I have been reading some post about the HC1 having problem with banding or streaking or something with reds. Is this true of all HC1? How can you tell if it is true only for older versions?

Well my HC1 doesn't "band or streak" reds, so I guess the answer is no.

There's been numerous posts about the HC1 not reproducing the color of some reds accurately, and there does seem to be variation between individual cameras in that regard. Not necessarily a "newer" vs. "older" thing however.

It has basically been fixed. I've read reports from people who have sent their HC1 to Sony for some other small fault and they have reported basically a complete fix for this pinky/lilac-y red problem. My guess is its a firmware upgrade that is automatically done by Sony to any incoming HC1's or A1's for repair.

Caveat : I don't KNOW exactly the nature of the fix but people say it's unequivocally better after it's been to Sony repair center...

Hi,

I personally can confirm that the red color rendering problem can be solved if you happen to have a bad unit. My HDR-HC1 serial number is 1075723 and I purchased it in November 2005. From day one it had the red rendring problem. Now, precisely on year later I sent it for warranty repair. My only complaint was the poor red color rendering. There were no deep reds, they just turned out red-lilac. The problem was completely gone when I got the cam back 5 days later!!! Gee was I happy :)

I should have sent the cam earlier for service, but I was sceptic since I never got a confirmation from Sony that something could be done to help the problem. Sending it to service just to get no help was one thing that I wanted to avoid.

The HC1 is now color perfect and this annoying problem is just a faint memory - if I do not take in consideration the already recorded tapes that will always remind me of this now fixed problem :)

You can find some before and after images in the following thread (at the end of it)...

http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=55503

Best regards,

Christian

IS there a way to update the firmware myself?

Hi,

Nope - no way that I have heard of.

Probably it can be done via Lanc or Firewire or USB, but that is just a wild guess. And you should have the proper sw and/or hw to do it... and from wheren do you get it Sony is not leaking such things out...

Christian

So is there a way to confirm which models have this 'red' problem? IS there a certain serial number sequence that has the red's problem?

I purchased my HC1 over a year ago and thought that I had a problem with the reds. Turns out I just didn't know how to use the camera yet. Being a first generation product, it does have some quirks. The main problem I was having was with exposure. If you overexpose even a little bit with the CMOS chip, it starts to wash out reds making them look pinkish. General rule that I use is to back off the exposure at least two notches from where the camera auto-exposes. It's also important to make sure you white balance before pretty much EVERY shot. Taking those two items into consideration, I don't have any problems with the reds created by the HC1. Really bright reds may have some artifacts in them, but this is normal for Digital Video and can be seen in broadcast footage all the time.

I purchased my HC1 over a year ago and thought that I had a problem with the reds. Turns out I just didn't know how to use the camera yet. Being a first generation product, it does have some quirks. The main problem I was having was with exposure. If you overexpose even a little bit with the CMOS chip, it starts to wash out reds making them look pinkish. General rule that I use is to back off the exposure at least two notches from where the camera auto-exposes. It's also important to make sure you white balance before pretty much EVERY shot. Taking those two items into consideration, I don't have any problems with the reds created by the HC1. Really bright reds may have some artifacts in them, but this is normal for Digital Video and can be seen in broadcast footage all the time.


yeah good points. i see it the same way , two notches seems to be the key

There is a red to magenta/lilac problem that occurred with a number of the HC1s and A1Us that shipped, including mine among many. That is a known issue that Sony has fixed.

There is also exposing correctly, and many of us tend to bring down the exposure a little from the auto-exposure settings.

And with proper lighting, exposure, etc., you get a wonderful picture that even surpasses the resolution of the FX1/Z1 due to its superior glass and with a little work you can match its color saturation.

Has anyone had the fix done outside of warrenty? (I ask because I bought my camera used). If so, what did it cost and how long did it take?

Thanks!

I'm looking to send my camera in for the red fix, how do I do this?

Here is the link to the Sony Serivce Website:

http://eservice.sony.com/webrma/web/index.do

You can schedule repairs there or find a local repair facility. Evidently there are no Sony repair facilities anywhere near me (south florida). If you have to send it in and it's out of warranty, it looks like it will be at least $500.

Just go to the Sony pro site and click on Service and Support and... Voila!
A 30 second Google search got me these...

A list of their repair facilities for under warranty:
http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/markets/10018/serviceCenters.shtml

If you have to send it in:
http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/markets/10018/repair.shtml

And for the HC1:

Graham, I would call your nearest repair facility and/or all of them. Tell them it was an existing defect that is just a quick firmware fix. Who knows, if you get the right person they just might still do it for free. Heck, the worst they can do is say no. Good luck!

Check out my attempt at getting this addressed today at this thread.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=55503

Hmmmmm... The HC1 does seem to have a shorter warranty than the A1s being that it's a consumer product.

Try to talk to an actual engineer there. Point out that there has been talk about the issue for about a year on DVInfo. Do it NICELY. Tell them you know it's past warranty but it's VERY important for your project and so if they could help you out with the firmware fix. It just might work. Tell them you will give a glowing account about how cool Sony was on the forum (which it WOULD be an ultimo act of coolness to do it post-warranty).

Most of the time they are used to people trying to yell at them, threaten them with lawyers and garbage like that. Sweet talk them. Sometimes pleading your case and regarding it as a favor will get you much more mileage. It's worth a try.

Otherwise, it's pay for the firmware upgrade, workaround the issue with White Balance and Color settings, or do the fixes in post.

Good luck!