Help - 2 EX1's sent to service come back with different white balance

Adam Simpson · January 20th, 2009, 10:08 AM

I have a shoot tomorrow. I just recently sent my 2 EX1's into Sony for warranty service over the last month. Got one back in December and another a week ago. I am setting up the cameras now. I am using all daylight LED lights from LED-Z. I have used this setup in the past. One of my cameras (an early one where they had to replace the lens), needs to be set to 4000K to match my other one is at 5600K (which looks right). I thought it may be picture profiles, so I reset the profiles on each and only changed white balance. Is there some menu setting I am missing causing this. I would rather it be user error than have to send my camera back in. When I set both cameras to 5600k the one which had the lens replaced looks reddish yellow and the black chair looks browninh (looks like the IR issues, but I am using LED coollights.

Anyone with input?

Adam

Nick Wilson · January 20th, 2009, 10:32 AM

Picture profile sounds like the most likely candidate. I would copy the camera settings from the 'good' camera and load them into the other one, and make sure the same picture profile is selected. If this doesn't help, check the images on a computer or external monitor as I guess it is just possible that there is a display fault.

Good luck

Craig Seeman · January 20th, 2009, 10:41 AM

Do an All Reset in camera. That will reset software to factory default. They both will be PP off which is equivalent to STD3 if memory serves me.

Eliminate ALL ambient light except for the light you want to use and point both cameras (set up next to each other) to the same white balance card. Make sure the card is evenly lit.

Post the results ASAP.

Adam Simpson · January 20th, 2009, 10:57 AM

I reset all of the picture profiles and only changed white balance to 5600k. I just imported stills to make sure there are no issues with the display. The imported stills show the same issues. I am trying to upload stills to illustrate, but not having luck.

Craig Seeman · January 20th, 2009, 11:06 AM

Adam, don't simply reset the picture profiles, reset the ENTIRE camera software.
Then white balance off a white balance card as I outlined above (NOT use a dialed in setting).

The EX is a COMPUTER and resetting can clean up the software and yes there can be software issues like any computer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Simpson

I reset all of the picture profiles and only changed white balance to 5600k. I just imported stills to make sure there are no issues with the display. The imported stills show the same issues. I am trying to upload stills to illustrate, but not having luck.

Adam Simpson · January 20th, 2009, 11:08 AM

Did an all reset. Did the white balance on the same white card and one camera came back 5000k and the other camera came back 3500k. This corresponds roughly to the difference I noticed between 5600K and 4000k visually.

Craig Seeman · January 20th, 2009, 11:20 AM

Ok that confirms there's a problem.

Next step is check to see that both cameras are at firmware 1.11.
There's a secondary way to do this without going into the maintenance menu.
Go into the menu of both cameras to the same menu where All Reset is. Scroll down to Clips. You will see Title Prefix, Number Set, Update, Last Clip Del, All Clips Del. That Update function only exists in firmware 1.11 for the EX1 (it's there in all EX3s).

Ted OMalley · January 20th, 2009, 01:58 PM

Wow, this is very disturbing. If I send one camera in for an upgrade/service work, I wouldn't have a way to prove that it was done wrong!

Craig Seeman · January 20th, 2009, 03:43 PM

I should add that I when I got my firmware upgraded EX1 back from Sony I discovered the firmware install went awry. In my case when I tried to play back a file off the card I would get a media error. I found, oddly enough, that if I disabled SDI out I could then play the file. Totally bizarre behavior which made no logical sense. Fortunately I'm only 30 minutes from Teaneck Sony. I called and drove right back. The tech seemed baffled. Claimed he had never seen such odd behavior and there seemed to be no hardware reason for it to occur. He reinstalled the firmware while I waited. Magic, issue solved. Confirmation that it was a funky firmware install.

I posted elsewhere on the forum that when you get the EX1 back after a firmware upgrade, CHECK EVERY FUNCTION and see if any behavior makes no sense as it may be the firmware installation.

That's why I'm suggesting Adam check this. He could go in to the maintenance menu but looking for the Clips/Update function is a sure way to know that the camera was updated. It doesn't assure that it was updated cleanly though. It the camera exhibiting the white balance issue is 1.11 it might indicate the firmware install as the issue.

Adam Simpson · January 21st, 2009, 08:27 AM

Thanks everyone for the helpful input. I mainly wanted to make sure that I was not missing something. I have used the cameras for the last year so I feel comfortable, but before I assumed it was a problem with the repair, I wanted to make sure it was no user error.

Both cameras were updated to 1.11 firmware while in service. The lens on the camera was replaced.

I can manually white balance and the correct camera comes back 5000K and the one in issue comes back with 3500K. It looks right on the screen and in the Mac. So I will shoot this project like this and then send it back to Sony. I have contacted them and sent stills and am waiting to hear back. Everything else seems fine.

