Firmware Here
 

http://www.sonybiz.net/xdcam

goto the blue section marked Reference Information and hit the more link bottom right, follow instructions

I have downloaded but not installed yet

good luck

Andy

Did the firmware update. It solved a few issues I was having.

Removing the side cover of the camera
and enabling the service jumper was a little "on the edge."

All I can tell anyone who has not done a firmware update on the 330/350L
is to not have any distractions around you for about 20 minutes.
Good Luck.

The only instructions I could find for this in the download refer to the service manual for the camera.

I understand the upgrade involves putting the rom files in the /MSSONY/PRO/CAMERA/PDWF350/ directory, but what's the rest? I assume Service Menu to initiate the update can only be gotten to by DIP switch under a cover?

Guess I'll be surfing the Sony sites to figure it out until somebody gets back to me here...

ftp://ftp.sony.com
If using OS X, use an ftp program.

User Name: storage
Password: NONE

Select the folder: XDCAM HD

Select the folder: Software

Select the folder: PDW-F350

Select the folder: Ver 1.06 - AT1.21

Download and read: F350_and F330 Software_Upgrade_Instructions.pdf

Drag all files to your desktop.

Make sure you have a memory stick that was just formatted
by your 350L.

Then connect that memory stick to your computer and drag
the files: F350PK.ROM f350at.rom f350fc.rom to your memory stick.

Eject the memory stick and reinsert it into your XDCAM.

Then get ready to unscrew the 4 screws for the side cover of your
camera and the rest is easy to follow in the pdf..... have fun and
don't sneeze into your camera with the cover off......

Everybody, be very careful with this stuff. In the space of time between when I asked for further instructions, and when Rob answered, I managed to make my camera inoperable by, I think, only managing to get ONE of the 3 packages installed correctly via a "force" update. If you're wondering how one does a forced update, I'm not telling you, because it's just plain unsafe for this camera.

Right now I finally got the camera to a place where I'm running the real, known method, and the flashing seems to be going well so far.

And for those wondering...yes, I'm dumb.

Whew. Got it fixed.

...and let this be a lesson to you all!

:-)

(p.s. thanks Rob, your response saved my cam a trip to the shop!)

Nate,

I logged on Sony's FTP but do not see a XDCAM folder. Is the info above correct?

Thierry.

Upgrading this version of the package should be safe, with no need to open the sides of the camera.

However I messed my camera up on the last upgrade, and this latest upgrade is not going too well either.

My camera keeps having a file read error after 15% of the upgrade process. I've re-downloaded the file, so it may be that it is corrupt in some way. Luckily it hasn't rendered my camera inoperable.

Guys, I've had the firmware for about a week now (was going to write an article for DVINFO about the new features). YOU DO NOT OPEN THE CAMERA to do the upgrade.

Since the cat is out of the bag, even though I'm not sure it's supposed to be, I'll tell you the proper way to do the update.

The files go into /MSSONY/PRO/CAMERA/PDWF350/ directory on your memory stick. Make sure the camera is AC powered, as the update takes about 30 minutes total and you don't want to have it shut down in the middle of the procedure.

• Hold down the menu knob and the record button on the front of the camera body while powering up. The camera will find the files on the memory stick and do a quick update of the basic firmware.
  
• After this is completed, power down and power up the camera as you normally would. Go to Diagnostic Menu....Page D04.
  
• You'll see the ROM version displayed. Press and hold menu button for a few seconds and turn menu knob to place arrow next to PACKAGE and press the select button.
  
• The camera will find the package update on the memory stick and will prompt you to update 1.04 --> 1.56. Confirm with the menu knob and wait for about 20 minutes.

After this is completed, your firmware is updated.

It bears repeating that you DO NOT OPEN THE CAMERA for the firmware upgrade. It can be done that way but is unnecessary and could void your warranty (which is 2yrs parts and labor for the XDCAM family).

There is also a new version of the Proxy Browsing software with updated FAM driver for Windows. I am happy to report it solves the partial FAM copy bug that plagued the earlier firmware.

