Hi,

my Sony PMW EX-3 the firmware is v1.02_0078

How do I update to firmware of the EX-3 to use MxR?

And to firmware it be not updated, doesn't MxR work?


Thank you

You don't need to update the firmware on the EX-3 to use MxR Cards. It's the EX-1 that need a firmware update. I use the MxR Cards without issue on my EX-3 and I haven't updated my firmware.

Thank you Paul!

I now will need to buy the cards SDHC! Which manufacturer do you use for their works?

Next time, you may want to try a search.

Here are a few links:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/138485-summary-sdhc-substitute-sxs-cards.html

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/139961-mxr-expresscard-reader-moves-final-qc-shipping.html

What is the Newest Firmware Update for the EX3?

is it 1.04?

thanks

Shawn

Thank you Paul!

I now will need to buy the cards SDHC! Which manufacturer do you use for their works?

I personally use the Transcend 16GB SDHC but I have heard the Sandisk Ultra II & the Extreme III also work! There are many threads/posts on this forum, covering this topic!

Happy shooting,

Paul

Just got back from NJ where Sony service was kind enough to let me drop off my EX3 in the morning and had it ready after lunch.

They updated firmware to v 1.04_0084, tested for 100 minutes, adjusted backfocus and just generally looked over camera.

I had not experienced the loss of manual focus bug, but I figured that I didn't want to wait until it happened. And while I had to be in the NY-NJ area, I was able to call Sony a few days in advance and arrange drop off service in Teaneck.

SDHC still works.

Ned Soltz

When did the 1.04 firmware come out, how critical is this patch & is it just for squashing bugs?

I just did the 1.03 patch not that long ago.

Since the firmware update fixes the loss of manual focus issue, I would say that it is a critical update.

Ned

This is yet another thing I should no doubt already know (there seems to be a lot of these lately)
But where do I find out what firmware version my camera has? I can't seem to find anything in the menus....

This is yet another thing I should no doubt already know (there seems to be a lot of these lately)
But where do I find out what firmware version my camera has? I can't seem to find anything in the menus....

Press the select, cancel, and menu buttons all at once--but not the ones on the handle (they won't work),the ones next to the menu button. New menu items will appear at the bottom and you scroll to IF.

Sony's management of EXn firmware updates is horribly screwed up. We can only hope that global economic realities will force them to refocus and get up to speed with rest of the industry, so that we can download firmware updates and apply to our EXn camera's. Until then, your questions are by no means dumb or ill founded.

Thanks, Barry
good lord, how does Sony expect us to figure this stuff out?
okay... so I have determined I have v. 1.02 something. how does this manual focus bug manifest itself? I want to make sure I recognize it if I see it. I almost always use manual focus....
thanks very much. it's simply amazing the amount of information available on this forum!

Since the firmware update fixes the loss of manual focus issue, I would say that it is a critical update.

Ned
Hmmm. I got the 1.03_0082 update and it was supposed to address this. I guess they have made more tweaks to the firmware.

I'll be calling up Sony Canada on Monday to get the scoop.

how does this manual focus bug manifest itself? I want to make sure I recognize it if I see it. I almost always use manual focus.

The documented issue with it appears to happen when you are using manual assist with the focus ring pushed forward. There is another menu driven option that puts it closer to being in auto than in manual. When you use either/or functions, running the camera for a long time, the manual focus ring will not respond to your adjustments. It's the EX3's version of "Blue Screen of Death" where the machine just won't respond. OK I'm overstating it but you get the point.

There are a couple of threads here on the matter. One is very long and cited many instances of the focus locking up when you are in manual assist mode and shooting continously for a long time. Focus lock times seem to range from half an hour to over 3 hours, with most instances being closer to the 3 hour end of the spectrum.

damn..... but I (so far) haven't used focus assist, just plain ol' manual focus. (with the aid of expanded focus once in a while)
So maybe this isn't a big concern, unless you use focus assist?

oops a double post.

damn..... but I (so far) haven't used focus assist, just plain ol' manual focus. (with the aid of expanded focus once in a while)
So maybe this isn't a big concern, unless you use focus assist?

I also use manual focus and have had my EX3 since October 2008. So far the issue has not manifested itself even after a three hour shoot. "If it's not broke-don't fix it" is how I was raised as a Broadcast Engineer. Moreover, I'm not going to ship my camera 1000's of Km to a Sony depot at either end of the Country to have this done. The local Sony dealer is clueless as to EXn issues and I would not trust them to do anything firmware related. YMMV. Cheers!

Having recently upgraded to 1.03 I was concerned that I didnt' have the latest firmware version 1.04. 1.03 fixes the focus issue. 1.04, according to Sony SJ has to do with the flicker setting. Here's the reply I got from Sony:

Your camera was upgraded to V1.03 on 2/5/09. The new version was released recently. The difference between V1.03 and V1.04 is V1.03 has default setting of “Auto” and “50Hz” for “flicker reduce”. V1.04 has default setting of “OFF” and “60HZ”. Once you set the “flicker reduce” to “OFF” and “60Hz”, the unit will stay at the setting similar to V1.04 unless you reset to default setting.

The difference between V1.03 and V1.04 is V1.03 has default setting of “Auto” and “50Hz” for “flicker reduce”. V1.04 has default setting of “OFF” and “60HZ”. Once you set the “flicker reduce” to “OFF” and “60Hz”, the unit will stay at the setting similar to V1.04 unless you reset to default setting.

Just out of curiosity I checked my camera to see if they new firmware had nuked my flicker setting adjustment. It hadn't so my settings had been restored to the pre-firmware update process. I have my flicker reduce set to "on" for 60Hz and it is still that way, thank goodness.