FS7: Sony May Lose My Business Over $15

I knew about the GPS issue and had turned it off. I am so sorry I didnt jump into the thread. PreNAB makes me crazy and I am jumping from one task ti the next, often neglecting things.

Glad you straightened things out with the Teaneck guys. Of course easy for me since I am in walking distance of the service center.

Ned
 
I guess since I only shoot CineEI and use a 7Q all the time for waveforms, so I've been largely spared from the bug frustrations.

With that said, I've actually had really good experiences with Sony tech, but that's probably because I live in LA. I agree, the phone service is useless and I can never get anywhere with them. However, I only live about 30 miles from the Sony Service Center in the Valley. I've just stopped by 3 times without even calling and they've bent over backwards for me (this is when I had my FS700).

When the 7Q first came out, it was buggy as hell and Convergent told me it was my FS700, so I took it to Sony Service and the tech, Ron Colorina, put the 7Q on their camera and we messed with it for almost 40 minutes and it was the 7Q's fault. I've brought the FS700 in two times without calling for firmware updates and the first time it took 1 day and the second time he did it in 2 hours.

But I feel for you if you don't live in LA because the phone tech sucks, but I've only had great experiences from the actual service center.
 
If you want better service, there are two houses for sale on my street. You too could be in walking distance of Sony service center.

Ned
 
The key is you have to get on the phone with someone who's actually at that service center, and those phone numbers aren't listed, and the number listed for the service center sends you to the general phone tree and the first level call center agents working from a script, with no ability to troubleshoot or make exceptions.

Once I stopped calling the listed phone number and made a educated by lucky guess about what range of phone number might actually connect to the service center directly, I very quickly got real, sincere assistance. If I had been in a position to reach someone at the service center from the start, this thread likely wouldn't exist.


Ned - the GPS bug is really difficult to troubleshoot when you have no data, and can easily ruin client footage, as it did for me. Given that you sometimes have Sony's ear, I'd urge you to point out to them that it's a serious issue, that at a bare minimum, needs to be more clearly documented in their literature, and to make sure the technicians know about it for diagnosis. The first tech I spoke with guessed the problem was the SMAD-P3. It would have been a waste of everyone's time and money to send that part in for repair. I can see this all happenning for more people.

Also - i don't know what data communication exists between the URX-P03 and the camera, but if the version of the circuit board with fault can be checked electronically by the camera, future firmware could potentially force a shutdown of the GPS module when the URX-P03 is connected. Just a thought.

I understand this combination of gear is owned by a select set of people, but ruined audio is devastating.
 
starcentral said:
If it were a "cinealta" camera do you think the experience might have been different?
Click to expand...

Quite possible. Hard to say from my end. But Sony's dedication and commitment to CineAlta has also had some serious missteps. I've not forgotten the S-Log upgrade fee debacle with the PMW-F3, or the abandoned feature improvement on the SR-R1 Recorder, or the mid-stream decision to enable 4k internal on the F5.

I've seen a used Arri Alexa on eBay for $25k. Not something I can afford today, but I can't imagine considering a F55 kit when buying an Alexa is an option for less. Every interaction I've had with Arri has been excellent.
 
Fact, like it or not. And grow up a little bit, or I might not give you my supreme and 100% correct advice anymore.

And WTF did $8k become a professional camera?? Arri's and F35/65's cost what they do for good reasons.

Oh nevermind, I remember now, DVX is full of people emotionally tied to investments they made, good or not. I'll stop since emotions rule facts by 10000:1.
 
starcentral said:
If it were a "cinealta" camera do you think the experience might have been different?
Click to expand...


My EX3 is a CineAlta. The FS7 isn't?

After reading this thread i'll have to reconsider this purchase... i just got an offer to buy a demo Sony SRX110 4K projector for about the same price as the lens and FS7. Maybe the camera should wait til the bugs are fixed.
 
