Battery Drain Issue on recently manufactured EX1's? at DVinfo.net

Barry J. Weckesser · February 27th, 2009, 07:59 AM

I just received my PMW-EX1 from B&H yesterday and am really excited about starting to use it but I think it has the battery drain issue - I may be mistaken but I thought the BPU60 battery registered 300 min of full charge and when I turned it on this morning 6 hours later it was reading 247min. Are people still sending their units back to replace circuit board on the most recently manufactured units? B&H assured me that they have a high turnover on the EX1's and that I didn't get one that has been sitting around for months. My firmware by the way is 1.11 (first thing I checked out of the box - was prepared to pack it up and send it back if a lower version). I also have 6 MxR readers fitted with Transcend Class 6 16GB and they all checked ok in the camera after formatting.

Buba Kastorski · February 27th, 2009, 08:36 AM

my EX1 is year old, but I've never had an issue with the battery drain, not before I upgraded firmware, not now;
battery capacity readings are not very accurate, but I've tried to leave the battery in the camera overnight, and capacity readings before and after were the same.

Brent Ethington · February 27th, 2009, 01:23 PM

Barry - what you're seeing may just be "normal". The original issue resulted in a full battery draining completely within 1-2 days of non-use. The difference between a camera that has the issue and one that doesn't is dramatic and very noticeable

Barry J. Weckesser · February 27th, 2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Ethington

Barry - what you're seeing may just be "normal". The original issue resulted in a full battery draining completely within 1-2 days of non-use. The difference between a camera that has the issue and one that doesn't is dramatic and very noticeable

Thanks Brent - good to know. Did my first tests with the camera using the PP settings as suggested by Doug Jensen in the Vortex Media EX-1 video and turned out awesome.

Bob Kerner · February 28th, 2009, 10:04 AM

Barry, my Ex-1 is just over three weeks old and I haven't noticed this. One thing that was pointed out to me by the salesperson was, as a general rule, it's best to take the battery off the camera when you're not using it. I think the inference is even though Sony fixed the curcuit board issue, there's still the potential for some drain if it's on the camera.

I leave mine off the camera for days and they still register full charge using the indicator on the battery.

Max Allen · June 30th, 2009, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Kerner

Barry, my Ex-1 is just over three weeks old and I haven't noticed this. One thing that was pointed out to me by the salesperson was, as a general rule, it's best to take the battery off the camera when you're not using it. I think the inference is even though Sony fixed the curcuit board issue, there's still the potential for some drain if it's on the camera.

The battery still does drain when left on fixed or new cameras but the drain is small enough now to make it useable when you power the camera up, assuming you're using the camera often enough for this practice not to be considered as battery storage.

Buck Forester · June 30th, 2009, 10:33 AM

I always take my battery off when I'm not using the camera simply because the off/on toggle is easy to accidently move to "media" instead of off, and that sucker gets hot real quick when left in a bag. I only had to have it happen to me once. I'm stupid and ugly but I learn quick.

John Hedgecoe · June 30th, 2009, 08:51 PM

My camera does have the battery drain issue, but I have never had the time or opportunity to take it in to be fixed. So my standard operating procedure is to remove the battery when done shooting.

Of course, I also do this with all my digital cameras.

February 27th, 2009, 07:59 AM	#1
Barry J. Weckesser Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 427	Battery Drain Issue on recently manufactured EX1's? I just received my PMW-EX1 from B&H yesterday and am really excited about starting to use it but I think it has the battery drain issue - I may be mistaken but I thought the BPU60 battery registered 300 min of full charge and when I turned it on this morning 6 hours later it was reading 247min. Are people still sending their units back to replace circuit board on the most recently manufactured units? B&H assured me that they have a high turnover on the EX1's and that I didn't get one that has been sitting around for months. My firmware by the way is 1.11 (first thing I checked out of the box - was prepared to pack it up and send it back if a lower version). I also have 6 MxR readers fitted with Transcend Class 6 16GB and they all checked ok in the camera after formatting.

February 27th, 2009, 08:36 AM	#2
Buba Kastorski Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,414	my EX1 is year old, but I've never had an issue with the battery drain, not before I upgraded firmware, not now; battery capacity readings are not very accurate, but I've tried to leave the battery in the camera overnight, and capacity readings before and after were the same. __________________ I love this place!

February 27th, 2009, 01:23 PM	#3
Brent Ethington Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: WA Posts: 180	Barry - what you're seeing may just be "normal". The original issue resulted in a full battery draining completely within 1-2 days of non-use. The difference between a camera that has the issue and one that doesn't is dramatic and very noticeable

February 28th, 2009, 10:04 AM	#5
Bob Kerner Major Player Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New York Posts: 388	Barry, my Ex-1 is just over three weeks old and I haven't noticed this. One thing that was pointed out to me by the salesperson was, as a general rule, it's best to take the battery off the camera when you're not using it. I think the inference is even though Sony fixed the curcuit board issue, there's still the potential for some drain if it's on the camera. I leave mine off the camera for days and they still register full charge using the indicator on the battery.

June 30th, 2009, 10:33 AM	#7
Buck Forester Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: California Posts: 230	I always take my battery off when I'm not using the camera simply because the off/on toggle is easy to accidently move to "media" instead of off, and that sucker gets hot real quick when left in a bag. I only had to have it happen to me once. I'm stupid and ugly but I learn quick.

June 30th, 2009, 08:51 PM	#8
John Hedgecoe Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 146	My camera does have the battery drain issue, but I have never had the time or opportunity to take it in to be fixed. So my standard operating procedure is to remove the battery when done shooting. Of course, I also do this with all my digital cameras.