High pitch squeal from the EX1?

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Using my EX1 with Olof's great solution (the stronger base plate, plus the nanoFlash bracket and the small shoulder pad), I more often than not keep the camera very close to my right ear (due to the Hoodman loupe design). Other rigs I used before didn't require placing the camera so close to my ear, so I can't be sure whether what I describe below has always been present, or not.

The thing is that with the camera turned on (and even doing nothing - not even recording, everything in manual so no motors active, etc.), I can hear that high pitch squeal - resembling that of an electrical circuit or voltage transformer. It's a bit like what we all can hear when our batteries are charging on the BC-U1 charger - only much steadier, and constant (and not that loud, of course)...

At first, I thought - well, perhaps that's the way it's supposed to be. But then - editing in Vegas a clip with pretty low audio track (mostly silence) - I noticed the onboard mic is actually picking that squeal, and I don't like it at all!

Anyone else hearing it withe their EX1s, or has mine just developed some flaw? If it's the latter, what do you think it could be - the fan, or indeed some PCB?

[Don Greening]

Have you tried using another battery to see if that's the origin of the noise? My EX1R makes no such squealing.

- Don

Update: Piotr, never mind about the battery. That's not the origin of the squeal. I can hear the noise if I press my ear right up against the bottom of the camera but it's very faint.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Don, can you hear it louder if you put your ear directly to the vent opening?

[Don Greening]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

Don, can you hear it louder if you put your ear directly to the vent opening?

Yes, it's louder. If I hold the camera at eye level and at anything less than a foot away I can just hear it. Very faint though. My EX1 was the same way. My EX3 has the same noise but because there aren't any vents you can only hear it if your ear is pressed right up against the camera body.

- Don

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Thanks Don - looks like there's nothing wrong with my unit then :)

[Geoff Addis]

You're probably hearing the internal fan that, as far as I know, is on all the time the camera is powered.

Geoff

[Piotr Wozniacki]

I'd think so too - but the noise sounds a little too high in pitch to me; the fan would hum, not squeal. That's why I suspect an "electrical" noise, but I may be wrong.

It's really very faint, but still there.

[Geoff Addis]

Piotr,

The fan noise is quite high pitched, but if you listen carefully when turning the camera off, does the pitch drop; if so it is almost certain that it is the fan.

Geoff

[Piotr Wozniacki]

I'll listen carefully next time I use the camera; thanks Geoff.

Luckily, I extended my Prime Support for another year :)

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Just checked - and no, it doesn't sound like spinning up/down when I switch the camera on/off. Starts and end abruptly.

[Alister Chapman]

I'm pretty sure there are no fans in an EX1 or EX3.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Interesting - I'm pretty sure people reported about a cooling fan being installed, at least in the early EX1 units.

[Don Greening]

The high pitched noise is electronic and not caused by a fan. I know there's no fan inside my EX1R because if I blow into one of the vents the camera starts following me around the office :)

- Don

[David Issko]

Piotr,

I don't have an EX1, but my EX3 is completely silent. Just tested it. Not even a faint high pitched tone.
Sorry to read about your annoyance. Hope you get it sorted ASAP.

Best wishes

[Robert Young]

Ditto with my EX1R.
It is dead silent with my ear against it. No fan noise (I think no fan, anyway), and no high pitched noise either. I can, of course, hear the servos if I switch focus/ iris to auto, but with all set to manual there are no sounds at all.