Today I tried to connect the USB cable to my EX1 with the grip handle fully rotated forward (90 deg), and only after several attempts I realized it can't be done... I'd like to warn the fellow users against trying to connect it with the handle in this position. There is just not enough space between the socket and the handle for the USB plug!

Now, when I look closely at this tiny socket, it seems like the connectors inside are not in line - with the front two of them slightly recessed and their metal parts sort of visible outside the plastic more than the rest of them...

Of course I never exert too much force with my equipment, so I hope I didn't break it after all (it still works OK both directions), but for the peace of mind - could you inspect yours, and tell me if they also look like I tried to describe it above?

i just checked mine, they seem to be inline however i have had alot of experience with usb devices in the past and i can tell you that they do eventually get a lil wear and tear and misalign but unless the connectors ever come into contact with each other you dont really have to worry.

Thanks Daniel... Did you use some maginifying glass, or just your naked eye to check this (I'm 53 and my eyes are not that good any more)...

Anyway, I can see the two connectors on the camera's front side are a bit -well... different?

i used my naked eye, but its real easy for me to see they are all in alignment. I was very shocked aswell at how tricky it was to use the usb socket with the handle turned, i thought i broke my mine at one point but luckily it still works fine. The only thing to worry about with the usb is that if the connectors ever do make contact they will short out the board its connected to and often overrite the cameras power and not function at all until it's fixed.

Yes, it is a pain to plug in. You always need to rotate the handle.
I'm not sure what Sony was thinking about putting common connections in a bad location. They are almost impossible to get to when mounted on my tripod... The more I think about it, maybe they are impossile..LOL

Another one of those weird little things that Sony does for one reason or the other, however i have to keep reminding myself that these small niggles are minor in comparison to what this little machine is capable of. I remember i was so scared before buying this camera because out of all the threads on this board it was the sony ex1 thread that had the most problems and complaints (virtually every other post was a complaint), it was only til i really looked that i found out that most of the things people had a problem with were things that you'd get used to and never look back after a few months of use and nothing users of bigger cameras didnt have to deal with also.

Nearly forgot what i was originally talking about now...oh yeh, usb, crap positioning. Come on Sony.

I used the component socket the other day. The plastic hinged door is a bit flimsy - be careful I don't think it will take much use before breaking.

Cameras are made to shoot footage onto tape or whatever. VCRs and card readers are made to play it back. The only truly usefull and useable port on the EX1 is the SDI port. The reduction is sell price that would have come about from removing all the other ports might have been enough for Sony to throw in a card reader although I guess they needed one port for firmware upgrades.

It looks like I am after a fast Sxs reader for my desktop, as well (so far have one with my laptop, but with desktop I used the silly on-camera USB port).

I have found this:

http://www.synchrotech.com/products-expc/pcie-expresscard-slot-drive_03.html

- has anybody tried it with the SxS cards?

OK guys - in daylight, I was able to take a photo with my phone camera (sorry for quality). This is how it looks now (after trying to plug in the cable, with the grip handle in a "wrong" position); the first 3 contacts (not 2 as I could see last night with my 53 years old eyes;) are naked, i.e. without the horizontal plastic bar as present over the other 3. It doesn't look right to me, but at the same time it looks as it was designed that way (no irregular cracking in the plastic).

Please tell me if yours are all under the plastic, and I broke mine - or is it supposed to be like this?

NB, I'm going to switch to a PCI-E SxS card reader, anyway - faster, and less hassle.

It looks like I am after a fast Sxs reader for my desktop, as well (so far have one with my laptop, but with desktop I used the silly on-camera USB port).

I have found this:

http://www.synchrotech.com/products-expc/pcie-expresscard-slot-drive_03.html

- has anybody tried it with the SxS cards?

No, but there is a comment on the support page from someone saying they'd tried it with the Sony drivers and it worked. Sounds encouraging.

No, but there is a comment on the support page from someone saying they'd tried it with the Sony drivers and it worked. Sounds encouraging.