The current version of Sony XDCAM Transfer for OSX does not understand renaming the clip files on the disc so you should refrain from doing that until Sony releases the updated XDCAM Transfer application.

regards,

-gb-

Here's a set of install instructions that worked successfully for me. You do not need to remove any camera pieces.

Carroll Lam

I looked and saw no XDCAM folder there either. It probably got removed because it wasn't supposed to be available yet.

-gb-

As of this post, I confirmed the files are there on the Sony's ftp area for immediate download.

I recommend you use an ftp program to log into sony's ftp area.
Once logged in, you should be able to see the folder XDCAM HD.
If you are trying logging in via your browser you may not have any success
seeing all the folders in the root directory.

If anyone is able to do a complete firmware update without opening the
side of the camera, then great! It was a bit "on the edge" having to
open up several XDCAM cameras worring about loosing warranty etc....
But, as one can see from the pdf instructions provided from Sony,
it tells you to open the side of the camera to enable the service menu
option; and then after disable the service menu option.

These cameras are not cheap, so go with Carroll & Greg's method if
all possible.

That's the same instructions I got via email from my contact at Sony. This is the document that should be consulted for doing the firmware upgrade.

-gb-

Once you find the files on www.sonybiz.net you can download them directly without using ftp.

Carroll Lam

Does anyone actually _have_ one of the service manuals?

Carroll Lam

That location is okay even though it's the UK site. The Sony FTP site I do not believe is intended to be known to the general public.

-gb-

Aha. So apparently the method I used first was good, but I didn't go far enough. I had done only the AT, and thought that was it. Not surprisingly, he camera didn't work very well with only the AT updated.

Another reason for downloading from the www.sonybiz.net site is that the download set includes an updated user manual which includes the new items provided by the rom updates.

Carroll Lam

Well, I still can't get it to work. Usually the Package is updated before the AT, and this is shown by the instructions too.

Regarding the use of mains power rather than the battery. Not sure what to make of that, and never have. The recomendation it seems is to stop the camera powering down during the uograde. However, as Clive Canon from Sony New Zealand once told me, the only time he's ever had a problem upgrading the firmware was when he was connected via mains power and there was a power outtage!

Simon, the idea of using mains power was from Chris Tsai here at Sony America. He is the one who provided me the update last week. In any case, it doesn't matter what power source you're using, the idea is to make sure the camera will stay on throughout the upgrade, hence the suggestion by Chris to run on AC power during the upgrade.

BTW, the updated essence mark menu now shows the additional essence marks you have had on the SD cam. I'm not sure the camera is actually recording them because I recorded a clip using hot audio to force the limiter, and did some filter changes, wb changes, etc. and they were still greyed out when I pulled the clip up for review.

-gb-

Something else the firmware has seemed to fix:

When in any of the Cine gammas, the 100% zebra would not work because the gamma would keep any whites way below 100IRE. While that's technically correct, I would like to know when my whites are burning in a given Cinegamma without having to waste the 1st zebra channel and set it to 94%. I was having lots of trouble getting a handle on exposure on this camera because of this.

So either the Zebra 2 channel is being modified to something a little bit below 100, or the Cine gammas now will put some of your whites at 100 (when they didn't before).

[edit: After shooting some out my front door, and then looking at with the scopes in FCP, it appears possibly now that whites are being placed much higher than before with the Cine gammas now, at least with Cine3. Does anybody want to confirm?]

Hi Greg,

Yes, the official recomendation is to use mains power, and has been throughout all the updates. I was just pointing out the potential silliness/humour of this since you can just as easily have mains power outtages and spikes. :-)

I also noticed with the new firmware that the KNEE function is shown as '--' when the Cinegamma is active. If you select it and try to change it it will say something about you having Cinegamma turned on. Before, you could tweak the KNEE settings even when using Cinegamma curves.

-gb-

Hehe, yeah Simon the moral of the story is regardless of how you power it, the power had better stay on all the way through, lest your camera become an expensive paperweight.

-gb-

Zebra 2 is fixed at 70 IRE. Zebra 1 is the one you can adjust.

-gb-

p.s. You've got voicemail on your cellphone.

You can't adjust Zebra 2?

