I think they are probably saying if you brick your camera while trying to upgrade yourself it will not be covered under warranty as you are not suppose to upgrade yourself... Once it has been upgraded to 1.11 there is no way to tell you who actually upgraded it... it may store the date info for when it was updated but not that Jo Blow decided to do this himself and it was not actually done by Sony themselves...

"probably"? im just not sure i want to risk my warranty over it. we dont know for sure if they can tell, right? when it talked to the guy at sony i couldnt tell i he knew i had 1.05 based on my registration info that i gave him or if he just assumed it since i was calling about the upgrade. im not that concerned with bricking my camera since there are a few reports of success and no reports of bricking and it doesnt sound like a complicated process at all. someone on this forum was saying it didnt work the first time but worked the second time so seems like even if you dont do it correctly youll likely just have to try again and it wont leave your camera bricked. of course if you pull the cord in the middle of updating that might be a different issue.

"I think" that someone who said it did not work the first time forgot to power cycle the camera between versions 1.10 and 1.11... and did so the second time.

Does 'minor bug fixes' include audio tweaks?
 

I'm waiting for a 'window of opportunity' to get my EX1 sorted before November, but still passionately interested to hear from anyone at 1.11 regarding the Audio level controls.

At 1.03, there appears to be a length of knicker elastic connecting the audio level wheels to the actual level circuits. Twiddle a knob, wait a few seconds, and eventually the audio circuit responds.

You don't ride the levels, you waterski behind them. Or so it seems.

Has this been improved?

... Before I gas on to some poor Sony rep at IBC...

...on the camera. But Sony seems to log history on its camera's (the service bulletin for the update mentions all camera's that already have been upgraded). So if it's not on their system, they didn't perform it.

I doubt it would be an issue unless things went wrong during the upgrade (FW upgrades are very reliable however) or on related work that should have been carried out, but wasn't (who knows?).

George/

It's a bit of Janglish, but here's the list of improvements and Bugs (v1.1) for the EX1:

[Addition of New Functions and Improvement of Functions]
1) SxS 32GB, PHU-60K is supported.
2) The 24Psf signal output is supported in the Camera Mode.
3) Chinese menu is supported.
4) Clip Number Reset function is changed to the Clip Number Set so that arbitrary number can be
entered.
5) The Clip > Update function is added in the MENU so that the management data inside the
media can be restored manually.
6) Number of the shutter speed choices is increased.
7) It is improved that the REC mark can be displayed even during LCD Display OFF.
8) Audio distortion is decreased. (TRIM level is changed to the 6 dB step when operated from the
menu.)
9) It is improved that the picture does not swing during the REC Review mode.

[Bug Correction]
1) The trouble is corrected that an error occurs when switchover of the media slots takes place
during continuous recording with the i.LINK connected.

#6 - More shutter speed choices.

**************************

If Sony's position is to force me to send in the camera for easy firmware fixes like this, my response will be to see what the next generation from Canon brings, and postpone consideration of all Sony accessories like high capacity storage drives and media until that time.

Edit:

And actually, there already are far more choices of shutter speed within the existing firmware, by choosing the "ECS" shutter mode. You can choose any shutter speed you want in 1 unit increments (or less) from the range of 1/60.02 to 1/2018.

I hear you Tom.
The number ONE reason for me to upgrade is the possibility of using 32GB memory cards.
This is great for event work.

Hey Tom, thanks a lot for this tip! I was wondering how I'd get a proper PAL 1/50 shutter speed and this may be the answer. ECS doesn't do anything except affect shutter speed, correct? It doesn't mess with the signal any other way...I am hoping... Because this will also allow for proper doubled frame rates for slow motion effects as well.

Is this upgrade also solve the battery problem?

No, you have to send it in and have a board replaced or two.

