I haven't seen the problem on mine so far. I should have the 11th camera from France.

I got a hand on another one in france, and zooming to a white wall showed slight darkening on every 4 edges. Mine doesn't.

Steven,

My replacement cam is fine. I opted to have Sony Australia do the adjustment even though it was a replacement camera. I think that our local service engineers are very frustrated that the factory has let so many through QC. I know that my request for adjustment was justified as the service engineers said that the replacement camera sent to me did have a slight problem - but it is perfect now.

Looking at your adjusted camera - the vignetting seems apparent on all 4 corners and about to the same degree - which I have not seen before. Generally it is prominent in 2 only, or 3 in bad cases. Equal vignetting in all 4 corners would tend to indicate either a faulty lens or an incorrect forward/backward alignment (I don't even know if this is adjustable).

Time to get back to Sony your dealer with strong complaints.

I have brought this up with Sony. I'm waiting to hear back.

So I just got my camera from AbelCine on a fresh shipment and it seems to be exhibiting a bit of the vignetting problem.

Is there an 'acceptable' level of vignetting?

Is there such a thing as being way out of safe area with HD?

Have others here who have had this problem seen it completely go away with service and how long was the camera out of your hands?

Thanks!

Andrew,

There is no level of acceptable lens misalignment vignetting. If you are seeing the black shadows in corners at 10mm and F1.9 when following the instructions on this thread - then you have it, and should return your camera for either service or replacement. Experience is that it takes only a few days to repair, and with the exception of Steven's camera all seem to have been fixed completely.

On the other hand all lenses have a degree of vignetting as they approach their long end - and the EX1's is no exception (even if it is a really good piece of glass). There will be a slight darkening of the picture starting from the corners, but moving toward the centre as you zoom in - but this should be very slight and not really noticeable except if you are really looking carefully and focussing on a perfect white wall.

Looks like I might be in the clear. Last night when I did the test, I was going handheld in a somewhat dark studio shooting at an unevenly lit wall.

Today I did the test shooting at an overcast sky on a tripod and didn't see any but my focus wasn't set to infinity. I did the test again with focus set to infinity but by then it was much darker and a lot harder to tell.

Andrew,
It sounds like yours might be OK.

for a quick test, aim at a white wall, or ceiling.
Intentionally under expose.
f1.9 aperture
Slowly step through focal range 8-25mm.
I believe focus near infinity will enhance the vignette more (if any).
OIS off

Steven, just wondering if you resolved this issue with Sony.

Working on it. It should be resolved by next week.

I assume that when you say intentionally underexpose AND set your iris to f1.9 you would compensate (if necessary) with ND filters. Right?

Correct Andrew.

Just to update me guys, how far does this lens hold f/1.9 - or is it ramping gently as soon as you move away from full wide-angle?

Tom,

Holds F1.9 all the way to full telephoto.

Check out this thread I started a while ago - I think that, despite screen indications to the contrary, the lens ramps at least to a T2.8, if not an actual f/2.8.

http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=109754

Any word on the situation in Australia?

I've been awaiting Danny's return call since late December and have heard nothing.

He assured me that he'd call when he knew.

Serena, Vaughan, have you heard anything?

Nothing yet.

Sent two EX1s back to Sony in Sydney via our dealer on Thursday. Picked the two up from our dealer plus an extra new one yesterday. Checked the work one and it's still not perfect, the vignetting is visible when the camera is static. Didn't get to try the new one. Sony had unpacked this one, they'd packed it back upside down and forgot the extra card.
Just checked my own EX1. It's pretty much gone when the camera is static but now if the OIS kicks in I can get it in the top LH or RH side depending on which way the OIS is moving the image.

Tried to do some other quick and dirty tests, don't really have the space etc at home. Zoom tracking looks OK. Racking focus seems to cause the image to shift sideways. I think I should go over the camera using a big monitor with a centre crosshair, the square marker that the camera provides makes it a bit hit and miss.

