2nd faulty 170 camera as I want to do back to back test beforre sending it to Sony to fix.
Will keep you advised!

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GWP

12 Aug 2004

Regret to advise that my 170 after ir's 2nd trip back to Sony is still not working any batter in terms of sharpness. 1st impression when camera came back was it looked better but have now done a detailed test and can see NO improvement at all. I think my two 170 cameras are bad news and have dudd lenses?

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GWP