I have been looking to upgrade my firmware for the PMW-EX3 by can’t seem to find them. I know that some firmware versions have been available for a while now if you send your camera to Sony but can you upgrade it yourself? I’ve done a search but no avail.

Thanks in advance!

I have seen some links to the FW.

However Sony does at this point not consider it an enduser upgrade. They want you to take the camera to a Sony service center.

There is always a risk when you do a firmware upgrade, you can probably find the file somewhere on the WEB, but be careful.

I have read a rumor that future FW upgrades will be published for user upgrade at least for the EX1, hopefully for the EX3 as well.

Thanks for that Olof! Explains why I can't find any for the EX-3. Hope that they make it, so that end users can update their own firmware as it's not always possible to be without a cam for the time it takes Sony to do it!

I recently had my EX3 firmware upgraded by the local service center. It was considered to be part of the warranty so there was no charge. They kept the camera for a couple of days.

I recently had my EX3 firmware upgraded by the local service center. It was considered to be part of the warranty so there was no charge. They kept the camera for a couple of days.

That cool! Unfortunately for me I live on a small Island so I have to ship overseas to the UK to get my firmware upgraded. Turn around was quoted at three weeks. I can't live that long without the cam.

Firmware upgrades in Canada is precarious to say the lest, unless you live in Vancouver or Toronto. I live serveral thousand Km from both of these Sony depots. I spent an entire day on the telephone trying to find the right phone number and person to talk to. I lost count of the number of times that I was literally transferred from one side of the country to the other. Even the Canadian dealer who sold me the EX3 transferred me to a dead Sony telephone number, claiming it would connect me with a manger who get the ball rolling. The Sony Canada web sites are also useless as the "Contact Us" phone numbers are out of date, their e-mail address are not answered.

Now if you live in Vancouver or Toronto it is a matter of driving over to the depot and hand delivering the camera. It seems Sony Canada has no concept of service outside of these two cities or their respective provinces.

Given the above, there is no way I am going to risk taking my EX3 out of service. I will not send it by courier because neither depot is willing to take responsibility for firmware upgrades out side of their province. This situation is intolerable!

That cool! Unfortunately for me I live on a small Island so I have to ship overseas to the UK to get my firmware upgraded. Turn around was quoted at three weeks. I can't live that long without the cam.

Paul I know the feeling - I'm in the same situation as yours. However when and if there would be an important and needed upgrade for the EX3 I'm thinking of flying over to London and having the upgrade done on the same day while I wait for it. This means a 3 hour flight either way but at least it would travel as hand luggage and not tossed about by some courier. I'm willing to pay for the flight as long as I know that the camera was not man handled and that I would not have to wait for some 3-week long waiting period.

Um, how can I find out what FW version my camera is running?

JW

John, 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.

Thanks Mr. Anwender!

[wonders how much damage can be done in these menus]

Next dumb question: Anyone know what's the latest version available?

Machine I have runs 05_0094.

JW

Hi John,

As I stated in my post above I had my firmware updated a few weeks ago and the version is called V1.05_0094. The updating was delayed for a few days as I was advised that that this new version was coming. No one could tell me what the updates were, however I can still use my MXM and MXR adapters. I was advised that the updating was probably irreversible which is something to consider.

Hi Alastair,

Interesting you mention using MXM and MXR adaptors.

Reason I asked is I've been following a thread about media error / restore woes.

I seem to be having a lot fewer problems than other folks.

Firmware may be an issue.

Maybe you could chuck in your own experience?

JW

I was reading another thread and I believe it was Alister Chapman who said, that Sony might be allowing end-users to update their own firmware so that they could use the latest orange cards and their own version of the MxR.

However, I am wondering if this move will include a complete update for those who haven’t had any firmware updates from the original version (the one that was in the cam at the release last year)?

Paul I know the feeling - I'm in the same situation as yours. However when and if there would be an important and needed upgrade for the EX3 I'm thinking of flying over to London and having the upgrade done on the same day while I wait for it. This means a 3 hour flight either way but at least it would travel as hand luggage and not tossed about by some courier. I'm willing to pay for the flight as long as I know that the camera was not man handled and that I would not have to wait for some 3-week long waiting period.

I was thinking of flying over too. An expensive firmware update that would be though.

I have 1.04

What do I get by updating?

Thanks all

Firmware version 1.03 was the important one that fixed the issue of the focus locking up with the focus ring pushed forward. I haven't heard of any mission critical updates since then.

I just checked mine and it is version 1.02

The camera is 11 months old, but was only just un-boxed for use... and still is under warranty

is there any way to go just to 1.03 so I don't loose the us of SDHC cards ???

Or does the latest firmware still allow their use......

Also are we any closer to being able to do this ourselves ?

cheers

I have version 1.05 and use a couple of transcend 16GB SDHC cards with no worries so far - rock solid in fact.

If you take it to Sony, they'll run the upgrade to 1.05 or better.

I can't see them installing
obsolete firmware with known bugs they've already fixed!

JW

good stuff then...... I might organize to do the upgrade then asap.....

Thanks for the info :)