Yeah, a power outtage could make the camera a dud. But it can be revived if you know how. Although thats best left to Sony techs and requires a phone call to Japan.

On the last firmware update my camera went caput on the AT upgrade. I had to drive 2hrs down to Sony Basingstoke for them to do the 'hold down the record button and the menu wheel while powering up' thing to get the AT to install. So, 2hr drive, 10 seconds for them to fix it, 2hr drive back! But kudos for them for letting me go down there at short notice, and for Clive at Sony NZ for contacting them on my behalf.

Contrary to the beliefs of some, the Sony people go out of their way quite often to make sure their professional customers are happy.

Thankfully they have now put this information on the install instructions.

Now, if only I could get this latest package software to install!

That's definitely been my experience. Especially when I had to send in the camera for a warranty issue in July.

With this first upgrade on XDCAM HD, you have to do the AT first in order to get the Diag menu screen that shows the ROM version. You then update the package from that screen.

-gb-

Sure about that? From what I could tell, Zebra 1 was always 100, but with Cinegammas you rarely had anything going up to 100 to use it with.

Hi Greg,

Not sure I want to upgrade the AT first. I would imagne the SD version is different from the HD one. Usually on all updates before hand you needed the correct Package installed in order to do the AT upgrade.

I'm looking at U09 right now. Zebra display can be 2, 1, or both. The only Zebra level you can set is for Zebra 1. Zebra 2 is fixed at 70%. I have Zebra 1 set for 90%.

-gb-

It was explained to me by Chris that the AT does the black and white menus and the Package does all the graphic menus and other camera functions.

But with the first version on the HD camera, there was no ROM version page to display so you couldn't initiate a package update. Now that the camera has that page, it might work like you are saying for any future updates.

-gb-

Power Issue During The Install:

I used fully charged batteries for each camera
during the firmware update. You never know when the
power could go out or have some kind of brief disturbance!
So, a fully charged battery is more than enough to do
the complete firmware upgrade.

Another firmware benefit:
This firmware has impoved the camera's communication
with the BP-GL65 Battery Pack on displaying the accurate amount
battery life remaining.

Dangit, I meant Zebra 2 fixed at 100. That takes care of half of our confusion.

I've just confirmed using the FCP scopes that Zebra 2 is 100IRE, and that at least Cine3 brings everything to exactly 100IRE and no more, which is different than what it did before. Also, DCC does not activate anymore in Cine3 at least, and I assume all the Cines. Makes sense, goes along with the "no knee" behavior that is now the case also.

Dagnammit, any XDCAM SD owners around here? ;-)

Aha, I mis-read that paragraph in the owner's manual where it says the factory setting is 70%. Since Zebra 2 is not adjustable, I thought they were referring to that one. They were referring to the factory setting of Zebra 1 level. Argghhh!

Thanks for clearing that up, Nate.

-gb-

My camera is an HD model, Simon, but I note in the Sony install document on the Sonybiz site that there are different packages depending on the s/n of your camera. I assume you're using the correct package?

Carroll Lam

Yep Carroll. right package. The camera won't recognise the firmware unless it is the correct one.

Been there done that. If there's a problem to be had installing firmware I'm usually the one to find it! Once I find the solution I'll post it here.

Simon,

I am about to try the upgrade on my 510. Which file needs to be installed first, the ROM or the PKG File? I have the steps to follow on how to upgrade to the PKG but nothing on the ROM. Any more info on your end?

Thanks

Thierry.

Hi Thierry,

Strictly speaking the Package file should be installed first. Although I have done the AT as an experiment with no ill effect.

But yeah, package file first, and then the AT. From Clives description you need to disconnect the lens connector and audio, and manually close the lens off. He said that it takes around 20 minutes for the package to upgrade, and that at one point the LCD will go blank, but the viewfinder will still display the update progress.

AT should only take a minute.

Let me know how you get on. The guys at Sony upgraded their 510 successfully, so it might be my memory stick that has a problem.

Can anyone share the upgrade procedure for the F70 or F30 Deck? I have a F30 deck that I would like to upgrade the firmware in but I don't have the service manual.

Thanks