Firewire connector breakage

N

nof

New member
Hello,

we have the HVX 200 and FS 100 (with original long cable). The cameraman had the FS100 attached to the belt with the FS100 belt clip during the shooting. When we later reviewed the shoots in studio, we realized that after a certain point there are no more recorded clips. We reconnected the camera and FS 100 - and the disk did not work. We exchanged the firewire cable and still had no luck.

We then realized that one of the pins in the firewire connector on the camera is bent, which prevents contact and means that the camera not working properly. Has this happened to any of you? How did you solve the problem? The dealer who sold us the camera and disk here says that this mishap is not covered under warranty and that repair costs are roughly 250 EUR + shipping (another 200 EUR) + tax.

We disagree since the FS 100 is advertised on Panasonic's camera leaflet and we used all original parts. Our opinion is that this happened due to poor
technical design - the camera connector should be more robust or the FS100
should come with an angled firewire cable.

Best regards,
Sebastjan
 
nof said:
We then realized that one of the pins in the firewire connector on the camera is bent, which prevents contact and means that the camera not working properly.
Click to expand...

I've been complaining about Panasonic useing cheap ass 4-pin FW connector all along. There's simply no reason for it. Wish they'd not have put such a garbage, unreliable, weak connector on such a nice camera. They should have gone with the stronger 6-pin. They don't have to use the two power pins. Many devices use a 6-pin for durability and reliablility and don't use the two power pins. Bad design on Panny's part.

Along with no HD playback to a monitor via FW, no Native via FW, Panny just crippled the hell out of that FW connector, as if they don't really want us to use it.
 
Another way to look at it is that the HVX's firewire connector, rather than being "crippled," does more than any other camera's firewire connector. It does live streaming of HD/DV50/SD, it does file transfers, it controls hard disks, it is full input & output of all modes.

As for six-pin: name another camera under $10,000 that has a six-pin connector. Only the JVC HD100/HD200 series; everyoen else uses 4-pin. Not defending the 4-pin, just saying that to characterize Panasonic as "crippling" the camera by using the exact same connector as every other camera in existence seems a tad extreme. We all would prefer a six-pin, and we've been asking for that from day one, from all manufacturers. But nobody produces it.

As far as no HD playback from firewire input, that one I don't understand. They've said it's a heat issue, but... I've got to think that if they really tried, they'd be able to make it work.

As far as no native mode out of FW, that one I understand perfectly -- there would be an absolute hailstorm of people complaining about that one if they implemented it; it would be a tech-support nightmare. DVCPRO-HD firewire transport is a SMPTE-codified standard, embedded in MacOS and in WinXP SP2. If they had enabled firewire transport it wouldn't work with any other existing product -- no decks, no other cameras, no editing packages, no operating systems, no capture applications. The transport protocol doesn't exist. And won't exist until Apple and Microsoft both agree to support and implement it.

That said, I wish they would enable it. But I understand perfectly why they didn't.
 
There have always been issues with 4-pin connectors on cameras. I'd have thought Panasonic would have thought the issue out before repeating the industry standard mistake of using 4-pin connectors (thanks for nothing, Sony).

I firmly believe that if Panasonic allowed the Native modes to stream out the FW port, vendors would have jumped on it. Just my opinion. I think we as consumers should push camera makers to get off that cheap ass 4-pin headach and use the durable 6-pin connectors on cameras. It can't be that hard to do. But we'd all have to push for it.

Love my HVX, but that FW port is a royal PITA as is. Hope future products have the FW port more well thought out. That's all.
 
my firewireport broke on a shoot - and this was the killing of the whole day .. and the next one and a half weeks ... the whole crew was on set, location was paid etc .. and the connection gone, because the 4pin was crippled away ....
repair costs me 128€ at my local vendor - 4€ for the part and the rest for repairing it ... then i builded this one http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=84437 - and now i´m pretty happy with it
until last week where i rented my stuff and the firestore didn´t recognizes the connection anymore ... the 6pin connection is sturdier but maybe the chip inside wasn´t ... now its in repair too ....
 
Barry_Green said:
Another way to look at it is that the HVX's firewire connector, rather than being "crippled," does more than any other camera's firewire connector.

As for six-pin: name another camera under $10,000 that has a six-pin connector. .
Click to expand...

In all fairness Barry, we are referring to the robustness of that connection, which your post readily admits does just about everything.

In fact more than other cams.

Panasonic broke new ground with p2 cards, which are designed and intended to minimize wear and other issues with mechanical parts.

