My X100 overexposed for no good reason?!

[Nelson Tan]

Ari, hearing that the problem can recur makes me very nervous! By the time it happens again, my camera will probably be out of warranty!

So, I called Fuji and told them the aperture is sticking -- again. They looked up the history of the camera and said it looks like they didn't actually replace the lens unit the first time around. Representative said they probably didn't reproduce the issue, so didn't bother with the replacement. This time, they'll definitely replace the lens unit, quoth he. Of course, since the repair paperwork they returned with my camera last time clearly states "replaced lens unit", I'm not sure how I'll know this time either.... :/ Maybe I should discreetly mark the lens somewhere with a sharpie.

Ari

 

[kermaier]

OK, I called Fuji repair again, and the person I spoke to this time said it's extremely unlikely that the service tech wrote "replaced lens assembly" on the work order and didn't actually do it. The representative I spoke to last week was wrong.

He did note, however, that my last repair was in September, but they got a shipment of newly manufactured replacement lens assemblies at the end of October. The implication being that the earlier batch of replacement lenses may have been prone to the same sticky aperture issue as the original camera production.

So, if you had your lens assembly replaced prior to October 2011, you might want to call Fuji and ask about the warranty situation in event that the sticky aperture issue recurs.

::Ari

 

[gavinlg]

OK, I called Fuji repair again, and the person I spoke to this time said it's extremely unlikely that the service tech wrote "replaced lens assembly" on the work order and didn't actually do it. The representative I spoke to last week was wrong.

He did note, however, that my last repair was in September, but they got a shipment of newly manufactured replacement lens assemblies at the end of October. The implication being that the earlier batch of replacement lenses may have been prone to the same sticky aperture issue as the original camera production.

So, if you had your lens assembly replaced prior to October 2011, you might want to call Fuji and ask about the warranty situation in event that the sticky aperture issue recurs.

::Ari

Yep, and the new batch seems to be fine. Mine now has quite a few shutter actuations on it, and it has worked flawlessly. Seriously adore this little camera. Just did testing with off camera strobes and the ability to sync at 1/2000th, even 1/4000th, with a built in 3 stop ND filter is pretty mind blowing!

 

[fireblade]

Yep, and the new batch seems to be fine. Mine now has quite a few shutter actuations on it, and it has worked flawlessly. Seriously adore this little camera. Just did testing with off camera strobes and the ability to sync at 1/2000th, even 1/4000th, with a built in 3 stop ND filter is pretty mind blowing!

Gavin, did you deal with the retailer or Fuji direct? cheers.

 

[kermaier]

Update: Last week Fuji repair called and said they ran computer diagnostics on the camera and couldn't reproduce the problem, so they couldn't justify replacing the lens assembly.

I emailed them a set of test JPG files I'd shot the day I sent them the camera (my front lawn, ISO 200 at f/2-1/500, f/2.8-1/250, f/4-1/125, f/5.6-1/60, f/8-1/30), which demonstrated the histogram marching uniformly to the right as I stopped down. They were able to reproduce that test manually, and so they're replacing the lens unit.

I should have the camera back in my hands for the weekend. 😎

::Ari

 

[Turtle]

Can I confirm what the camera will show as the aperture if it is sticking? I just shot a frame with everything on auto and it horribly blown out. The frame shows it was shot at 1/125 and f2.8, whereas the very next frame was 1/750 at f7.1!

Will the file, when previewed in the camera, show the aperture it was supposed to have selected, or the aperture actually used?

I have not been able to repeat the problem thus far.

I have been looking at the aperture as it stops down and it seems to be doing so rapidly and accurately every time I focus, however, if I release my finger from the shutter button, the aperture opens up very sluggishly and seems variable in the speed it does so. I never bothered looking before, but is this normal? Could it be related to a sticky aperure that has only manifested itself once thus far in use?

 

[Oldskewl808]

Man this sucks, I bought one used and now it's blowing out exposures. If I look at the lens it does not move the aperature to where I have the lens setting when I push half way down on the shutter button. If I keep repeating the half press it finally moves after a while. Then it seems to become light sensitive and move all over according to light levels on the half press on full manual aperature and shutter?
What are my options, am I screwed? I don't have a receipt.

 

[gavinlg]

Man this sucks, I bought one used and now it's blowing out exposures. If I look at the lens it does not move the aperature to where I have the lens setting when I push half way down on the shutter button. If I keep repeating the half press it finally moves after a while. Then it seems to become light sensitive and move all over according to light levels on the half press on full manual aperature and shutter?
What are my options, am I screwed? I don't have a receipt.

Call fuji.

 

[Turtle]

Oldskew, I suspect Fuji will do the right thing here. Its a ubiquitous defect not a failure, so fingers crossed.

FWIW I suspect mine is showing early symptoms and I will send mine in when I get back from Kabul. For now, it will continue its duties as my go everywhere cam..... when I dont have my Holga!

 

[kermaier]

The way to test for this defect is:

1. Set the camera for aperture-priority AE.
2. Find a scene with lighting that will not change for a few minutes.
3. Set the aperture to f/2 and take a picture.
4. Check the exposure data for the first picture and note the AE shutter speed.
5. Manually set the camera's shutter speed to 1 stop slower than the previous speed, and stop down the lens to f/2.8.
6. Take a picture.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6, running down through the aperture settings to at least f/8 or f/11.
8. Do a slide show of the resulting 5-6 pictures. If your camera's aperture is stuck, the sequence of pictures should exhibit monotonically increasing exposure. (The histograms will march steadily to the right until they fall of the cliff of blown highlights.) If the exposure remains constant through the series of pictures, then your aperture is working fine.

::Ari

 

[Oldskewl808]

The way to test for this defect is:

1. Set the camera for aperture-priority AE.
2. Find a scene with lighting that will not change for a few minutes.
3. Set the aperture to f/2 and take a picture.
4. Check the exposure data for the first picture and note the AE shutter speed.
5. Manually set the camera's shutter speed to 1 stop slower than the previous speed, and stop down the lens to f/2.8.
6. Take a picture.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6, running down through the aperture settings to at least f/8 or f/11.
8. Do a slide show of the resulting 5-6 pictures. If your camera's aperture is stuck, the sequence of pictures should exhibit monotonically increasing exposure. (The histograms will march steadily to the right until they fall of the cliff of blown highlights.) If the exposure remains constant through the series of pictures, then your aperture is working fine.

::Ari

I'm really not sure now. I did the test indoors and failed. The exposures became increasingly bright, but now I just went outdoors under moderate light and the exposures did not change. I think it may be a off and on kind of thing.

 

[kermaier]

Can you post both sets of pictures with EXIF data?
::Ari

 

[Oldskewl808]

Can you post both sets of pictures with EXIF data?
::Ari

I don't know whats going on now. I just came back from a quick shoot and had great results, but if the problem returns I will dive into it further.

 

[Turtle]

Same here. I will see if I get an erroneous totally blown out frame and then test for it. I cannot send it back for 3 months anyway as stuck in Kabul.

 

[kermaier]

I you have a sticky aperture, it will show up most obviously when you're stopped down to f/8 or smaller in bright light. Shooting wide open, everything will look just fine.
Ari