@OP: wow..man, you are really a tough cookie eh? or maybe i'm just being reasonable with the manufacturer and their policy. When my Nikon 800mm VR has AF issue, i have to ship back with fully insure (since the lens cost $18,000)on my dime so they can fix it and ship it back to me. Geez...i should cry a river like you back then. Get real man.
 
Bubble said:
@OP: wow..man, you are really a tough cookie eh? or maybe i'm just being reasonable with the manufacturer and their policy. When my Nikon 800mm VR has AF issue, i have to ship back with fully insure (since the lens cost $18,000)on my dime so they can fix it and ship it back to me. Geez...i should cry a river like you back then. Get real man.
Click to expand...

Was your AF issue present on the day of purchase due to a circuit board not actually supporting AF for your camera despite being advertised by the manufacturer as functional with your camera?

I don't think the manufacturer's policy is unreasonable - but I do think there are exceptions to the usual rule. Would you not agree a day one defect with 0 hours of use is different than a defect apparent after 364 days of use?

But it's okay - you don't have to agree with me - I'm just glad someone at Sony finally did.
 
I agree. No matter how much you pay for a camera, if it is new, it should have zero defects.
That said, I'm happy with my EX3 and my EX1's. Never botched a shoot due to camera failure. My only 'accident' was due to not checking the audio setup in a hurry after getting the camera back from renting it out to a colleague and directly driving over to a concert shoot without verifying switch settings.
 
Viddovation said:
Was your AF issue present on the day of purchase due to a circuit board not actually supporting AF for your camera despite being advertised by the manufacturer as functional with your camera?

I don't think the manufacturer's policy is unreasonable - but I do think there are exceptions to the usual rule. Would you not agree a day one defect with 0 hours of use is different than a defect apparent after 364 days of use?

But it's okay - you don't have to agree with me - I'm just glad someone at Sony finally did.
Click to expand...

if it is day one with 0 hour of using then you can always return the product to where you buy it and move on with a different product. By posting something like Sony will lose my business because of $15 shipping charge is childish. But hey, whatever it float your boat right? I'm glad that Sony just fed up with your crying and pay you the shipping label so we don't have to read more about it here or at Sony community forum.
 
Bubble said:
if it is day one with 0 hour of using then you can always return the product to where you buy it and move on with a different product.
Click to expand...

A fair counterpoint, but not one that really fit this situation for multiple reasons:
1. Product was a special order, vendor Trew Audio does not accept returns on special orders, at least not typically.
2. While problem existed from Day One, fully diagnosing it took longer than 30 days, due to shoot and schedule circumstances.
3. There is no alternate product to buy from any vendor that supplies all the same advertised features.
4. If I had successfully returned this unit and bought an identical unit it likely would also have the same defect - the point is that Sony has allowed these units to ship advertised for use with this camera, but with a circuit board that interferes with the GPS that requires replacement.

You're certainly entitled to your own opinion, and don't have any obligation to read the threads I post. The title of this thread "Sony May Lose My Business" is accurate - and certainly was when I started it. Just because a law, policy, price, rule, etc. exists doesn't mean it always is right - but if people don't make their voices heard when they disagree corporations and governments have little to no reason to consider changing such rules and policies. With corporations, the largest power we have as consumers is choosing which products and brands we support with our money.
 
Like far too many large companies, Sony suffers from a serious case of compartmentalization. Even in the camera arena, there is the XDCAM team and the CineAlta team plus others. Sony audio is a different cubicle. Sony Creative Software is yet another division. I think it is equally frustrating for Sony personnel having to deal across divisions. The GPS-noise + SMAD-P3 conflict never should have occurred. Or at least not being aware that such a conflict could exist, meriting a note in the documentation not to use GPS with a MI audio device. Not apologizing here. Just dealing with the realities of the way of the world. Sony does listen and these things can get fixed, but not without the understandable angst of end users, vendors and even Sony people.

And I take some blame for some of this angst because I knew about it (it was also noted somewhere on the Sony Community Site) and didn't chime in before we had as much grief in Nashville as any Nashville country-western "my wife ran away with my truck and my dog and bought a C300 MKII" song.

Ned
 
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