Then the company elects a flimsy and prone to damage 4-pin exposed connection for all of its live streaming and transfer capabilities.

I guess you give with one hand and take with the other.

That firewire port is THE crucial conduit for passing data. Panasonic should have made it more robust rather than less. I hope the B cam does that.
 
I'd love for professional equipment to adopt a new plug style that is backwards compatible with the existing 6-pin connector, but has a sturdy locking mechanism.

You would still be able to use cables with regular non-locking connectors, but you'd also have the option of using the new style with something like a locking bayonnet-style sleeve that surrounds the 6-pin connector. This would prevent accidental disconnects, and adds mechanical strength that helps resist bending of the connector.
 
David S. said:
In all fairness Barry, we are referring to the robustness of that connection
Click to expand...
I agree about the robustness, certainly. I just didn't like the characterization that its functionality is "crippled," when in fact it does more than just about any other cam's does.

The 4-pin port is an abomination, I don't think you'll find anyone arguing against that. In fact, the head of the 1394 Trade Association posted a magnificent rant about how horrible the 4-pin was and how much better the six-pin is, and how he wishes the 4-pin didn't exist. He said we have Sony to thank for that; Sony invented the 4-pin connector in contravention to everything that the 1394 Trade Association was trying to do, which was standardize on the 6-pin.

That firewire port is THE crucial conduit for passing data. Panasonic should have made it more robust rather than less. I hope the B cam does that.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. The firewire port is more vital on the HVX than on just about any other camera, and for it to be a flimsy connection is really rather the wrong choice.
 
Now wouldn't a locking right angle 6-pin (without power) Firewire port on the rev.B be the "cat's meow?"

I'd even pay to upgrade my rev. A.
 
Yep, 6-pin, just like the HDX900 has! And just for the record, I passionately hate Sony for ever inventing that stupid 4-pin POS connector! Shame on Sony! Shame!
 
David S. said:
Now wouldn't a locking right angle 6-pin (without power) Firewire port on the rev.B be the "cat's meow?"
Click to expand...
That would be ideal. Locking, right-angle, and six-pin.

That's actually one thing I really liked about the FX1/Z1, is the way they made the firewire cable attach. It's still the evil 4-pin connector, but it juts out of the camera body at a 90-degree angle.
Sony-HDR-FX1_rightside.jpg


You could gaffer-tape that cable down and it wouldn't come loose, wouldn't snap off, wouldn't get in the way...
 
Firewire- firestore is a liability

Firewire- firestore is a liability

Just wanted to add my piece here. firestores are a liability, the weakness is the connection. We've had two hvx's go done because the firewire slot has bust on both of them. We've had to send the cameras back to panasonic and with abit of a fuss they fixed both although it took over a month!!! but at this time it seems there is no other repair company to use with the uk, but let me know if there is.

We want to use firestore and have bought two leads with rightangle connectors on the camera port end which is where you need it and now we're looking for a homemade way of protecting that port even more. Long term though it's gotta be P2 cards.
 
There's a thread here somewhere showing how someone used credit card slices and electrical tape to attach a mini audio plug to the side of the right angled 4-pin FW cable (or was it a straight connector?). CC slices to act as spacers to keep them the proper distance. Wish someone would make a REAL connector like this.

Can't retrieve the post right away, it's out there, very ingenious idea, too.

OOoooooo... this 4-pin connector is the only real problem I have with this camera... Am I just losing my marbles, or is it even weak for a regular 4-pin? I'm losing it...
 
This is *exactly* my complaint about tying the FS to the HVX. I used a half dozen tie wraps to make sure there was no pressure, movement, or shaking of the FW where it hooks into both the HVX and FS. Yet, it still scares the living daylights out of me. Although I can't confirm, I think that is part of the reasons we get strange behaviors at time---like the FS stops recording, locks up, and won't respond to hitting record on the HVX.

Can someone verify this for me? I swear I read where there is "B" revision of the FW port on the HVX and Panny will upgrade it for free. Is this true or did I dream this?
 
BenB said:
There's a thread here somewhere showing how someone used credit card slices and electrical tape to attach a mini audio plug to the side of the right angled 4-pin FW cable (or was it a straight connector?). CC slices to act as spacers to keep them the proper distance. Wish someone would make a REAL connector like this.

Can't retrieve the post right away, it's out there, very ingenious idea, too.
Click to expand...
the link is on the first page :) ... but here it is again http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=84437
have fun with it!
 
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