My recent experience with Sony service:

Just got the 1.1.x upgrade. Hand carried it to Sony in San Jose. Strange experience, the Sony service center is housed in their regional warehouse, and you really can't get to a counter or anything and there are no signs or any indication it's Sony building. You have to knock on an unmarked loading dock door, and somebody lets you in, then you wait while somebody from the service part of the building comes to get your camera. Nice enough people who attended to me, but just seemed, well, kind of unprofessional at least for a walk in. In the huge warehouse by the loading doors were stacks and stacks of EX3s (among other things), waiting to be shipped out.

I asked for warranty repairs on the backfocus, the battery drain, and the newest firmware upgrade. I got the person who took my camera and made me fill out paperwork to sign their name that the camera was in perfect condition and just the items mentioned needed to be upgraded (the horror story of somebody else who had their EX1 dropped or something scared me).

There was a kind of unprofessional form I filled out with the serial number, what I needed done, etc. No carbon copied service forms, like you might get at an auto repair place, or anything. They made me a copy of the form.

A couple days later they called me to tell me the 1.1 firmware was going to cost $100. I asked if that was set in stone or if I had other issues if they'd just upgrade it for free. The service manager called me back and said they had received a memo from Sony corporate they needed to charge and they couldn't change that policy, so I agreed to pay for it, so I had to fill out a fax with my credit card number and fax it to them.

I picked it up a couple days later. It took from Monday until Friday to make these repairs. Other than the battery drain issue, which seems to be repaired, the focus and the firmware update isn't really noticeable to me. I haven't shot with it much other than to test that the backfocus was ok, not really better or worse than when I brought it in.

So I guess I'm really glad they didn't destroy my camera, but all in all... not the most professional warranty service experience I've had, especially for a camera that costs as much as a car (ok, a really cheap used car...). But I got the camera back in one piece and the darn battery issue seems to be fixed. I don't have to remember to pop the battery off the camera after each use.

I'm getting the Expresscard adapter thingy, might be fun to try that storage option out.

I sent my EX1 in to service center in LA, two weeks ago. My emails to LA Service result in a reply by the next day, however, the info provided is simply "the engineer has your camera and is working on it". When I've asked when they expect to have it returned, I'm told "stop asking us, we'll let you know when it's ready".

All in all, I'm not happy with Sony Corp.

Bill,
What did you send your camera in for?

Steve...
1-battery drain issue
2-labels wearing off of the switches
3-firmware update to 1.11

Just got an email saying my EX1 was ready and is being returned today, 9-15-08

Hmm...
That sounds like a familiar list! LOL

1 and 2 were indeed problems with cameras that came off the production line early on. By June, I was told by Sony that all those issues had been identified and rectified in the assembly line. That includes the flange back issues with ND on. Obviously, for those who got early cameras, a trip to the service center should fix those problems.

-gb-

I hear you Bill! San Jose is completely disorganized. after a week and a half, when I called about the status of mine, they said it was done and scheduled for shipment. when I asked for the tracking #, they gave me the tracking # for my shipment of the camera from me to them! they then said it would ship the next day, so after calling them for the next 3-4 days get to get a tracking #, they then said it was with the engineer and hadn't shipped yet. several days later it just showed up on my doorstep (of course I was out at the time and came home to find my $7k camera just sitting on my porch). hence my reluctance to send my EX1 to the service center again anytime soon...

Bill, were you concerned about the backfocus issue?

Sony has failed to understand the real market demands
 

Hi there,

This is just to let you know how the firmware war is doing in the Nordic

On the 4th September I've ordered a camera pick up for the EX1 because of the firmware 1.11

The Silver Support for Europe made the arrangement which includes the following (free):
1. the transport box where the camera needs to be packed arrives
2. the following day or the time you specified the currier picks the packed camera
3. the repair centre in France does the magic
4. the currier hands you over your updated - fixed camera
All these should happen within 7 business days

The problem in our case kicked off when we reached point no. 2
because I asked Sony to arrange the pick up with a four days delay to the box's arrival.
We planned that the camera can be spared from the 15th but needed back with the updated firmware from the 22nd Sept.

