FX6: PZ 28-135 Auto Iris Ring Issue

jmone

jmone

Well-known member
Travelling in Greece and Türkiye so away from home and I'm having and issue with the 28-135 on my FX6 with the Iris Ring on the Lens. If I rotate it all the way counter clockwise to the "A" (auto) position it no longer triggers "Auto Iris" but puts it in some middle position like F11. If I edge it back slightly so it sits between the "A" and "4" mark it then is in Auto Iris mode. It's almost like I need to adjust the hard stop of the Iris Ring.

Any ideas, as my muscle memory is to just rotate the iris ring all the way to the hard hard stop when I want "auto iris" and I now get F11 etc.
 
Personally, IDK - but what else could it be besides an electronic miscommunication or misaligned gears?

Lens adapters randomly jump aperture sometimes, and many brand new manual cinema lenses ship where the infinity focus is off and you have to nudge it back a bit to get infinity.

I'm assuming you didn't drop it...
 
No bumps or drops that I know of on this trip. It did cope a flogging a couple of years ago in Iceland but I got Sony to service it after that and this is the first time I've seen this issue snice new. Also just tested it on an A7Siii body, same thing (so it is defiantly the Lens). I'm in a pretty hot/dusty environment so I don't know if there is some crud causing the issue but I can't feel any grit in the movement of the iris ring. Not sure what I can do in the field except live with it unless someone has any ideas.
 
I'm a bit confused at what you are saying here? On the 28-135 mm if the lens is in full Manual mode you cannot, or you shouldn't be able to turn the iris ring past the F/4.0 mark as it hard stops at F/4.0. So I cannot understand how you are getting the ring to sit between F/4.0 and Auto in manual, or for that matter, Auto mode.

Conversely, if you are in full Auto mode, the iris ring's red "A" symbol should be aligned with the white line marker on the lens barrel. In that mode, the iris ring cannot, or should not be able to, be moved at all if the lens IRIS LOCK selector switch is fully forward in the "locked" position.

First, I would be double-checking that the lens' IRIS LOCK switch is definitely set to the RELEASE position before you attempt to turn the iris ring right around to the red "A" position. Then once you have the "A" aligned with the white index mark on the lens barrel, if all things are working as they should be, you should then be able to set the IRIS LOCK switch forward to the LOCK position. The lens should then be in its full auto mode, with no further iris ring movement possible.

Also, to eliminate any other weird influences, just double-check in your "Auto Exposure" menu that the AGC is turned "OFF". Because if that has accidentally been turned ON and the Auto Shutter setting, also in the same menu is also set to ON you will find the "A SHT Point" is factory preset to F/11.0. Something weird like that may have taken place.

If all of the above doesn't restore proper iris function, I would then do the following. Write down any special settings you have altered in the camera and then do a complete camera reset back to the factory settings as you may have a software glitch in the system. Let's face it, these cameras are just computers with lenses. I f you are going to attempt that, go to the "Maintenance" menu and select "Reset to Factory". After some moments, the camera will rest itself and reboot.

Keep us posted on what happens. I've been in your position before. Once in Malaya and once in Fiji, when in both cases I had cameras deciding to throw fits.

Good luck!

Chris Young
 
So, I've got the Iris Lock Off and the Iris ring moves freely. I can use the Iris ring to select a particular F stop without issue. Previously, if I rotated the Iris ring all the way to "A" (the hard stop) then it would be in Auto mode which I can see in the FX6 OSD. Worked fine like this for years. Now if I rotate it all the way to "A" it will be not be in Auto but some random F stop (usually F11) but if I back the ring off just a tiny bit towards F4 it will be in Auto mode. If I back it off more it will go into F4 around the F4 marking (or F8 at F8 marking etc). I can't see anything weird in the settings on the FX6 and I see the same issue with the lens on the A7Siii.
 
Right. Just to make sure I'm on the right track. I can't remember the last time I used Auto Iris on the FX6 with the 28-135. I got the camera out a double-checked a few things to get it all clear in the old foggy mind bank.

To get the auto iris in full operational mode on my FX6/28-135 I do the following. I make sure the lens is in the "A" position and the IRIS LOCK is in the LOCK position. I now hold the camera body button named IRIS in for a couple of seconds.

After holding this button in for about 2-3 seconds, it pops up the AUTO/MANUAL direct selection sub menu in the bottom center of the VF screen. I then roll up and select AUTO. I now press the IRIS button again to close that selection direct sub-menu. Now at the bottom of my VF screen I have the aperture displayed. F/4.0 or what ever it happens to be, but now it has, left of the aperture number, a small solid white pointer icon with the letter "A" in the middle of it. Obviously indicating the camera is now in full auto iris mode. Now when I move the camera into various lighting situations, the iris will automatically adjust itself, and the new aperture setting will be displayed next to the little white A icon in the bottom of the VF screen.

