HPX500 "Preventive Maintenance" I have to send it back!

[Don Schechter]

Anyone else get this email? I am under a deadline for a gig so I am not calling or thinking about this until next week...I can't go 2 days plus shipping without my camera. I am not please Panasonic...

Dear Panasonic AG-HPX500P Customer,

As part of our constant quality control process our factory has recently
identified a potential problem with AGHPX500P cameras. Our factory
engineer's research indicates that this problem is confined to a small
percentage of the AGHPX500P production and the source of this potential
problem has been corrected. We believe you may have a suspect AGHPX500P
camera, serial number

The symptom appears as an intermittent severe color phase shift in the
picture. A small hardware modification to the camera video section is
required to correct the possibility of this problem occurring in your
camera and to increase its operational reliability.

Consistent with our focus on customer service we advise you to take
advantage of this preventive measure notification and send your camera
to one of our Factory Service Center for checkup.

To minimize your downtime we recommend you contact one of the following
Panasonic Service facilities directly to arrange for service:
PANASONIC - PBTSC SERVICE; 50 MEADOWLANDS PARKWAY 2A-4; SECAUCUS NJ
07094; (201) 348-7975; attn. Alex Feldman
PANASONIC - PBTSC SERVICE; 3330 CAHUENGA BLVD WEST; LOS ANGELES CA
90068; (323) 436-3507; attn. Chad Marshall
Checkup should not take longer than 2 working days, excluding time of
shipping.

Please send the camera bodies only. Lenses, viewfinders, P2 Cards or
other accessories should not be sent.

[monkeyking]

No e-mail (yet). When did you get your camera - is it one of the early ones or a more recent vintage? It doesn't sound like the 5600k WB preset or beeping fix.

chris/bethesda md

[Don Schechter]

Yeah I got it maybe 2 months ago from Abel in NY....

[Don Schechter]

I was hoping to get a loaner while they mess around but I got this "We understand your busy schedule may not allow you to send camera right away.
You can send it for service at any time it is convenient for you.
This check up is part of regular product warranty repair and does not provide loaner camera for the time of service. However, we strive to expedite each repair to minimize customer's downtime."

[Barry_Green]

If you haven't encountered the problem, and you're busy, don't send it in yet. Send it in when you can.

Y'know, if it was Red announcing this fix, people'd be cheering their proactive service...

[dolph2000]

I'm planning to buy one these days from B&H (Ilive in the carribean), what to do?
send it right away to panasonic or receive it see the possible problem and send it back, or do they take all camera's from the dealers in to fix it for once and for all

[Don Schechter]

I dont think there is a way to know if there is a problem until you see the serial number and ask them if your camera is potentially flawed....I'd talk to someone at abel cine tech. Slightly cheaper and better customer support

[mikkowilson]

I'd presume that Panasonic would contact dealers directly and recall the specific cameras for repair if they are still in stock.

This is why it's important to register your gear. Panasonic probably has a pretty good grasp on where most of their cameras are, which makes issues like this easy to target and repair quickly.

Definitely check with your dealer when buying. But I'd think that if you have registered your camera properly with Panasonic and you don't get a notice about this, that you are probably not at [known] risk for this issue.

- Mikko

[Don Schechter]

Barry's right. I am happy for the pro-active service. Just annoyed at losing time/money to do it and well geesh even Microsoft paid for shipping and the materials when my Xbox 360 broke 3 times in 3 months. And that wasn't worth 25,000 dollars...