Hello From A New Member - Paul, WB5AGF

[Paul-WB5AGF]

Thursday Afternoon
03 Aug 2023

Greetings;

I just joined a bit ago (today) after I got-a-scare from my Sony A7iii Camera.

I've had the camera for four years and it is my 'go-to-camera' when I feel a
need to document something (like when receiving an item off eBay).

When I took my A7iii out of its case this afternoon I found that the camera
would not go into the 'Menu' settings (I've found that I need to reset the
internal clock fairly often as the camera doesn't seem to meet my requirements
for accuracy) and only after several minutes did it seem to begin 'remembering'
the settings.

What I appear to have 'discovered' is that there is an 'internal battery' in
the A7iii and it will discharge even if a 'regular battery' (what we users
recharge) is kept in the camera.

As best I can tell this 'internal battery' only gets charged when the camera
is turned on. (I phoned the camera store where I'd bought the A7iii four
years ago and the guy I spoke with did not seem aware of this.)

Anyway ... that's 'how' I got 'here' today.

I'm a retired electrical engineer (20 years in telecom and then a bit of this-
and-that for 10 more years). Have had my Amateur Radio License since I
was 19, and got into 35mm cameras when overseas in the Air Force back
in the 1970s (I still have my Canon Ftb Camera body and am sad that
Mercury batteries are now 'pure unobtanium').

Regards;

Paul, WB5AGF

 

[alexpler]

Welcome Paul. Glad it was just a scare!

 

[Unframed Dave]

Welcome Paul, thanks for sharing. Today I learnt something. Use it or lose it.

 

[Brownie]

Well, that's not shocking when you consider Minolta Maxxums had the same type of setup. It was to maintain roll and setting information if the batteries were out or dead. Not chargeable though. They always said it wasn't user serviceable and you had to take it to a shop. Hint: It is, and you don't.

Welcome.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Welcome aboard. I'm surprised the camera store didn't try to upsell you to an A7IV or A7RV.

 

[Tim Mayo]

Welcome Paul and thanks again for joining up here. All of my Sony cameras will lose the date/time and throw up the prompt to set these again if you leave them for long enough, so I wouldn't worry about that too much unless it starts happening on a weekly basis.

 

[Brownie]

Welcome aboard. I'm surprised the camera store didn't try to upsell you to an A7IV or A7RV.

The joys of Mom-and-Pop shops. I have a local shop, and in particularly a specific salesman that I trust implicitly. They guy once told me not to buy a specific camera I was looking at because there would be no advantage over what I was already shooting. That lost him a sale but has resulted in hundreds or purchases. It's a shame they're becoming extinct.