Is clicking and viewfinder flicker normal with the Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS on an original A7?
Asked 5/6/2019
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I’m using a Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS on the first-generation Sony A7 and noticed a clicking sound plus flicker in the LCD/EVF when changing aperture. I don’t see the same behavior with my FE 24-105mm or 28-70mm kit lens, so I’m wondering if this is normal for the 70-200mm f/4 OSS.
I’ve also found autofocus weaker in low-contrast or lower-light scenes, such as soft golden-hour light. Is that expected with this lens/body combination?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
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The "clicking" sounds you are hearing is almost certainly the OSS (Optical SteadyShot) mechanism in the lens. Lenses from pretty much all manufacturers that include lens based optical stabilization make similar noises when starting up or when compensating for camera/lens movement.
Your 24-105 and 28-70 lenses do not have OSS, as the IBIS system inside many Sony cameras is sufficient at those focal length ranges. At longer focal lengths, though, the same amount of camera movement results in a larger displacement of the subject as a percentage of the frame size. IBIS is limited in terms of range of motion by the size of the image circle projected by the lens as well as size and space constraints inside the camera body. Thus Sony has added OSS to the longer Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS telephoto lens to supplement IBIS.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this is likely normal. The clicking is most likely from the lens’s OSS (Optical SteadyShot) system engaging or compensating for movement, not a fault with the aperture. Telephoto lenses commonly use lens-based stabilization, and that can make audible noises that shorter lenses without OSS may not.
The viewfinder/LCD flicker when changing aperture can also happen as the camera adjusts exposure preview and the lens updates its settings. Since your other lenses don’t use the same stabilization setup, they may behave differently.
As for autofocus, weaker AF in low-contrast or dimmer light is also expected, especially with the original Sony A7. AF performance depends on both the lens and the camera body, and older bodies generally struggle more in low contrast/low light than newer ones. A 70-200mm telephoto can also be more demanding for stabilization and focus than shorter zooms.
So based on the reported behavior, the clicking and some AF hesitation are not unusual for this lens on a first-generation A7.
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