AND THE COLD SHOWER:
Although it was set it has never been picked up on the 15.9
Numerous calls to Sony Prime and UPS Finland brought no solution, they were pointing at each other while the clock was ticking.

Today as a result of a desperate phone call after an email which actually remained unanswered from Prime Support brought in a handy solution:
Prime Support has appointed an authorized Sony dealer in the capital area of Finland to carry out the firmware update for us, so there's no longer needed to send the unit to France. This should have been offered from the first minute after Sony announced the new firmware.
( Sony however still refused to authorize the update by us - users )

This issue shows clearly how wrongly Sony assessed the market's need and lost obviously money and costumer satisfaction on some totally useless support service.
The EX1 was truly welcomed and purchased by a lot of small businesses, where one week turnover (for a half an hour procedure) is simply an unacceptable condition.

What say you SONY???

Got my EX1 back, today. New firmware, new rear panel and battery drain issue fixed. The paperwork I got back from Sony Service confirmed all the problems i reported(backfocus issue, battery drain overnite, silkscreen labels wearing off)

Haven't had time to check the backfocus yet, but, the image seems sharper and focusing seems snappier.

Got my EX1 back from the LA service center today. Brought it in asking for the new firmware, the battery drain fix, a remote control that never worked, and a general cleaning/checkup. Got it back a week later.

The tech notes indicate that they:

- replaced the lens(!)
- firmware update
- new power supply circuit boards
- new rear cabinet panel
- new remote
- new mic holder and screws

My unit serial number is in the lower 400's and came with firmware 1.02. Other than the new menu options, don't notice a change in image quality. Never noticed any vignetting before the repairs. The new rear panel looks a little Franken-bolted, but otherwise seems solid.

All said, I'm glad I took it in while the warranty was still valid. Hopefully future firmware updates will be free and user-installable.

Replaced the lens....???
Why, did you mention there was a problem?... hmmmm

Welcome to the club. I'm on my second lens.

Did you sense a change in the feeling of the new lense ? Maybe it's less "loose" than the original one for the zoom ?

I didn't notice any lens issues before the repairs, and the only lens item I asked the tech to look at was backfocus adjustment. The Sony engineer called and told me he was replacing the lens, but we had some language barriers that made it hard for me to understand why it needed to be replaced. I'll be shooting some tests this weekend to see if the new lens makes a visible difference. It doesn't feel any firmer.

Actually, I was wrong earlier. I'm on my third lens! The original lens had some crud inside it so they replaced it along with the ND filter set. That replacement lens stopped focusing to infinity (manual or auto) so it went back again. The third lens has been fine and I never noticed any mechanical differences between them in terms of focus feel.

Outrageous Sony LA Repair Center
 

Sent in my Ex1 for 1.11 firmware update. I expected to pay $100 plus shipping. Boy was I surprised. Got a fax saying 100 + 20 handling + 23.50 shipping + 19.40 insurance. (I sent it to them FedEx 2 day with $8000 insurance for $7.19 total.) For a grand total of 172.20

It said if I did nothing within 5 days, they'd ship it back and charge me one hour ($130) plus shipping, tax and insurance TOTAL $182.20

If I "decline" the estimate, it's even better. TWO HOURS diagnostic (apparently it takes a long time to do nothing to the camera) for a total of $302.90!

This is absurd. I may have to Twitter this one.

new ex1 firmware out
 

In the US, there is no charge for the firmware itself, but there is a charge for labor by the service depot (charges are less than the normal hourly rate) plus inbound shipping if required. Version 1.11 requires multiple installs in a predetermined sequence. If the upgrade is not performed correctly the camera may become inoperative... Therefore, in spite of any rumors, Sony did not envisioned user upgrade.

Juan Martinez
Senior Manager
Sony Electronics

Thank you Juan for courageously representing Sony's postion.

I'm sincerely outraged for Ronn. If Sony needs to charge for labor, why not state the labor amount rather than conceal it inside inflated bogus charges for shipping, handling and insurance? It's not ethical.

