Firmware update

[Mike Beckett]

It looks pretty good to me. The zoom update is interesting (we shall see how well it works), but I am intrigued by the "assignable keys" offering, that sounds very promising.

[Warren Eagleton]

Thanks for posting that news Mike. I don't know where they get their info, perhaps SONY can only communicate with their customers through such sites? As I suspected the desired rocker switch hardware replacement appears it is not going to happen. I wonder how a 'out and about news gatherer' will get on, if all he gets is a non variable fixed zoom speed that if he wants to change will have to go into the menu screen and select it?? As far as the rest of the fixes go they would have varying appeal I suspect. Dual recording, nice. Assignable keys, interesting would like to know more. The rest not really of much help to my operation but no doubt helpful to some.

[Stephen Crye]

Hi Mike - remember me from Vimeo?

Now that I have returned my NX70, I have spent weeks looking for an alternative but have found nothing. B&H is offering a great deal until Nov 30, $200.00 less than my original purchase. Plus the free battery/charger rebate is tempting. I miss the 1080 60p mode, interlace at 60i is BUGGING me now with my CX550V. Those firmware updates seem tasty ... and today it was raining and I could not shoot clouds.

I'm wondering if I ought to re-purchase? Yes, I am cRazY.

I wonder if they can fix the chromatic aberration in firmware ? ;-) That Darn CA is the Worst Thing. Also wondering if I might get lucky and the next NX70 I try will be a little better - perhaps the sensor on mine was mis-aligned.

All other NX70 owners, please do me a HUGE favor and have a look at these frame grabs, upload your own comparisons. Perhaps not all NX70s have the right-side blur problem?

http://www.huecotanks.com/temp1/

Torn, conflicted, ripping my hair out in Big Chunks ...

Steve

[Mike Beckett]

Hi Steve,

Yes, how could I forget you? <grin>

The CA is (I think) more down to the lens than anything else, so there's probably not much they can do about in firmware. I'd love to be proved wrong though.

[Ron Evans]

Maybe there will be some new products with firmware for the installed base of NX70's to give some of the features of the new products !!!

Ron Evans

[Matt Sharp]

Stephen those examples of CA at 10X zoom look the same as what I've seen on mine. l can't comment on the others though as I haven't shot similar stuff.

Sony has automatic CA fixes for the Alpha A-77, not sure if it works in video mode though. Though it's always a possibility, but I'd highly doubt they'd implement it in this 'fix' firmware update.

[Stephen Crye]

Thanks Matt!

Everyone, lets keep the pressure on Sony to fix as many problems as possible in the firmware update.

Here's one that Sony Pro support acknowledged was a bug. I'm not sure if it has been reported to Japan:

On my NX70, and the one that Pro Support had in the lab, there seems to be no way to get the camera to display the "Elapsed record time of current recording." In other words, when you push the rec button on every other camera I have operated, a timer will start and display the elapsed time since the rec button was pressed. On my NX70, the best I could do was get a time-code readout that would stop and start with the pressing of the button, but it would never "zero", unless you dived deep into the menus to zero the time code.

According to the Pro engineer I worked with over the phone, he concluded that the timecode display was obscuring the "elapsed time of current recording" display.

If any of you can figure out how to enable the elapsed time display, please let me know and I will pass that info on the Pro support. If not, then please, please - everyone call Sony and complain! This is something that could be easily fixed in the firmware update.

Here is the number:

POSC: Product Operational Support Center
800-883-6817
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM ET, excluding weekends & Sony Holidays

Thanks,

Steve

[Eric Kruis]

Steve,

Not being able to see how long you are recording is an annoyance I have noticed too. Hopefully this issue will be fixed as well.

I love the picture quality of this camera and its form factor, but there are plenty of bugs which make me wonder if Sony rushed this unit to market prematurely.

[Stephen Crye]

Thanks Eric;

The "no elapsed time bug" will NOT be fixed unless plenty of us complain! The FM upgrade is almost in the pipeline, we only have a week or two to make them add anything else. The record time bug is NOT in the current firmware fix.

I have done something crazy - I re-ordered the NX70. It will arrive today. I am calling Sony Pro Support again, today, to pester them about the bug, and other problems.

When you call, depending on who answers, you might receive wrong information. At least on engineer is VERY good. Others are completely confused about the NX70. You will have to be patient, understand these are East Coast people and they can be a little gruff. Work with them, be polite but persistent.

