hello. i've been a canon user the past 15 years, and am extremely comfortable with the service and repair process with them. the ex1 is my first sony cam since the hi-8 days, and sony service seems like untreaded waters for me. what is the procedure for service and maintenance with the ex1? for warranty repair, do you guys go to authorized service centers, or ship straight to the sony support center? would these procedures apply for issues like board replacement for the battery drainage problem as well? your advice is greatly appreciated.

Sony San Jose, CA seems to be the only place in the USA handling such repairs.

I actually bought my camera from one of two Sony Authorized Service Center dealers in NYC and even they don't touch 'em yet. At the very least one hope one can go local authorized for firmware update if Sony continues to refuse to allow end users to do that.

When I had an issue with my EX1 and San Jose couldn't fix it, they sent me a new camera. My big concern is that apparently in the USA the Sony warranty (90 days labor, 1 year parts) is more like consumer than professional.

thanks for the good info craig. i guess holding onto the camera until it warrants real service is a good idea. canon service was speedy and generally top-notch, and i'm hoping to have similar experiences with sony. as an aside, i have to say i really like this camera so far.