Yes it does, Bob - what holds me is they stress the importance of the cable between the adapter and the front 3.5" bay... They say it's shielded, but will it provide the full speed of a direct solution like this (much cheaper, much less comfortable to use with the PC tower under the desktop)?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Internal-PCIe-PCI-Express-Card-to-Expresscard-adapter_W0QQitemZ300204290441QQihZ020QQcategoryZ41993QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ShippingP ayment

As you can see, it's just GBP 10 - shipping included!

Guys,i'm waiting for this reader to arrive,it says "coming soon", look at the price.
I'll let youknow as soon as i get one,you have to plug th card in round the back .
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=221477&doy=7m3

Could anyone please inspect his USB socket, and tell me for sure I have broken mine, please?

Please take a look into your camera's USB socket, and confirm whether all the contacts should be under plastic, like the 3 RH-side ones in my picture. As I said, it doesn't look right but on the other hand, I never used excesive force, or feel/heard anything crack...

TIA!

Looks broken to me.

My EX1 is on the other side of the world right now, but I did look at my Sony HDV camcorder for comparison, and it is not the same as your photo. The 'tab' on the right is uniform across the front of the connector.

Same with my cell phone, uniform across the front, like your right side.

Please take a look into your camera's USB socket, and confirm whether all the contacts should be under plastic, like the 3 RH-side ones in my picture. As I said, it doesn't look right but on the other hand, I never used excesive force, or feel/heard anything crack...

TIA!


You ain't going to thank me. Your socket is broken. The plastic separator between the pins should run the whole length of all the contacts.

Excuse the crappy picture, only had my $10 webcam.

Bob, John;

Bad news - but of course Thank you anyway !

Have been thinking... Sending in my camera now because of the silly USB is a tough decision - I was going to wait until more important problems are finally resolved by Sony, and only send the camera then for a general overhaul...

So, assuming I'll probably only use the USB for the future firmware upgrade (and NOT for regular off-loading from the cards), what DYI solution could be used to prevent the contacts from touching each other? Shorting it is the last thing I'd like to happen...

So long as you only insert the plug in absolutely straight you should be fine. Not doing that is probably what broke the plastic. I know it's difficult to get the plug in without it starting out at an angle.

I'll be pleasantly surprised if this get repaired under warranty, the question you need to ask yourself is the cost of getting it fixed going to be worth it.

So long as you only insert the plug in absolutely straight you should be fine. Not doing that is probably what broke the plastic. I know it's difficult to get the plug in without it starting out at an angle.

I'll be pleasantly surprised if this get repaired under warranty, the question you need to ask yourself is the cost of getting it fixed going to be worth it.

while not a current owner (give it a month) I'd say that if USB is the *only* way to update firmware (please someone tell me there is another way) then getting it repaired is something that you really must do if you want to be able to apply any future fixes.

Dave

As a side note we've had almost the same problem with a HC7 and the A/V cable. The plastic contact holder had snapped off and was wedged inside the plug in one of our underwater housings. Plug would not connect to any camera as a result and it took carefull microsurgery to extract the piece of plastic so we could use the housing again. You need to be very careful with any of these new "micro" plugs and sockets.
The plug in the underwater housing is a right angle one, I wonder if anyone is making a component cable with a RA plug on it. That'd certainly help connecting the EX1 to a monitor.

The main USB port actually isn't used for the FW updates. Under a small cover held by a phillips head screw is another "secret" USB port. I really hope sony will let us start doing our own FW updates, I'd hate to have to send it back to them just for that.

-Sean

Looks like that secret USB port is even harder to get at the the main one.

Yes, the connectors are one of the lower points in this otherwise great camera. I get it they were trying to save space or even ran out of it, but a side rear panel above the SDI with real component jacks, the USB and A/V would have been nice and handy.

Just a side note: Yesterday I swapped SN1789 for SN 2527, and the newer one came with a MUCH better SDI cap. This one might actually last a month.

-Sean

The main USB port actually isn't used for the FW updates. Under a small cover held by a phillips head screw is another "secret" USB port. I really hope sony will let us start doing our own FW updates, I'd hate to have to send it back to them just for that.

-Sean


Where on the cam is this ?

if you open the connector door under the hand grip, to the right of the USB connector is a small metal tab. Remove the small phillips head screw at the top of the tab, and it comes off to reveal a 2nd USB port.

-Sean

Ta.
paul.