I know I bought a $10K camera not a $40K prime but what's acceptable at this kind of price point?

Mine is fixed perfectly. I received a new one from Sony Japan, but it still had the problems top right and left, despite assurances that it was checked at the factory. Rather than try for another new camera, I sent it to Sony Australia in Sydney (who have the equipment to fix it) - and they returned it with the lens correctly aligned.

For those in Australia - I suggest the you contact Sony directly. Their tech support are aware of the problem, and have the equipment and expertise to fix it. I dealt with Anthony Kable (98870422) who was really excellent.

Disappointing, at best
 

I got my EX1 back from Sony a few days ago and got to test it today. At first, I didn't know whether I was still seeing the problem, but having tried it against a more consistently lit background, it's very much improved. I have one corner that darkens ever so slightly (you have to really look for it) at full wide, but for the rest of the zoom travel from about 7MM up, and through the former 10MM-40MM problem range, things are good. Much better than before.

The test I did with the OIS, though, is a different story. It's pretty much useless, not that I would be inclined to use it anyway. Even after the software patch, when SteadyShot is on the corners and some of the sides will darken and smear if you move the camera around on a monotone surface.

One other note: if you have to send a camera back, keep ALL THE RUBBER covers! Sony didn't return my SDI port cover! *grrr*

Which software patch are you referring too?

regards

Paul

Has anyone noticed how the ND filter mechanism may stay in an in-between position, or how it opens/closes? I wonder if the "optical path alignment" wasn't in fact ND filter mechanism adjustment... My lens never shows any trace of vignetting as described by early adopters, but here is what I spotted today:

OMG! It's the mother of all vignettes returned with a vengeance!!!! ;)

Imagine if Vin Diesel was that big in frame.

Wow Piotr, you're "bad luck to a hunting dog!"

Does this happen everytime you use your ND filters?

I've never seen this...

Ive seen this happen on my camera once, but you just flick the ND off/on and its gone. It stays in between the modes and i think that causes it as Piotr says. I sure was afraid that now its broken when it happened!

No Steven - fortunately enough, it doesn't happen every time (happened once so far, and then I forcibly re-created it to make sure it was it, and not the Mother Vignette:)). This doesn't change the fact that the ND filter switch is very poorly designed and functioning (just like all the other slider kind of switches on this professional, CineAlta machine:( ).

Interestingly, it happened when I was testing the most "exotic" camera setting in the PAL area: recording 24PsF in SP, to the DR60 drive connected via i.LINK. But it must have been a coincidence.

BTW: as a sidenote, did you all notice that in SP mode, the LCD doesn't flicker with its ugly green screens when using Expanded Focus, for instance? It only seems to happen in HQ...

Regarding your "bad luck to a hunting dog" comment, well - I guess I deserve it. Just take a look into the V1 forum archives... Anyway, if I am buying a new camera, it is 100% certain it WILL have serious teething problems;) The good news is that - after all - it all comes to a happy end, though.

Sami,
We have cameras from the same batch; neither of use has the vignetting issue (in the previous form that haunted others before us); none of the others ever reported the ND filer mechanism jamming half-way...

No, the following crossed my mind: is it pure coincidence, or did Sony fixed the original vignetting issue by some modification to the ND filter that doesn't quite work, either?

Anybody whose ND filter stuck at least once, please report!

I don't think the two are related, If I'm not careful I can drop the filter halfway over the image too, but personally I'm not bothered by it, It's easy so feel when it hasn't engaged properly.

Talking of vignetting, I noticed when reviewing footage from a shoot yesterday that I'm still getting some with the OIS on, and sometimes very slightly with it off. I's nowhere near as bad as the last camera but definitely there.

Maybe I'll send it in one day so see if they can get rid of it altogether, I can't afford to be without it at the moment though.

Do you guys with the newer cams see it with OIS on?

Paul.

