This morning I was looking at footage I shot yesterday and saw a black thing floating toward the bottom of the frame.

When I checked my camera, there was a little piece of white fuzz on the inside of the lens - on the bottom of the main glass!

I had to unscrew the inside threaded ring that keeps the lens in place, pull out the glass and blow the fuzz out. Have no idea how that would get in there... I also have a UV filter on the front of my glass.

Wow...
I'm trying to picture what you did.
Did you take pictures of this process?

Looks like you're not the only one:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=126432

heh. no pictures. I got two very small eyeglasses screwdrivers and used the holes in the ring to twist out the ring. After that, it was just a matter of picking out the lens by an outside rim using the same screwdrivers.

It was all pretty easy but taking pictures was the last thing on my mind.

Very weird and frustrating!

I hope we can figure out where that opening is so we can seal it up.

Nothing like something getting on the inside of the lens only to see it on the footage later!

There's also no reason to believe that the fuzz wasn't always in there and some bolt of static electricity brought it forward and stuck it to the backside of the lens.

That piece of glass in the lens comes out pretty easily. Makes me wonder if the placement of that piece of glass had anything to do with the vignetting issue.

Nothing like a story like that to scare the poop out of ya when you're looking to buy :)

Thanks for the heads up on this being a potential issue to watch for.

Dave

Sounds scary, but it's good to know that swapping out the front element is possible without major disassembly of the lens if it gets damaged.

Mind you, I'm not sure how easy it would be to get hold of a replacement.

Impossible to handhold...

reusable (digital) magazines...

Having to "check the gate" after every take...


We wanted a more film-like experience, we're the only ones to blame. ;)

Andrew, seems we had the same problem at the same time. Are the holes you mean the four on front of the lens of the Ex? By putting two awls in two of the holes and turning you could unscrew the front lens? When I looked close at this piece I noticed a small residue of one side of something like a sealant/glue that may have sealed this piece on permanently. Not the case? I don't want to risk turning this only to hear the crack of glued plastic shattering along with my limited warranty.

Yes, there was about 1/4 inch of little blue-tinted sealant along the edge of the ring with the 4 holes. I just ran an exacto knife around the edge. It was pretty hard to get started but once it started urning, it came of pretty easily and went back on just as easily.

After the ring was off, I just rubbed off any flaking sealant.

The sealent may also have been there to prevent water/damp/codensation from entering the lens.

Andrew, I think you're a brave man for taking a wrench to the lens! Just make sure you're not getting into more trouble...

George/

I was thinking that too. Maybe the sealant is important. But does it run the whole circumference or is it just run for a token section to hold the lens in place? Im going to ask at a few repair shops in Akihabara on saturday about this and also whether a tool is available that is designed to open it. I imagine sony has a spherical device with four small posts that lock in so you can twist it off easily.

Im whimping out of breaking the seal on this thing at the moment.

Awesome that you did it though.

The seal was very tiny. Definitely did not go all the way around the ring. Probably as wide as my little finger.

Brave?? not so much. I needed to use the camera and sending it in for something I could fix in 10 minutes wasn't an option. It was pretty clear I could do it myself. It was a substantial piece of fuzz.

I just found shavings inside my lens...very irresponsible of them...

Will Sony pay for shipping? They better...booooo on Sony...

I just found shavings inside my lens...very irresponsible of them...

Will Sony pay for shipping? They better...booooo on Sony...

I had the same thing. I took mine in and they ended up replacing the lens which confused me because I thought they would just clean it. I also asked them to adjust a slight vignetting problem so maybe the new lens was to solve that issue. They were pretty aloof about the whole thing. Anyway, inside the new lens I have noticed again a few particles-look like metalic shavings- but they are on the rim of the inner mechanism and aren't in view of lens so I can live with it. My theory is that these particles are actually tiny flakes of the sealant used to seal the lens on, but who knows. Good luck, make them pay for shipping!

I had the same thing. I took mine in and they ended up replacing the lens which confused me because I thought they would just clean it. I also asked them to adjust a slight vignetting problem so maybe the new lens was to solve that issue. They were pretty aloof about the whole thing. Anyway, inside the new lens I have noticed again a few particles-look like metalic shavings- but they are on the rim of the inner mechanism and aren't in view of lens so I can live with it. My theory is that these particles are actually tiny flakes of the sealant used to seal the lens on, but who knows. Good luck, make them pay for shipping!

yeah I'm going to send it in and have them fix the slight vignette problem on mine, update the firmware to 1.05 since my ND and focus are messed up, and teh shavings front and center on my lens...you think they will fix the flicker (on mine it is almost unbearable...and happens every other shoot)...

Is it just me or is this camera full o' problems...

What's flicker? do you mean a strobing effect in 24p? shutter at 1/48 or 1/60 is recommended. I was checking out a HVX in store yesterday, side by side with an Ex, they both have that same slight stutter effect as you pan. Im never sure if I see it cause Im looking or whether its prominent. 30p is much smoother.
I don't know if I could say the EX is plagued with problems because Its actually my first video camera and cant compare. It does feel though like Ive adopted a kid when I was really looking to buy a horse.

Is it just me or is this camera full o' problems...

As I said, I think it's just you. :)

There are a few problems in some units, not uncommon for such a new model (mine is perfect and works flawlessly). But I would still take this camera over any other cameras out there under 12,000. At least it's real HD and doesn't just pretend to be and the performance beats anything under 12,000 and even give bigger cameras like the XDCAMs and DVCPRO HD a run for their money. Specially the low end DVCPRO HD shoulder camera with SD sensors. The EX1 spanks it :)