Two (or technically three) new cameras that hit the shelves in the last six months, the two Sony full-frame mirrorless interchangeables, the a7 and a7r, and the retro Fujifilm X-T1, reportedly have light leaking issues.

Fortunately, there are both temporary and permanent fixes for the issue in both cases.

Imaging-resource.com tested the Sony cameras and found they experienced light leaking around the lens mount when shooting directly toward the sun at an extremely high ISO rate and long exposure. This suggests the problem lies within the camera’s design, meaning every camera experiences leaking light – but IR have ruled it as a ‘complete non-issue for the vast majority of photographers’.

Similar issues were recorded with the Nikon D800E and Canon 5D Mark III when put through the same test. It appears not at all uncommon for cameras to leak light when shooting with these pretty extreme settings.

Putting a bit of electrical tape or a hair-tie around the lens bayonet will fix the problem according to IR, who stand by the Camera of the Year award they handed to the a7r last year. But at $2000 for an a7 and $2500 for a a7r, one may expect Sony, who have confirmed that they are aware of the issue and given the rather generic response of ‘currently researching a solution’, to appropriately address any disgruntled a7 and a7r owner’s complaints.

In contrast to a design fault, Fujifilm’s X-T1 light leak is attributed to a defective batch that managed to hit most corners of the world. Fujifilm issued a Service Advisory on their Japanese web-page stating any X-T1 with a serial number between 41002001 and 41006000 will be affected.

Fujifilm have been quick to admit the flaw and responded to concerns just days after the problem began to surface – outlining a commitment to fix and repair any defected models for free.

While the advisory was published on Fujifilm Japan web-page, Fujirumors.com says photographers from the UK and US have reported the problem to their local service centre, which has responded in the same way.

It is not yet known whether any Australian X-T1 cameras have experienced light leaking issues and how Fujifillm Australia may deal with it. Pro Counter has approached Fujifilm Australia for comment.

This is the service advisory from the Fujifilm Japan, translated poorly by Google.
Source: Fujirumors.com