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Disappointed that I coudln't get a little automatic camera with an
EVF, I bought on Ebay a Sony DSC-5H camera. Not exactly compact, but
it seemed like a good price compared to other auctions of the same
thing.

It looks beautiful and I like it, but I still need to check if it is
working right

It works fine in every other situation but this one that I'm not sure
of.:

The manual says it focuses when the shutter button is pushed half-way
down, but
AA) I don't see anything happen on the screen or in the EVF.

Maybe because it keeps the focus from the previous shot, and if it has
to change, it goes by too fast for me to notice?

I think it's supposed to beep at that point, but I hear no beep
The Read This First says:
Press and hold the shutter button halfway down to focus

AE/AF lock indicator
Flashing -->lit/beeps

Press the shutter button fully down.

In the middle step, the AE/AF lock indicater flashes and then it stays
lit for a second, but
BB) I don't hear it beep. Does "lit/beeps" mean it does both?

Do AA and BB mean it is broken? Is it trivial and I should still keep
the camera?

Or should I *try* to return it?

I also had problems when I zoomed in a very dark room and CC) all I
got were some big blurry lights. That could be normal, right? Some
things are hard to auto-focus on? Other pictures, close and far,
seem to be in focus.


It does make the shutter sound at the last step, and it beeps at other
times and makes other noises.

I liike the camera and want to keep it, but don't want to find out
later these represent serious problems.

Thanks

On Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:44:58 -0500, micky <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
: Disappointed that I coudln't get a little automatic camera with an
: EVF, I bought on Ebay a Sony DSC-5H camera. Not exactly compact, but
: it seemed like a good price compared to other auctions of the same
: thing.
:
: It looks beautiful and I like it, but I still need to check if it is
: working right
:
: It works fine in every other situation but this one that I'm not sure
: of.:
:
: The manual says it focuses when the shutter button is pushed half-way
: down, but
: AA) I don't see anything happen on the screen or in the EVF.
:
: Maybe because it keeps the focus from the previous shot, and if it has
: to change, it goes by too fast for me to notice?

Point the camera to a different subject at a different distance. It should
start out of focus, but come into focus when you push the button halfway.

: I think it's supposed to beep at that point, but I hear no beep
: The Read This First says:
: Press and hold the shutter button halfway down to focus
:
: AE/AF lock indicator
: Flashing -->lit/beeps
:
: Press the shutter button fully down.

Any "Read This First" instructions are likely to be incomplete. What does the
beefy part of the manual say?

: In the middle step, the AE/AF lock indicater flashes and then it stays
: lit for a second, but
: BB) I don't hear it beep. Does "lit/beeps" mean it does both?

You'd have to look that up. It's entirely possible that there's an option to
silence the beep. When you received the camera, did you revert it to factory
settings?

: Do AA and BB mean it is broken? Is it trivial and I should still keep
: the camera?

AF problems can certainly be non-trivial, but it's probably too early to give
up. What about the pictures you take? Are they in focus or not?

: Or should I *try* to return it?
:
: I also had problems when I zoomed in a very dark room and CC) all I
: got were some big blurry lights. That could be normal, right? Some
: things are hard to auto-focus on?

Yes, AF can be problematical in a very dark room. Does the camera or flash
have an AF assist beam? (That's what Canon calls it; YMMV.)

: Other pictures, close and far, seem to be in focus.

That sounds like a good sign.

: It does make the shutter sound at the last step, and it beeps at other
: times and makes other noises.

And do you know what those other noises are?

: I like the camera and want to keep it, but don't want to find out
: later these represent serious problems.

You're right to be careful, but I think you have more reading to do.

Bob