# Sony A7/A7r Light Leak Issue



## Dylan777 (Mar 6, 2014)

Where is my duck tape ;D

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sony-acknowledgeslight-leaks-issue-and-ferrell-mccollough-explains-you-how-to-temporarely-fix-it/


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## J.R. (Mar 6, 2014)

How's the DR performance when you lift five stops of the lens-cap on photos?


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 8, 2014)

Over at sonyalpharumors, they posted this:

_*Imaging Resource says A7 light leak is a “non-issue” (Canon 5dmarkII leaks much more!).*

Our friends at Dicahub found that official Sony Korea note where they say that the LIght Leak issue isn’t a “general problem”. But they will investigate further and then notify their more detail action in March. But now we have to report a quite interesting and surprising report:

Imaging Resource tested the light leak and said it’s actually present in Nikon and Canon cameras too and the Canon 5dmarkIII actually shows an even greater leak! They write:

Drawing it together, is a light leak of the sort seen in the A7 in any way unusual? Absolutely not. The best Canon and Nikon models exhibit similar behavior. While a perfect camera might block every last photon, the tolerances required of lens and flange make this exceedingly difficult. To our minds, based on what we’ve seen with our A7 and the best competing models, this is really a non-issue.

Well, I guess this will quiet down some of the noise around the A7-A7r light leak issue _
Sony A7r Light Leak


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## philmoz (Mar 8, 2014)

I don't think they performed a valid test on the 5D3.

The article says the 5D3 does not come with a cover for the OVF (false), so they took a 30 second exposure in full sunlight without covering the OVF.

I did a similar test with the OVF cover in place and the resulting image was completely black.
I also tested by flashing a strobe directly into the camera/lens mount from various angles (bulb mode) for 30 seconds - again a completely black image.

Phil.


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## Ruined (Mar 9, 2014)

Yup, 5D3 failed due to user error. Use the OVF cap next time!

Someone should contact the individual who wrote the story and inform them.


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## darrellrhodesmiller (Mar 10, 2014)

i've been using the sony a7r since it came out. prob shot 1000 images.. havent had any problems at all.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 10, 2014)

darrellrhodesmiller said:


> i've been using the sony a7r since it came out. prob shot 1000 images.. havent had any problems at all.


Absolutely! ... I've made over 15000 images with so far and haven't noticed any light leak issues ... of course screen blackout between shots and slow start-up times are a bit annoying but nothing that hinders my photos.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 12, 2014)

Sonyalpharumors reports the following:
*
Roger Cicala tests the A7r light leak issue (yes it’s there and it can be solved)*

Roger Cicala from Lensrentals tested how sever the A7r light leak issue is and these are his findings:

We tested several A7rs and several A7s and all were the same, so it’s simply a design issue, not a batch of defective cameras.
The light leak occurs with the body cap in place, but is more severe with a 35 f/2.8 Sony lens mounted instead of the body cap.
The leak is worst when the light is shined onto the lens-release button area. It is also bad when the light shines onto the lower left quadrant of the lens mount, and directly above the lens mount. Other areas either didn’t leak or showed only a thin line that was far less pronounced than these areas.
Wrapping something around the lens mount stopped the left side leaks, but not the leaks around the lens-release button.
Roger fixed it by putting some rubbed material around the mount and lens release button. This helped to get rid of the problem. And he also wrote this:

*And for you Fanboys who just can’t wait to Sony bash over this odd little issue, let he whose camera is without light leak cast the first stone. Because, so far the same problem has been found with Canon, Nikon, and Fuji cameras. I assume a similar solution will work just fine for those, too.*


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## expatinasia (Mar 12, 2014)

What does this issue mean for the camera's weather sealing?


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 12, 2014)

expatinasia said:


> What does this issue mean for the camera's weather sealing?


It means you cannot take it under water  ... seriously though, I don't think a bit of rain should affect the weather sealed cameras, even if there is a "light leak" issue. I have used my Canon 5D MK III, 7D, & Sony a7 in light rain in 3 different continents and did not face any problems.


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## Dylan777 (Mar 12, 2014)

expatinasia said:


> What does this issue mean for the camera's weather sealing?



Try to aim the flash light through clear plastic drinking bottle with the cap on 

My 5D III came from the 1st patch of production - what "light leak" issue?


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## expatinasia (Mar 12, 2014)

Dylan777 said:


> expatinasia said:
> 
> 
> > What does this issue mean for the camera's weather sealing?
> ...



My point/question was that if this happens:



Rienzphotoz said:


> The light leak occurs with the body cap in place, *but is more severe with a 35 f/2.8 Sony lens mounted instead of the body cap*. The leak is worst when the light is shined onto the lens-release button area. It is also bad when the light shines onto the lower left quadrant of the lens mount, and directly above the lens mount. Other areas either didn’t leak or showed only a thin line that was far less pronounced than these areas.



Then surely that means that rain/water/sweat etc could also get in through those spaces?

That would worry me more than the light issue, but I do not know, which is why I am asking.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 13, 2014)

expatinasia said:


> My point/question was that if this happens:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


As I mentioned before, light rain will not get inside the camera even with the FE 35 f/2.8 lens mounted on it.
"Water" getting inside: if you are referring to small water splashes I don't think there is anything to worry about. 
"Sweat" getting inside: maybe if Kingkong is sweating ;D


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## expatinasia (Mar 13, 2014)

Rienzphotoz said:


> expatinasia said:
> 
> 
> > My point/question was that if this happens:
> ...



Was actually thinking of a rain drop(s) running down the surface. If light can get in so can water, and the lens release button looks like the sort of place water could run into and divert into the camera.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 13, 2014)

expatinasia said:


> Rienzphotoz said:
> 
> 
> > expatinasia said:
> ...


No, "rain drops running down the surface" will not pose any issue ... if you read Roger Circa's post, you will notice that hardly any camera is immune to light leak. I have used a few non-weather sealed bodies in light rain with "rain drops running down the surface" but never had any issues whatsoever. Besides, anyone who does photography, in areas where it rains unexpectedly, always knows to carry a small face towel to wipe the body regularly ... alternatively one can put a small plastic bag over the body ... but if you are still concerned, (on Amazon) you can find plenty of very cheap dedicated plastic camera bags (for just a few dollars) that protect your camera even in heavy rains.


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## eml58 (Mar 13, 2014)

expatinasia said:


> Was actually thinking of a rain drop(s) running down the surface. If light can get in so can water, and the lens release button looks like the sort of place water could run into and divert into the camera.



Hi Expatinasia, have a look at this video, at around the 3.45 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUJc83wV6iA

I haven'y tried that with my own a7r, but I did have mine on a Jet Ski in Australia in December videoing my son on those Water Plume thingys, covered the a7r in a reasonable amount of salt water, washed it off later with a soaked towel of fresh water, still working, impressed me at least.

I've tried the light leak thing on mine, friend of mine also has the a7r we bought them same time same shop in Singapore, unable to get the light leak issue, but I can on my 5DMK III's, hasn't seemed to have caused much of an issue to date though.


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## expatinasia (Mar 14, 2014)

eml58 said:


> expatinasia said:
> 
> 
> > Was actually thinking of a rain drop(s) running down the surface. If light can get in so can water, and the lens release button looks like the sort of place water could run into and divert into the camera.
> ...



Thanks, I do like DigitalRev's videos. Always entertaining and educational.

And your jet ski test seems to have cleared up any issue of water leaking in through the holes that the light finds.

Cheers.


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