Sony's Service Plus Professional web site for the F3 has been 'under maintenance' for months, well before the camera became widely available. Today it worked very briefly before indefinitely going off-line again.

As an eternal pessimist I'm always concerned with the welfare of my equipment and after reading the price list of the general parts on the F3 I'm about ready to wrap it back in cotton wool. For example, I was considering removing the optical port to clean it on the inside, as there has been a little dust since day one. After reading the replacement price of this small part: $537, I think I'll stay WELL CLEAR of any self maintenance.

Before it went offline again I inadvertently cached a couple of diagrams. This might be of interest or useful to some.

https://www.servicesplus.sel.sony.com (for when it works)

Thanks Peter! Could be useful down the road.

-Andrew

Thanks from over here also.

For what's worth I have part of the handle parts assembly sent me by Sony repair after the rubber connector holding my mic assembly ripped off due to a tight backpack I had it in

Hello Leonard,
Did you replace it yourself? Was it difficult? How much did you actually have to take apart to do so? Were you able to do anything to strengthen the connection?
- Thanks

(One of my typical 'pet peeves' is that most sound people I work with seem to think that looping through the mic holder is the optimal way to strain relief their quick release cables. While this may work fine with cameras that screw the holder directly into the camera body, it looks like a BAD idea on the F3!)

The rubber part that ripped looked like it could have been replaced by itself as it seemed to be connected by small screws, but Sony won't sell that as a part, so I had to buy the whole mic assembly for $216. The whole assembly does screw into the handle though with a screw that is on the bottom of the handle. Nothing at all to replace it.
Re strengthening - I think I'll just be more careful.
Looping through the mic holder worked fine on the EX-1 which had a separate built in mic so mine was usually empty. But on the F3 I have a mic in it.

I found this mic mount to be quite weak and prone to break. I also don't like the stereo mic so, my two F3s have AKG SE300B/CK93 compact mono shotguns on Rycote Lyre mounts mounted on the cold shoe.

Thierry.