The record time bug can be easily fixed, but we will have to push. Insist that the complaint reach Japan and also US management. Ask for an email.

Here is the number again:

POSC: Product Operational Support Center
800-883-6817
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM ET, excluding weekends & Sony Holidays

EVERYONE - not Just Eric - flood those lines with complaints!

We also need to insist on a hardware fix for the zoom rocker. A menu option to set it for "slow" will not work. Again, complain, over and over, we have to get Sony's attention!

One reason I have re-ordered is I plan to buy an Atomos Ninja and do some direct uncompressed 4:2:2 capture. Atomos confirmed that the Ninja works with the NX70, even though it is not possible to capture in 60p. Atomos support is fast and excellent. (The Ninja when it reports capturing at 60i is actually able to capture 30p if the NX70 is set for 1080 30p - see the Atomos website for a nice technical description).

Thanks everyone,

Steve

[Mike Beckett]

"The Sony NX70 should never have passed QA with that shocking non adjustable zoom rocker switch and they are keeping us till March 2012 before we get some resolve to this problem"

This isn't new.

"the chromatic aberrations on the tight end of the lens is not clever"

This isn't new.

"lets hope we can get an interchangeable lens with version two and a rocker fit for purpose. (Please note : all camcorders are updated every so often so if I make reference to “version 2″ its not that I have secret info its letting Sony, Panasonic etc know whats preferred in a further incarnation of that product.)"

This is just a wish, it's not a camera fault.

Or am I missing something?

Don't get me wrong, the zoom rocker and the CA are the worst things about the NX70, but Philip's article hasn't really changed anything about my knowledge and understanding of the camera and its few shortcomings.

[Andy Lewicky]

Well this doesn't ease my fears that the update isn't going to offer anything significant (for me, at least).

NX70U Issues I've found include weird a uncontrollable phantom ND filter(?), no sound recording in cold weather, and visible auto white balance shift when the camera is in active steady shot mode(!). The rocker switch needs to be a mail-in hardware fix. The corner sharpness issue is significant and obviously unfixable.

Overall--a huge disappointment.

[Mike Beckett]

To be brutally honest, I would upgrade at the drop of a hat if I could afford to, but I really can't afford it any time in the next year.

The good thing is that most normal people don't seem to see the visual issues (or care about them) on my videos.

[Warren Eagleton]

Well Mike you had me confused with you reply, I thought you must have written the article or something. So I looked at that site again today and all came clear. They have added the following text to the original article "(Please note all camcorders are updated every so often so if I make reference to “version 2″ its not that I have secret info its letting Sony, Panasonic etc know whats preferred in a further incarnation of that product.)" This was inserted after I read the article and made my comment. It wasn't there originally but its addition now clarifys the comments. Just like you I am profoundly disappointed with the speed of the response from SONY so I guess I am a bit sensitive.

[Mike Beckett]

I didn't realise that blog had been edited, Warren, sorry! I don't disagree with your remarks. Trust me, I'm quite disappointed with Sony on this too.

It's probably the most expensive camcorder I've ever bought, and I didn't expect the well-known issues. In fact, I feel a bit ripped off. It doesn't stop me using the NX70, but it takes some of the shine off it. Grrr.

[Stephen Crye]

Hi Everyone;

Well, I guess I am crazy, because I decided to keep the 3rd NX70 I tried. It had slightly less problems with CA and corner sharpness. Not that I am a happy camper, but the price had come down and I just did not want to deal with the expense and non-Sony-ness of the Canon XF100.

So, I am back in the same boat with everyone else. I'm doing all I can to learn to get the most out of the NX70.

If it is true that Sony will be releasing a "V2" that fixes the sharpness problem, they owe it to all us early-adopters to give us a trade-up program!

One thing I have learned - for some reason, using Cinematone mode make the corners a bit sharper.

I'm at work and in rush, but will be back on the forum more in the next week or so, with more details and observations. Everyone, keep calling Sony Pro Support - there is a LOT more they can fix in firmware.

For example, a way to leave the viewfinder on with the LCD open. I am VERY annoyed, when in bright sunlight, having to constantly flip the LCD open and closed. Because everything is touch-screen, you have to have the touch-screen open to use the cam - but then the viewfinder if OFF. grrrrrr! A simple "leave viewfinder always on" setting would take care of this ... after all, the little MC50 has that capability!

Steve