A7S Finder/EVF problems with auto switch

Hello,
For weeks I had no clue to a problem with the auto switch from the monitor to the EVF.
The eyesensor shut of the monitor when I approached the camera as far away as 50 cm or even more. The monitor went dark when doing a slide and the camera got closer to me. Tripod work with the monitor was almost impossible.
It seemed to happen randomly but then for the whole day. Not Indoors when testing and trying to reproduce at home.
The explanation to this proved to be the jacket I wore on these days. The eye sensor is extremely sensitive to the black gleaming color the cloth. With the jacket on I can't approach the camera more then 50 cm, without the eysensor works as it should and switches at about 5 cm distances.
What a strange camera or jacket. Anybody else got this problem?
Best solution would be to switch from monitor to EVF by one of the custom buttons.

I´d like to know, if I´m the only one with this experience.
 
Last edited:
One more,
the post should be named A7S Monitor/EVF problems ... . If anybody can change that?
I got closer. It is not the black cloth of the jacket but a small silvery strip on with the zipper is stitched.
 
I think so... Although I didn't know it until I read this. Yesterday I was filming on a constuction site with a high vis jacket on and the auto evf/monitor function wasn't working properly - it was prematurely switching off the monitor as I approached. I switched to monitor only as it was annoying me. When I got home I checked it again (no high vis) and all was fine. I hoped it was just a glitch and that a freshly charged new battery after turning off the camera fixed it.

It makes sense now having read this so thank you for posting. I am on my third A7s so didn't really want to face up to a potential new issue.

Incedently the first camera was hacked to English and took 10 seconds to be ready to shoot and the second kept getting database errors on cards (Sandisk, Transend of various sizes) I didn't lose work but it was scary.
 
I have traced it to al kinds of reflecting synthetics, as used in clothing for traffic security. These may be very small - just millimeters- to trigger the eyesensor. Even indoors with dim light and 30 cm distance. With bright sunlight it works somtimes from as far away as one meter.
 
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