firmware update proceedures??

[LighthouseMedia]

So guys who have gone through the process. Whats the process for updating EX-1 firmware to latest version? I can't seem to find a download for it.

 

[Essami]

I had it done while my EX1 was in for repair and apparantly sending your camera to Sony is the only way to get it done. But I really dont see any difference to the previous version of the firmware. Nothing added or "fixed" to my knowledge. Would be very interested in hearing what people expect to get from this firmware?

Sami

 

[ezpop]

Nothing added or "fixed" to my knowledge.

wow, I thought power drain was fixed, was it?

 

[carl@brazos]

I had to send my camera in in June for a broken LCD hinge. They updated the firmware at the time. From what I understand from Sony, the only way to get it upgraded is by sending it in. I can confirm that the update did improve the power drain issue (not fix it). Before, a fully charged battery would drain overnight if left connected to the powered off EX1, now it only loses about 25% of the charge - not great but better...

Also, I thought this was interesting - I had to pay to have the camera shipped and insured when I sent it in for the repair (since the damage was my fault), but when I called the repair center to confirm that they were updating the firmware to fix the battery issue, they said they were, and that they would ship the camera back overnight for free since it was a manufacture's defect. In hind-sight, I don't know if I could have gotten free overnight shipping each way, but you might want to call the Sony repair center and see if they will do it for you. It might have been a fluke, but it could save you a couple hundred in shipping costs.

 

[Essami]

wow, I thought power drain was fixed, was it?

Firmware update doesnt fix the power drain. That requires a a physical change of some parts inside your camera, but if you call sony they will take it in and do both this fix and firmware update simultaneously.

My cam was sent in for two separate issues, first time a zoom problem when they also updated the firmware and last week I sent it in for the power drain fix and it is now tiptop, battery stays full even after being on the cam for days.

Sami

 

[basspig]

Firmware update doesnt fix the power drain. That requires a a physical change of some parts inside your camera, but if you call sony they will take it in and do both this fix and firmware update simultaneously.

My cam was sent in for two separate issues, first time a zoom problem when they also updated the firmware and last week I sent it in for the power drain fix and it is now tiptop, battery stays full even after being on the cam for days.

Sami

I've had this fix done to my earlier EX1, and my new (July) EX1 seems to have it. There's a 90% improvement, but it's not 100%. Both cams do lose about 5 minutes of battery capacity overnight, whereas, if I leave the batteries off the cams, they lost 0 minutes when reinstalled and powered on to read the time remaining. I suppose the real test would be to leave the batts on the cams for 6 months and if it still has 90% of its charge (as is the case with Sony's prosumer HandyCams), then I'd consider it 100% fixed. My guess is that the EX1 will still drain the battery to 0 in about a month. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Essami]

My guess is that the EX1 will still drain the battery to 0 in about a month. I hope I'm wrong.

I really hope I'd be using my camera at least a few days a week. Letting that baby sleep in the closet for a month seems like neglect to me...

Sami

 

[basspig]

I think of it this way: if the battery is draining when not in use, that means you'll have to charge it more often. The number of charge cycles is limited (a few hundred) and unnecessary leakage wastes battery life.

My VX2000s, and V1Us would literally go months between recharges, so after 5 years of sharing the same NP-F960 batteries, they've probably had no more than 50 charge cycles. Then of course, the VX2000 would run 11 hours on a full 960 battery. But at least it wasn't drawing power when the cam was turned off.

 

[ezpop]

That requires a a physical change of some parts inside your camera, but if you call sony they will take it in and do both this fix and firmware update simultaneously.

Hey Sami, thanks , did you pay for the power drain hardware fix?