What's on my Sony fix list for servicing my EX1?
 

Hi, I'm just looking for a complete list of all the items/issues that I would have fixed when I take my EX1 in for servicing. I bought it in the summer of '08 and have only used it sporadically but I'm going to ramp up its use in '09 so I thought I get all the fixes done first.

These are the main ones I've read about in these forums, what am I missing?

- Battery drain issue.

- Back focus issue (or something similar).

- Peeling paint. ( I haven't used my camera enough to notice wear on the lettering, but if they have more durable replacements, maybe they could apply them).

- Firmware upgrade ( I have 1.05 currently) for a $100 fee. Which still bugs me because aren't these upgrades mostly "fixes" to initial problems? Why charge owners?

So what am I missing that needs fixing while under warranty?
Thanks for any input.

I think you've pretty much got everything there. I just got my camera back from an upgrade fix, having previously had my dealer upgrade the firmware (to version 1.11 - you NEED this firmware upgrade if you want to do stuff like use the 32GB SxS cards or the 60GB hard drive thing and in Europe it was free because the price of the camera cf dollar to pound exchange rate was such that they justified the wacky difference by bundling in 3 years prime support for Europe. In the US suggest you try and get them to do it as part of the general repairs or hunt around for people who've just done the upgrade themselves for free (although this is for reasons nobody understands, not officially supported). If I were in the US I think I'd just pay the wretched charge (whilst feeling free to whinge about what constitutes an upgrade vs a repair to the press, pointing out that support for 32GB SxS cards was always promoted from the initial announcement of the camera)

The battery drainage problem, even when camera turned off, is apparently never completely fixed, but dramatically improved by replacing two circuit boards (according to my repair docket). In the UK dealers are not allowed to do this repair - Sony Prime Support have to do it.

Look around on the forums for how to check backfocus. I thought mine was fine, but being paranoid, added it to the list anyway just in case. The repair docket simply said "checked and OK". My camera was a very early production line run so this "backfocus problem" seems to be a very sporadic one rather than a problem specific to early production runs (as the battery drainage and paint peeling issues are).

The paint peeling problem, if you've got it, happens within weeks of solid use. In my case it was the lettering on the back of the camera, notably the menu dial labelling. The fix from Sony Prime Support according to the repair docket, was to replace the back and side panel of the camera.

When I got my camera back they listed two other changes that made no sense to me XDCAM sticker replacement (can see no difference at all and have no idea why a replacement would have been needed unless it was needed because of the side panel replacement) and hand strap replacement (again, no idea why it was replaced).

By the way the "repair docket" changes were only listed in an email I got after I complained about the appalling service in collecting/returning the camera. There was nothing in the box the camera was returned in to indicate what had been done, so you may have to specifically ask them what they did to see the "repair docket".

Good luck.

Ian

P.S. I think the "free" upgrade offer for v1.11 in Europe was time-limited to the end of November. Very naughty especially since they didn't email owners to tell them about the upgrade. So if you're a European reader thinking of getting the upgrade you may find that now you have to pay for it :(

I wonder where we stand with regard to consumer law on this.