FS7: Service in the UK
- Thread starter epicdream
- Start date
epicdream
Well-known member
That's a fair point, it's only I was chatting to a mate and he said how he sent his Canon C300 Mk2 back for a service and they cleaned it all up and checked it all out.
Since i've had my camera since first release I thought it would be a good idea to give it a health check and a clean up.
Since i've had my camera since first release I thought it would be a good idea to give it a health check and a clean up.
Liam Hall
Veteran
I got mine serviced at Top Teks. They did an excellent job, pretty sure CVP are an authorised service centre too.
https://www.topteks.com
https://www.topteks.com
JPNola
Veteran
This doesn't help anyone looking for service in the UK, but I just had my Fs7 serviced by Video One Repair here in the states and I highly recommend them. Their customer service is first rate. They replaced the front element on my camera sensor within 2 days of receiving my camera and had it shipping back to me, with the return shipping being included in the cost of the repair.
I don't normally plug for businesses, but these guys were exceptional in their servicing and turn-around time.
https://www.videoonerepair.com/sony/sony-pxw-fs7-camcorder-service-repair-center/
Be advised that if you are using short lenses like the Rokinon wide lenses- or any lens, really- you can damage your sensor's front element if you are not careful when mounting lenses. Not the CMOS itself but the protective glass in front of the CMOS. If a lens approaches the mount at an extreme angle the metal of the lens mount can impact the front element of the camera sensor and cause a nick or, ding, or as was my case, a full-fledged abrasion that was significant enough to detrimentally impact the images produced by the camera when at smaller stops. This carelessness on my part cost me $600 in repairs, btw. So use care when mounting lenses, even when you are in complete darkness and in a panic to make a lens swap so you don't miss action.
As to periodic servicing, it is a good idea as a professional. In addition to repairing the front element on my Fs7's sensor, Video One also did a checkup / cleanup of the ND wheel and the CMOS itself. These cameras are largely maintenance-free but a periodic checkup by a professional service is the conscientious and professional thing to do. Anyone remember the green "Macie" stickers on 2/3" cameras showing that your camera was maintained by Roger Macie?
I don't normally plug for businesses, but these guys were exceptional in their servicing and turn-around time.
https://www.videoonerepair.com/sony/sony-pxw-fs7-camcorder-service-repair-center/
Be advised that if you are using short lenses like the Rokinon wide lenses- or any lens, really- you can damage your sensor's front element if you are not careful when mounting lenses. Not the CMOS itself but the protective glass in front of the CMOS. If a lens approaches the mount at an extreme angle the metal of the lens mount can impact the front element of the camera sensor and cause a nick or, ding, or as was my case, a full-fledged abrasion that was significant enough to detrimentally impact the images produced by the camera when at smaller stops. This carelessness on my part cost me $600 in repairs, btw. So use care when mounting lenses, even when you are in complete darkness and in a panic to make a lens swap so you don't miss action.
As to periodic servicing, it is a good idea as a professional. In addition to repairing the front element on my Fs7's sensor, Video One also did a checkup / cleanup of the ND wheel and the CMOS itself. These cameras are largely maintenance-free but a periodic checkup by a professional service is the conscientious and professional thing to do. Anyone remember the green "Macie" stickers on 2/3" cameras showing that your camera was maintained by Roger Macie?
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Run&Gun
Veteran
Depending on the environments shot in on a regular basis, there's nothing wrong with sending it in for a "clean & check". This may be a little more extreme than most peoples cams go through, but for the better part of a decade, my VariCams lived on the road at racetracks for ~ten months out of the year. At the end of the season/before the next season began, I'd send it in to either AbelCine(here in the US) or Panasonic for a "clean & check", even though there were no signs of any issues or apparent problems. Most of the time they just did a simple cleaning, but there were a few times that they caught what would have been potentially bad and expensive problems early. So in my opinion, clean & checks are well worth it, especially if your camera is subject to rougher than normal environments and use.
Run&Gun
Veteran
Yep. There's still one on my Betacam and one on one of my P2 VariCams. Roger had a great run. Anyone who was anyone(or wanted to shoot for 'anyone') had their Betacam set-up by Roger. It was actually pretty ridiculous how many complements I used to get about the image from my D50WS after he set it up. But in my opinion, once we crossed over into HD, his claim to fame with the "Macie Look" just wasn't there anymore. Nothing wrong with their service department, because they actually caught some issues with one of my lenses that Fuji corrected for free, but I was never happy with any of their "looks" on the VariCams. They were actually pretty awful, in my opinion and never saw action in my camera after testing them at home. I think I blew them out of the camera completely. The card is sitting somewhere... The only real benefit was that they created a lens file for my primary ENG w/a that pretty much stayed on that camera all the time.
Thanks for posting a recommendation JP for those of us in the states and for the wise warning on lens swaps. After briefly checking out their online site...seems like a good find. I'm curious to know if you got a good referral before using them?
And yeah, never used him - but remember those Macie stickers.