Thanks again. I will post when things are resolved.

January 20th, 2009, 10:08 AM	#1
Adam Simpson New Boot Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 24	Help - 2 EX1's sent to service come back with different white balance - Help I have a shoot tomorrow. I just recently sent my 2 EX1's into Sony for warranty service over the last month. Got one back in December and another a week ago. I am setting up the cameras now. I am using all daylight LED lights from LED-Z. I have used this setup in the past. One of my cameras (an early one where they had to replace the lens), needs to be set to 4000K to match my other one is at 5600K (which looks right). I thought it may be picture profiles, so I reset the profiles on each and only changed white balance. Is there some menu setting I am missing causing this. I would rather it be user error than have to send my camera back in. When I set both cameras to 5600k the one which had the lens replaced looks reddish yellow and the black chair looks browninh (looks like the IR issues, but I am using LED coollights. Anyone with input? Adam

January 20th, 2009, 01:58 PM	#8
Ted OMalley Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 596	Wow, this is very disturbing. If I send one camera in for an upgrade/service work, I wouldn't have a way to prove that it was done wrong! __________________ Sony EX3, Vegas 9.0 64bit, Windows 7(64), Core i7, 12GB, RAID1 & 0, HotSwap SATA, 30" LCD(2560x1600)-GTX285 & 24" LCD(1360x768)-7800GT

January 20th, 2009, 10:32 AM	#2
Nick Wilson Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northampton, UK Posts: 259	Picture profile sounds like the most likely candidate. I would copy the camera settings from the 'good' camera and load them into the other one, and make sure the same picture profile is selected. If this doesn't help, check the images on a computer or external monitor as I guess it is just possible that there is a display fault. Good luck

January 20th, 2009, 10:41 AM	#3
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	Do an All Reset in camera. That will reset software to factory default. They both will be PP off which is equivalent to STD3 if memory serves me. Eliminate ALL ambient light except for the light you want to use and point both cameras (set up next to each other) to the same white balance card. Make sure the card is evenly lit. Post the results ASAP.

January 20th, 2009, 10:57 AM	#4
Adam Simpson New Boot Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 24	I reset all of the picture profiles and only changed white balance to 5600k. I just imported stills to make sure there are no issues with the display. The imported stills show the same issues. I am trying to upload stills to illustrate, but not having luck.

January 20th, 2009, 11:08 AM	#6
Adam Simpson New Boot Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 24	Did an all reset. Did the white balance on the same white card and one camera came back 5000k and the other camera came back 3500k. This corresponds roughly to the difference I noticed between 5600K and 4000k visually.

January 20th, 2009, 11:20 AM	#7
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	Ok that confirms there's a problem. Next step is check to see that both cameras are at firmware 1.11. There's a secondary way to do this without going into the maintenance menu. Go into the menu of both cameras to the same menu where All Reset is. Scroll down to Clips. You will see Title Prefix, Number Set, Update, Last Clip Del, All Clips Del. That Update function only exists in firmware 1.11 for the EX1 (it's there in all EX3s).

January 20th, 2009, 03:43 PM	#9
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	I should add that I when I got my firmware upgraded EX1 back from Sony I discovered the firmware install went awry. In my case when I tried to play back a file off the card I would get a media error. I found, oddly enough, that if I disabled SDI out I could then play the file. Totally bizarre behavior which made no logical sense. Fortunately I'm only 30 minutes from Teaneck Sony. I called and drove right back. The tech seemed baffled. Claimed he had never seen such odd behavior and there seemed to be no hardware reason for it to occur. He reinstalled the firmware while I waited. Magic, issue solved. Confirmation that it was a funky firmware install. I posted elsewhere on the forum that when you get the EX1 back after a firmware upgrade, CHECK EVERY FUNCTION and see if any behavior makes no sense as it may be the firmware installation. That's why I'm suggesting Adam check this. He could go in to the maintenance menu but looking for the Clips/Update function is a sure way to know that the camera was updated. It doesn't assure that it was updated cleanly though. It the camera exhibiting the white balance issue is 1.11 it might indicate the firmware install as the issue.

January 21st, 2009, 08:27 AM	#10
Adam Simpson New Boot Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 24	Thanks everyone for the helpful input. I mainly wanted to make sure that I was not missing something. I have used the cameras for the last year so I feel comfortable, but before I assumed it was a problem with the repair, I wanted to make sure it was no user error. Both cameras were updated to 1.11 firmware while in service. The lens on the camera was replaced. I can manually white balance and the correct camera comes back 5000K and the one in issue comes back with 3500K. It looks right on the screen and in the Mac. So I will shoot this project like this and then send it back to Sony. I have contacted them and sent stills and am waiting to hear back. Everything else seems fine. Thanks again. I will post when things are resolved.