I also disagree with the characterization of the upgrade procedure. I performed it myself. It was not beyond my skills as a user. The upgrade process was successful following the straightforward instructions. Why not put a disclaimer on it, that the owner would have to pay the repair charges if the process went wrong?

It would be a much more environmentally green approach to repair the few cameras that got bricked by their owners, than wasting time, fuel and energy to transport these cameras needlessly.

The policy motives are not logical, nor consistent with concerns for the customer or the environment.

The EX1 is a good camera. The corporate policy makes me want to break from Sony. When or if Canon responds to the marketplace, the way things stand now I probably will.

/rant_off

I'd add that many of us live near Sony PRO Authorized service centers. Any trained tech should be able to do this.

The cost of shipping, insurance and, maybe even more importantly for some of us, downtime, makes this very expensive.

See attached fax. Please, Sony person, explain this.

Ronn,
That's standard language I suspect they have some discretion to apply or not.
What about the quote for shipping, handling and insurance, or the other 2 pages of the fax? Yours is not really a repair, it's a firmware upgrade, so diagnostics presumably would not have been necessary if you were to decline the upgrade.

Your numbers are off a little bit as well...

$100.00
20.00
23.50
19.40
7.19
___________

$170.09

And what is the return shipping mode? Perhaps Sony is quoting overnite?

sony is not making firmware user-upgradeable because it might brick the camera if not done correctly? isnt that usually how firmware works in most devices? yeah if you pull power while the update is running it will make the device inoperable... people generally understand that risk. and some people would still send it in. why cant sony just be more clear and give us the firmware update and tell us how to do it and say do it at your own risk, at worst someone bricks their camera and has to pay sony for the repair. that way more business for sony if people are overconfident and at least we the users have options.

Yes, this is the only disclaimer Sony will need.
I can't imagine why they would want the burden to update all these cameras.

Self firmware upgrades are offered for end users all the time.

These are interesting threads.

I'm in the UK and very soon I have to buy a new camcorder. The EX1 on the face of it has excellent optics - a new benchmark in theory. However, the range of issues you people have suffered does not inspire much confidence in a purchase.

This camcorder is a lot of money to me so I have to think long and hard about my choices. Does anyone know if I could just drive up to the South Wales factory that posters have found and buy direct? If so, surely this would ensure that all of the problems have been ironed out?

I feel frustrated just reading through all of your posts and I sympathise with all of you. It almost seems like the manufacturer has used you as guinea pigs instead of paying for a truly thorough testing process.

The Sony Z7 has also suffered from some of these issues it seems, so does it follow that the imminent Z5 (similar & same family) should in theory work straight out of the box - yes?!

Regards

Paul

Don't get scared off by the sum of everybodys problems in this forum. I've had the camera since december with the very first firmware. It has been working like a charm for me. Sure - I've had to learn a few workarounds and software support was not that great until this summer. But now that the camera is upgraded to 1.11 it is better than ever. A great reliable camera - in my opinion!

Thankyou for the endorsement Ola. It is nice to know that someone is using the EX1 hassle free.

However, it is the 'sum of everybodys problems' that hangs over my decision-making like a black cloud. To have so many issues (and if you look through the long list - everything from replacement circuit boards to lens changes for the third time) causes deep concern.

It can't be the case that millions of these units have been sold like consumer cams. Therefore the problems seems disproportionate for this model.

Nothing in the Panasonic range seems to grab my attention (I've bought a number of Panasonic and Sony cams in the past) and if I can buy a fully working EX1 then theoretically it should outperform the forthcoming Z5 image-wise (though it doesn't have the safety of a dual recording facility within that price bracket).

I can afford to dither up until about Christmas time before I am forced to make a final decision!

Thanks

Paul

Hi paul, I have owned the EX1 from the day it came out and never had one issue with it. Works pefectly.
Cheers
Steve