Firmware

[Michael H. Stevens]

My camera only recently bought from B&H was number 133 when they said they were selling in the 1000+ range and came with the original firmware. As there have been successive new versions how do I get them?

[Don Greening]

As far as I know the FW update can only be done at a Sony repair facility.

- Don

[Michael Mann]

Same info from Sony technicians from Germany and the UK.

[Michael H. Stevens]

Originally Posted by Don Greening

As far as I know the FW update can only be done at a Sony repair facility.

- Don

This is so, but should I get it done? What does it do the newer versions?

[Dennis Joseph]

Originally Posted by Michael H. Stevens

My camera only recently bought from B&H was number 133 when they said they were selling in the 1000+ range and came with the original firmware. As there have been successive new versions how do I get them?

That's very odd. I purchased mine about 2 weeks ago from Abel and my s/n is the latest I have seen from anyone on the boards at 4700. My FW is also the latest- V 1.05.

Should'nt you be getting a higher s/n?

[Don Greening]

Originally Posted by Michael H. Stevens

This is so, but should I get it done? What does it do the newer versions?

Only if your camera has issues, otherwise "if it ain't broke don't fix it". I have no idea of the differences between FW versions, but when I take my camera in to Sony repair next week I'm certainly going to ask if the FW updates are to address current issues or were they always part of some previously scheduled grand plan.

- Don

[Sean Donnelly]

Does anyone else think it's a little ridiculous to have to send in our cameras for a firmware update? I personally would like to stay on top of these sorts of things, but I don't want to give up my camera for 7-10 business days for a firmware update. Panasonic does it, JVC does it, why not Sony?

-Sean

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Originally Posted by Sean Donnelly

Does anyone else think it's a little ridiculous to have to send in our cameras for a firmware update? I personally would like to stay on top of these sorts of things, but I don't want to give up my camera for 7-10 business days for a firmware update. Panasonic does it, JVC does it, why not Sony?

-Sean

I think it's strange, and I'm really curious to what Sony's reason is for doing this... If the firmwares are only bug fixes for certain camera's and not extra features, then of course it's less interesting.

[Phil Bloom]

that's odd. I heard firmware was going to be updated by users using a program that downloads with the firmware. You connect the USB cable to the computer and the program updates the firmware.

Heard this from senior source at Sony.

[Don Greening]

Originally Posted by Phil Bloom

that's odd. I heard firmware was going to be updated by users using a program that downloads with the firmware. You connect the USB cable to the computer and the program updates the firmware.

Heard this from senior source at Sony.

Since I'm betting that Phil has bent the ear of more Sony people than most of us, I'm thinking that this procedure will become the standard way Sony gets FW updates to the masses. It also sounds like the most logical way to do it.

- Don

[Sean Donnelly]

I just posed the question to a sony rep, and they said at present you need a jig to do a firmware update, as if perhaps it needs to do a back focus adjustment...

-Sean

[Bill Ravens]

I think Phil's confused with XDCAM HD, which just issued an update