Help with boot-up problem |
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windhorse ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 11 February 2013 Country: Australia Location: Denmark Status: Offline Posts: 358 |
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Just now in the middle of a very fine field trip my much-loved Sony A7R2 has gone awol, so not sure what to do?
The problem is when I turn the camera on the LCD screen starts flashing on and off, but gets no further, and even continues to flash on and off a few times times even after I switch it off. I have tried shutting down, removing battery and trying to start again - both with and without lens and sd card. I am not an expert but to me it seems like partly corrupted or some other problem with the software boot up sequence, perhaps with the camera struggling to sort out the stabiliser, shutter or some other component that has to be checked as part of the boot up sequence? Unfortunately I have not yet got as far as the menu to reset the camera and I don’t think there is any other way to reset this model apart from via the menu? If I understand right it is also necessary to turn the camera on and access the menu to upgrade/reinstall the firmware? Fortunately when I plug the camera into a wall socket via USB cable, the orange/yellow indicator light beside the USB inlet comes on and goes off when the battery in the camera is fully charged. My hope is this may mean the circuit board and other hardware components are ok, as I don’t think this led light would work if for example the circuit board was fried? Of course the most logical thing to do would be to send the camera to a Sony service center - but this is not so easy to arrange from where I am just now up in the mountains of Lapland in northern Sweden. Fortunately the view is splended 😊 Any tips or advice about your experiences with similar issue most welcome. |
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stiuskr ![]() Moderator Group ![]() Joined: 01 September 2006 Country: United States Location: West Virginia Status: Offline Posts: 11453 |
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Does the screen display anything at all when it's flashing? Any data displayed or is it white, black, blue or static?
Firmware can't be reinstalled, only updated. Only thing I can think of is to check for stuck buttons and rapidly switching the power switch to clean the contacts. Have you tried a different card, checked the card slot for debris? |
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Rob Suits Jr.
a99M2 a99 a77 a700 KM7D|Min24/2.8 Min35/2 So50/1.4 So50/2.8 Min85/1.4G Tam90/2.8 Tam180/3.5|Tam17-50 CZ24-70G2 KM28-75D So70-200G1 So70-300G So70-400G1| SonyF60 AD200R2 |
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Micholand ![]() Admin Group ![]() Knowledgebase Contributor Joined: 30 October 2005 Country: Germany Location: MUC Status: Offline Posts: 16722 |
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What makes you think that the camera has a boot-up problem? Only because the LCD screen is not working any more?!
A none working display does not necessarily mean that the camera isn't "booted". The screen problem might be related to a loose or broken flex cable only. So apart from the display flashing, is the camera reacting; does the shutter release when being pressed? What about the EVF, is it black or flashing too? Assuming the camera was set to auto switch between LCD screen+EVF and proximity sensor is ok and problem is related to the display only, you still should see something via the EVF, isn't it? |
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Jadom ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 01 September 2014 Country: United States Location: Poland, USA Status: Offline Posts: 1793 |
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I agree with Michael. It can be LCD problem only. I have 7M2 and I also have problem with LCD/view finder combo. I have it set to Auto what means that when a view finder is not covered - a monitor should display a view. It should but for some reason doesn't do it. I mean: most of the time doesn't but sometimes suddenly works how it suppose to work.
When I change menu settings to "Monitor" it works flawlessly but otherwise - not. I have to check and clean tiny sensor located by view finder. Perhaps this is my problem. |
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Jack.SigmaDP1x,DP2M,SonyA7M2,Min: MC35F2.8, AF50F1.7, 70-210F, SL16-35F4, KironKine 80-200F4Macro, Promaster MC28F2.8, Rokinon 85f1.4, Samyang 14F2.8, Tamron: SP AF 28-75F2.8XR Di LD, 70-300 F4-5.6Di
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windhorse ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 11 February 2013 Country: Australia Location: Denmark Status: Offline Posts: 358 |
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Thanks for these encouraging replies!
