Eye sensor over sensitivity - a solution.

[Uncle Kevriano]

Ever since owning the A7RIV the biggest bugbear has always been the stupid and overly sensitive eye sensor above the viewfinder, which has cost me many a shot over time because the viewfinder just goes dark and will not come back without lots of tilting and moving of the camera while covering it by hand. It's a real ball ache, and really got to me last week in the low, bright sun, when it is far worse. It doesn't matter whether you have it on auto or manual either, so, sussing that the sunlight clearly had something to do with the sensor detecting something extraneous, i started playing about with electrical tape, covering all of the sensor to start with (no good) and then smaller increments at a time.
Ultimately I have settled with covering 50% of the left side of the sensor, and since doing so have not have it go dark once in a few hours of shooting. Quite why Sony make it so sensitive is a bit beyond me, but, this solution works, so I thought it worth posting as it may help someone now or in the future.

 

[AlphaWorld]

Glad you got a solution!

I never had that problem with the A7RIV. I saw it once, maybe twice on the A1, where there was more fuss about it becsuse they moved the sensor to below the viewfinder instead of above. Some people solved it on the A1 is a similar way, but Sony managed a firmware adjustment on the A1.

Maybe I’ve not seen it much because I generally wear a wide-brimmed hat when outside, even when taking photos?

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Glad you got a solution!

I never had that problem with the A7RIV. I saw it once, maybe twice on the A1, where there was more fuss about it becsuse they moved the sensor to below the viewfinder instead of above. Some people solved it on the A1 is a similar way, but Sony managed a firmware adjustment on the A1.

Maybe I’ve not seen it much because I generally wear a wide-brimmed hat when outside, even when taking photos?

Possibly the hat is helping, yes, I only ever wear a B Cap style, and not in winter, woolly hat all the way Interesting that Sony implemented an adjustment on the A1, there is obviously an issue to solve. I wish they had done it on the RIV!

 

[AlphaWorld]

Possibly the hat is helping, yes, I only ever wear a B Cap style, and not in winter, woolly hat all the way Interesting that Sony implemented an adjustment on the A1, there is obviously an issue to solve. I wish they had done it on the RIV!

Well, the A1 sensor is st the bottom, so it is less protected by the eyecup - the A7RIV has it fairly surrounded, and I haven’t seen other reports of the problem. Or do you shoot without the rubber piece attached (I read of one person removing it because of their glasses)? That might exacerbate matters.

There are third party eyecups, too - maybe one of those would solve it for you?

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

I do already use a 3rd party extended eyepiece but it literally made no difference, which I thought it might. I wear glasses too, and have never found using the eyecup an issue.
As it is the tape is cheap and works!