BUT. Now if the lens iris lock button is in the RELEASE position and the iris selection button direct sub menu on the camera body is set to AUTO I find the auto iris body setting takes precedence on setting the iris. BUT it can manually be over-ridden by turning the iris ring on the lens to a smaller setting. So if auto was setting the iris to F/5.6 I can override that by rotating the lens iris ring to say F/11.0. For me? Well, I would never work this way.

The way I have always used the 28-135, and the 18-110 99% of the time, is in manual mode.

To sum up.

But when I have wanted to use these lenses in auto mode, I've always had the lens iris lock switch in "A" LOCK mode and then selected either AUTO or MANUAL in the two-second press direct sub menu selection under the IRIS BUTTON on the camera body. Then I can run in full auto iris mode, or by selecting MANUAL in the direct sub menu I can adjust the iris by a single press on the IRIS button to get the big solid white aperture box and then adjust the iris with the big rotary wheel on the camera body.

If all this fails you, then It looks like a visit to the lens doctor. Sad to say though, quite often the price of replacing the electronics in these lenses is so close to the new price of the lens it's not worth it.

If you don't have the FX6 manual with you and want a refresher, the auto iris page is attached.

Good luck!

Chris Young
 

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Thanks. Edit: I run the IRIS completely from the lens ring. Normally when on "A" the FX6 is in Auto Iris, and when moved off "A" it is using the desired setting (f4, f8 etc)...so I've got both Auto and Manual iris control just using the Iris ring on the lens. I've never used the dials on the body of the Camera. Works great till this trip.

FWIW, I now can not used the lock on the iris ring (not that I use it) as it will not trigger Auto Iris. I have to nudge the ring slightly clockwise for it to kick in.

It was OK on shooting today as when I wanted Auto Iris, I'd rotate it to A then back it off a bit and check the OSD it was showing as Auto.

Looks like I'll need to check it in again for a service. The biggest pain is the turnaround time.
 
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jmone said:
Thanks. Edit: I run the IRIS completely from the lens ring. Normally when on "A" the FX6 is in Auto Iris, and when moved off "A" it is using the desired setting (f4, f8 etc)...so I've got both Auto and Manual iris control just using the Iris ring on the lens. I've never used the dials on the body of the Camera. Works great till this trip.

FWIW, I now can not used the lock on the iris ring (not that I use it) as it will not trigger Auto Iris. I have to nudge the ring slightly clockwise for it to kick in.

It was OK on shooting today as when I wanted Auto Iris, I'd rotate it to A then back it off a bit and check the OSD it was showing as Auto.

Looks like I'll need to check it in again for a service. The biggest pain is the turnaround time.
Click to expand...
Yes, I think I know where you are coming from. Re your second comment"

"FWIW, I now can not used the lock on the iris ring (not that I use it) as it will not trigger Auto Iris. I have to nudge the ring slightly clockwise for it to kick in."

That is how the lens will react if it is LOCKED in the A mode. It will not engage Auto mode UNLESS the AUTO mode is selected in the "Direct" sub menu after a two-second press on the IRIS button on the body. That selection of either MANUAL/AUTO under the IRIS button Direct sub menu on the body will determine whether the lens will react automatically or not. That sub menu selection overrides the lens A lock setting.

Obviously, when in this locked mode, the only way you can control the iris exposure manually is by selecting MANUAL in that direct sub menu. Then the manual control of the aperture is done by the rotary wheel on the camera body, not the iris ring on the lens as it is locked.

The reason Sony have done it this way is that with lenses without an iris ring, like their 24-105 mm F/4.0 OSS, setting the Direct sub menu selection to MANUAL is the only way you will have manual control of the lens iris, via the rotary knob on the body. If I'm using any Sony lens without an iris ring, this is how I run the camera. Selecting between MANUAL or AUTO iris mode via the body IRIS sub menu should I need to switch modes. With both the 28-135 and the 18-110 I run them in full manual mode. If I need to use them in auto mode, then I will lock the lens in A mode and select between manual and auto in the sub menu. In other words, treating those two lenses as if they had no iris rings. Making any manual iris adjustment from the rotary knob on the body

But yes, It sounds like you may have an issue with the lens. It sounds like the registration point of the iris with the A mark is somehow off register. Back to the doctor, I guess!

Good luck!

Chris Young
 
Yeah, I don't think the lock switch is electronic, just olds the Iris ring in the A position....which is now a bit off. Anyway, got a workaround for now. Thanks for the ideas.
 
Wow! Strange one? I don't like things that "fix" themselves. Would still get it checked when you have the chance.

Chris Young
 
Yeah, I did not want to post straight away, but it as been fine for the last couple of days. I still now double check on the OSD as I no longer trust the mechanical feel of hitting A.
 
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