I don’t believe the problem is a faulty LCD connection, as since my initial post i have noticed that at the same time as the LCD panel repeatedly flashes the sensor assembly inside the camera repeatedly moves slightly up and down and clicks, as if trying to calibrate or move into starting position but failing to do so. The sensor Spears to be quite glat. But Maybe the sensor has somehow got loose or out of alignment or the stabilising system has a problem? In addition, i have also found out that when i connect the camera to my laptop then turn the camera on, the laptop beeps (as it always does when a harddisk or some other peripheral device is turned on - the only difference being that the laptop continues to beep repeatedly, as if the camera is being repeatedly switching off and on. For this reason, I suspect the camera switches on, tries to boot up, is deterred from doing so by some fault like a loose mirror or faulty stabilising system, crashes, then bravely tries to boot up again, crashes again etc etc? |
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amrep ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 02 February 2015 Country: Norway Status: Offline Posts: 294 |
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There may not be a simple fix to your problem. It seems you have already tried to force the camera to do a full/cold boot up:
Turn off, unmount the lens, take out the battery and wait at least 1 minute (to clear memory settings etc) before reinserting the battery and turn on the camera. (When you as usual just switch off with a charged battery in place, the camera goes into some sort of sleep mode and wake up again when you turn it on - so not technically a real boot up.) I have not seen any description on hard reset with buttons on E-mount cameras. But on older A-mount cameras like Sony A68 you can do a hard reset this way: Turn ON the camera. Press the MENU, Playback and MOVIE buttons simultaneously. While Pressing these buttons, turn OFF the camera. Release your fingers, and wait over 30 seconds. Press the MENU, Playback and MOVIE buttons simultaneously again. While Pressing these buttons, now turn ON the camera. Release your fingers. https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/downloads/Z0005607 Others describe it a little different: Turn off camera, take out battery, insert battery again, turn camera on. Press these 3 buttons Menu+Movie+Playback simultaneously Turn camera off without releasing buttons, turn camera on, Alpha logo should appears, count to 5 and release buttons. On A77 it may work with Menu+Movie+AEL ? This will probably not work on E-mount cameras, but I don't think it will hurt in any way. I have no idea of what causes the error in your camera. But electronic devices like Sony cameras are prone to failure in a moist environment. Temperature differences may cause condensation inside. Be sure to dry the camera thoroughly if it has been suffering from wet conditions. Of course, apart from electronic failure, mechanical failure also happens. |
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windhorse ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 11 February 2013 Country: Australia Location: Denmark Status: Offline Posts: 358 |
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Thanks, i tried to follow the hard reset instructions but it appears they don’t work on the A7RII.
I will store the camera and test it again after a while to see if it decides to recover. Meanwhile, I found another smaller and older camera to use until i get home and have time to look into repair options. |
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momech ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 27 August 2006 Country: United States Location: United States Status: Offline Posts: 2934 |
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Checking for a stuck button is a good idea - happened to me with my A7RIV. My A7RIV had its AF ON/ENLARGE button stuck in and went crazy whenever I turned it on, and ran the battery down in very short order. Was starting to pack it to ship for repair when I noticed the stuck button. Managed to pop it up and work some contact cleaner around it and it's been fine ever since.
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It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
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amrep ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 02 February 2015 Country: Norway Status: Offline Posts: 294 |
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Please take a look at these two treads about A7Rii boot problems (one that has a simple solution):
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4435248 https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4449484 Maybe your problem could be related? Edited by amrep - 02 August 2021 at 18:16 |
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windhorse ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 11 February 2013 Country: Australia Location: Denmark Status: Offline Posts: 358 |
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Thanks for this good suggestion that i have tried to follow with 3 different fully-charged batteries but unfortunately in this particular case does not work.
Whenever I plug the camera into my laptop and open Play Memories, the computer beeps repeatedly (in synch with the flashing of the rear LCD on the camera), as if repeatedly identifying but not recognising a new external periphery, leading me to believe the power system or boot up system of the camera is repeatedly crashing, attempting to restart, and crashing again.. perhaps due to failure of an electronic component? Also the camera sensor jiggles and if attached the lens emits a slight whispering noise every time the Rear led flashes, so I am curious to know if the sensor also slightly moves up and down a tiny fraction in a healthy camera during the start up process? Just hope I don’t start beeping like this when I wake up in the morning! 😊 Edited by windhorse - 02 August 2021 at 23:36 |
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windhorse ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 11 February 2013 Country: Australia Location: Denmark Status: Offline Posts: 358 |
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Just to inform that the problem with this camera turned out to be failure of the imaging sensor, not a software boot-up problem, according to a reliable camera technician who inspected it. He says apart from this problem everything else is working perfectly, as it should since it has less than 10,000 shots.
Unfortunately the camera is no longer covered by warranty, so the cost of a new sensor and paying for a technician to install it will most likely cost more than buying a good secondhand A7RII body, but I am reluctant to just put the one I have in a corner to use as a paperweight. So now my next step will be to look for a defect Sony A7RII that the technician can cannabilise the sensor from to replace the failed sensor in my camera, or try to find somebody who is interested in purchasing a Sony A7RII in perfect condition - apart from the defective sensor, and will start a separate thread about this in the FS/WTB section of the forum. Edited by windhorse - 26 September 2021 at 14:22 |
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