No, I am very happy because I haven't spotted any vignetting so far. However, the ND filter is driving me nuts :(

I´ve been lurking in this forum for quite a while now and finally received my EX1 today only to find out that it shows the vignetting issue in the top left corner. I thought Sony fixed this issue by now, but it seems that my camera slipped through QC. I think as they are aware of the issue, this should no longer happen, and I´m a little disappointed. Looks like I will return the camera first thing monday morning.

Otherwise the camera really is great. I was used shooting with big SD broadcast cameras like Digibetas - but this little camera really blew me away. Very impressive little beast. I hope to have it repaired asap. I think I will already miss it ;-)

If Sony reads this - please fix it fast!

Gerald, welcome to the forum! I understand your frustration, but don't worry: at least now we all know for sure it can be fixed, as most units do NOT show vignetting any more. In this respect, you're in a much better situation than those early adopters, who first spotted the issue 3 months ago and - at that time - couldn't even be sure it was fixable!

I'm sure you will have your camera back and fixed soon. Enjoy!

Thanks Piotr.
UPS just picked up the camera and it is now on its way to Sony Prime Support in France. Hope to have it back by the end of week.
I thoroughly tested the camera over the weekend and already like it very much. The vignetting issue showed up on a couple of testshots when aperture was wide open. If it was higher than f5.6 it was completely gone.

regards,
Gerald

Mines going back this week too. I've started noticing it more and more, especially with OIS on and the reports from others who have said it's totally gone means that it's worthwhile getting it looked at.

Just to clarify what I'm seeing, I have attached a small movie file. This is taken while moving the camera slightly with OIS on and zoom at 10mm (fully open iris).

I just hope it doesn't come back any worse!

Paul.

I hear you Paul.

Here's my deal. I'm on my second camera.
My first camera showed vignetting in all four corners (OIS OFF), but more so to the right side. I sent it in for adjustment and it came back with vignetting on all four corners (OIS OFF).

Now after waiting out for a replacement camera.
My second camera (based on the SN#, should be the latest batch) has less, but still shows up in the top two corners.

I'm going to have Sony techs try to fix this one.
This time. I'm sending in "exact" particulars and images of "where" and "how" to display this issue. I have no idea why my first camera came back worse.

Also, I'm going to set up a careful test using a marked grid to determine if the focal length travel is parallel to the optical axis.

Originally, I was almost OK with my replacement camera (it has less than my first camera), but this problem has been showing up and is obvious. The problem is it was spotted by someone who doesn't know jack about cameras. That bothered me. LOL

Paul,
Do you see the vignette through focal length travel with OIS off?
Mine's there with it off between 8-25mm. Mostly around 15mm.

I can only imagine mine would be real bad if I were to turn on OIS.

If yours does not show with OIS off. I wonder how they would actually fix this? In this case, it's not the telecentricity of the lens.

Hi Steven, yes I can see it in the upper corners, but only slightly and nowhere near as badly as the first camera I had. I am nervous about having it messed with, but if they make it worse I'll show them before and after examples and make sure it gets put right.

Just out of interest, do you guys with the newer cameras see this issue at all with the OIS on?

My test was done simply by pointing the camera at a blank wall at 10mm Zoom with the IRIS fully open and the darkened corners were quite obvious on the LCD when moving the camera around.

I wonder when you say 'the darkened corners' Paul if you're seeing simply less exposed corners (which is quite normal at full aperture) or actual black pixels in the corners denoting that the lens is off axis with the chip block

All lenses vignette the image at wide aperture, often as much as 1 ½ stops, which is why various makers supply a neutral spot filters for critical applications.

tom.

Paul,

No, I have no vignetting at all. While this may not comfort you just now, in the long run it means you should insists that your unit is vignette-free, as well. Sincerely, good luck!

Piotr

I've shown a larger version of the clip I posted above to Sony Prime Support and they have said that it's 'working normally'. If however this isn't happening on all cameras I'm not overly happy with that response.

Paul.