What will Sony do with camera sent in upgrade?
 

I sent my EX-1 in for the upgrade and also asked about letters coming off the camera, battery depleting if left on the camera and a pixel problem in the viewfinder. From the posts I have read Sony should address all of these concerns. Do you know if they will check for any other issues that we have heard about here like back focus problems and generally bench test the camera before return?

Thanks,

Phil Hanna

So you sent it in for software version 1.1 upgrade, right?

They will replace a PCB for the battery drain issue and covers for paint peel.
You may ask them to check back focus.

Hello Phil.

Did you get your camera back from the Sony service center yet? If so, did they address your concern's? Also, did your camera have to be sent to New Jersey?

Thanks Matt

In fact the battery problem requires replacement of 2 PCBs and in my experience Sony gives the camera a thorough check and fixes anything that ought to be fixed. Not everyone has found that level of service.

And a note for those using Sony's Silver Service in the UK:

If there's not something actually WRONG with the camera that stops it functioning, in other words, you're sending it in for an upgrade, there's doubt from Sony whether you qualify for a loaner camera if it takes more than a week (I've just been quoted 2 weeks).

So I'd go in there with an actual warranty fault up front, if applicable.

Updates in uk
 

I recently found out that the only place outside of Japan that makes Sony HD cameras is in wales, pencoed to be exact.
So i emailed the pencoed factory to ask if i can take my camera in for the firmware upgrade, i explained that as i only live an hours drive away, i didn't want my camera going for a trip round the country for weeks with a courier,i asked if i could go to the pencoed factory and hand my camera in and wait while they do the upgrade, even if it means i have to wait outside in my van for an hour or whatever.

I got an email back the next day saying that they would be happy to upgrade my camera for me while i wait !
All i need to do is contact prime support and tell them i want to do a "hand carry", prime support will then send the details to pencoed and i take my camera to pencoed.

Much better than sending the camera of for a joyride for 2 weeks i'm sure you'll agree.

Paul.

<envy>

OTOH, you've got a good point. Hmmm.

It's tempting. Slough to Wales, probably 250 miles round trip, 50 quid's worth of petrol if I'm gentle, just need a spare day. Did you have to specify a particular day in advance or hit a certain time spot?

The cost of hand carrying it, when balanced against the cost of hiring one, assuming I'm not doing too much. Even at 45p per mile... Just need a day. Hmmm...

Thanks for sowing the seed!

SONY UK Technology Centre About Us

Here they are.

Paul.

You cannot make this stuff up...
 

Firstly, the following is a moan, not a criticism. My camera is going to be given a thorough shake-over, for free, chauffeured to and from Wales to my door. It may take a little time, and I'll have to hire a camera for maybe a few days.

But...

You just have to admire Big Company Chutzpah.

I have a warranty with my product, any defects will be put right.

So I submit my product for repair, and whilst the repair will be at no cost to me, no loaner even if it takes ages. Why? Drum roll please:

"If your camera develops a fault, it qualifies for a loan camera, but because the issues you describe are common with all cameras, this is classed as a modification and is therefore not eligible for a loan camera." - Sony Silver Support representative.

Yes, chaps and chapesses, the back focus, battery, peeled paint and other fixes are classed as modifications. Because they all suffer from it.

May I please state again that I really shouldn't moan too loudly, because quite frankly I'm getting a pretty good service compared to some here on these boards. But the 'modification' get-out clause and its handling just lit my blue touch-paper.

I have just had my EX1 back from Pencoed - firmware, peeling paint, back focus, battery all (hopefully) fixed. When I booked it in, I had the 'modification, therefore no loan camera' spiel from Silver Support, but said that whilst I accepted that the firmware was a modification, the other jobs were repairs.

Anyway, parts were needed and last Friday, they had had my camera for 7 days. I phoned Silver Support and asked for a loan camera, which arrived first thing yesterday morning. Mine was returned this evening, so I just need to arrange return of the loan unit.

Sony has impressed me with their service performance, and I now need to see if v1.11 is the improvement claimed.

Cheers, Nick

Well Nick, you are lucky. I own two EX1s since last February. Both suffered from Back Focus problems. One was fixed after five trips to Sony service in Holland and France. The other one still suffers from Back Focus problems. It has gone back and forth eight times (from March to July) and even after a lens change no dice. Sony says that they can't accept the camera fur further repairs because simply the camera (according to them) is working as it should. I conducted tests after tests and I can assure everybody that the camera doesn't work as it should. I even asked them to visit Sony service and show them that the problem has not been fixed. They insist that the camera is fine. And now I am trying to prove to them that I am not an idiot.
ECC Greece and ECC UK have my case in their hands and try to find a solution. The cameras were bought from UK and my dealer has not done anything to help me.
Big disappointment. What can I say. Back Focus problem is so obvious and it's like talking to a wall. It's like their word against my word.

Sony Pencoed have brought my EX1 up to spec, firmware/paint/battery drain etc. all done in 2 days! Very happy now as Kensington/Sandisk Extreme 8GB all working well.

Sony camera returned
 

Sorry, I have not followed this link like I should have. The question was if I got the camera back yet. Yes and no. I got the camera back from Sony and the battery issue and a few other items were repaired/replaced. Unfortunately, there was an audio problem that was created with the selector switches during a change out of the back cover (stencil issue).
I called Sony that day and got immediate, first-class service. The issue was Sony's and they overnighted the camera back to New Jersey and gave it top priority. I just got off the phone and the camera was shipped out yesterday and I will have it Monday. I think it is important to let you all know that Sony does care about its customers and certainly proved that in my case.

Phil

Hello Phil

I,m glad you sort of got your camera in order. I sent my camera to NJ almost 4 WEEKS ago. Typical EX-1 issues needed to be addressed. Firmware update. Back focus correction. Side and back panel replacement, as paint magically disappeared. Battery drain issue addressed.

From what i have heard, you are not the first to experience, when the back panel is reinstalled, a audio issue. Meaning access or alignment of the audio controls not operating properly. I do understand sony has crammed a lot of hardware into this camera, so once the camera's body is opened up, it can be difficult to reassemble properly.

I wonder why it has taken Sony NJ service to turn around warranty work on the EX-1 within a 3-4 week time frame? Parts? Who knows! I hope i do not run into any issues when i get mine back ( Supposedly this week ). I have a major shoot coming up early next week. YIKES.

I just received my EX-1 back from New Jersey on 10/09/08. The tech's in NJ had the camera for roughly 15 working days. I am @ this point happy with the results. The battery drain issue is long gone. I left a battery on the camera for over 28 hours and noticed zero drain down.

The rubbed off paint area's were corrected. The back focus issue was corrected. Then the firmware was updated to the latest version. All audio buttons and other camera body switch's are not binding and operating properly. Tomorrow i have a shoot with the musician/singer known as USHER. I will be using the EX-1 and the primary camera will be a Sony disk based Cine Alta. So a big thumb's up to Sony and the gang in TeaNeck New Jersey