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!

 

[jssadowsky]

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.

I'm having the same issue with my A7R V - I just posted about it and then found your post on the A7R IV. Electrical tape? Holy s**t! There has got to be a better solution. Have you found a better solution since you posted?

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

I'm having the same issue with my A7R V - I just posted about it and then found your post on the A7R IV. Electrical tape? Holy s**t! There has got to be a better solution. Have you found a better solution since you posted?

Nope, the small piece of tape is still in place. It works perfectly now too.

 

[jssadowsky]

Nope, the small piece of tape is still in place. It works perfectly now too.

Well - thanks! I'll give it a try.

This thread was very useful. I was going to try an eye cup, but I see here that doesn't work either.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Well - thanks! I'll give it a try.

This thread was very useful. I was going to try an eye cup, but I see here that doesn't work either.

No. I have one, and actually much prefer it, but it doesn't seem to help, even though you'd think it would.

 

[jssadowsky]

Any updates here? I've tried the tape method, but I'm still experiencing the issue with my A7R5. It seems to happen only when shooting in bright sunlight. As pointed out in this thread, setting VF manual doesn't defeat the eye sensor. I would be satisfied if Sony would simply provide a means to switch off the eye detector when in VF manual (either always in VF manual, or as a new VF manual w/ no eye detect). Then I'd only use it in bright sunlight, and I'll be responsible for switching the camera off when not shooting. Now, how do we get Sony to give us this in a firmware update?