Paint peeling off!
 

My EX1 is about a month old and already the paint is coming off. My sel/set letters are about rubbed off, and the paint on my handle is starting to peel. I was astonished that I can very easily scrape off the paint with my fingernail and there is shiny bare aluminum underneath. Anybody else has this problem?

Any pictures?

Wouldn't that be covered under the warranty?

I can't take any photos now as my wife took the camera to work this morning. Will post some photos when she gets home. I'm sure warranty will cover it, but it's such a heartbreak when something like this happens. I'm also quite sure that if I wanted to, I could take off all the paint if I tried. If you look at the handle from the side, you'll see that it's in 3 parts; upper, middle, and lower. The problem is the upmost piece. Right where the upper and middle sections meet. I guess it's easier if I post a pic....:(

First of all, i'm not saying that you have been playing football with that camera, but for that paint to be chipping off in a month , what have you been doing with it?

Thank god I got that 3 year extended warranty. Very well worth it and at a good price.

The camera hasn't been abused at all, it's been out on only 3 weddings so far. Nothing has been spilled on it. I just noticed the bare spot on the handle this morning and when I tried rubbing it, more paint loosened. Then I scraped it with my fingernail and saw how easily it peels off. There is no primer, just a coat of black paint on aluminum!

It's been noted in a few reviews that the paint rubs of quite quickly in particular spots, especially the select dial. It's a shame but i think its prone to happen after a certain amount of use.

I would probably wait till after summer and send it in to warranty and get a new camera. By then you would probably get a flawless camera

Can one use the waranty in those cases? a friend have de camera for 3 weeks now and have the leters nearly to disapear. I have tried to cover them with a trasnparent film (like the ipod protection). its not so beautiful but Its does the work.

If my experience with a Sony laptop is anything to go by they won't accept this as warranty. Six months in and several of the keyboard letters had completely wiped off. Then the screen went so I returned it under warranty. They replaced the screen but said the keyboard was normal wear and tear and not covered.

Notice this on the back of my cam profile text is fading

Dennis,
I also got the extended warranty early last week from my dealer.
I have received no paperwork regarding this warranty.

Did you receive any documentation with your warranty?

I'm going to call my dealer next week.

The ND# "2" and the "set/sel" is printing on the camcorder looks very used for me allready. Just did a few shootings with it. So I think the painting quality isn't very good (have they forgotten the clear coat?). But who cares. A camcorder has to make good pictures and not have a high quality painting. This cam has more problems than it's painting!

Yes I got a cardboard like envelope with a sticker with phone numbers and a certificate number where I went online and registered with the certificate number.

You may be covered by warranty if this is not normal but defective paint. I tried hard to rub my paint off with no success.

Come on! Paint peeling off a month old lightly used and expensive camera....if your NOT covered by warranty we ALL want to hear about it.

This cannot be right - we all accept these are tools for a job but this is clearly a defective paint job on your particular unit, surely.

I've had this for a month now. Camera delivered in December.

Camera has been used for about 15 weddings and 2 music clip shoots.

Goes straight into it's bag when not being used. Cannot see any way it could have rubbed on anything except my hand where I grab the handle, but the handle is losing its paint right along the join.

Mic. clip starting getting loose about the same time and broke off on Saturday when I put the camera into it's bag.

Had two VX 2000's for 5 years, still look like new!
Have FX 7 and FX 1, still look like new.

Build: disappointing!

Picture Quality: Keeps on blowing me away!

Vaughan

My first EX1 did exactly the same thing. I could rub the lettering off without a problem. I had sent it in for vignetting issues and they were not resolved. My dealer got me in touch with the Sony Broadcast rep and I was able to get a replacement. The second camera is much better and the lettering is solid so far. Way better than the first unit.

The return was for the vignetting issues but the newer paint job was a bonus. In my case Sony stood behind the camera and warranty:)

Good luck!

For me this is not the main problem, but what I really can not understand is that a 15$ Logitech Computer Keyboard don't have these problems.... a 7000$ camcorder has this problems.

First I thought "Cine Alta" stands for high quality "Made in Japan". But after all those trouble I think that the consumers camcorders are build/tested better.

My 4 years old PD-170 still looks like new..... my Ex1 not :-(

I'll maybe send it to Sony, but I'll wait until we have learned more about the other problems. Then they can repair everything and the camcorder will be like a dream.

I am not defending Sony here, because it's ridiculous that the paint should rub off the EX1. And unlike other cameras you actually need the labels on the EX1, there are so many controls.

But the reason that keyboards don't have the same problem is that the lettering is molded through the keys so that it is still visible as they wear away.

There may have been a batch of cameras that didn't get proper surface prep before painting, allowing it to come off too easy. I say this from a background in semiconductor wafers where a missed clean-up step can cause the next layer to 'de-laminate'. Paint applied to a surface is no different. That's why you always see those warnings on any paint you buy about removing all traces of grease or oils. In many cases, a primer will be required between the base metal and the paint, but not always.

This would be a QC issue and should be covered under warranty. It's important to let the manufacturer know of any issues like this with a new product to determine whether it's an ongoing issue in the mfg. process, or was an anomaly affecting only certain units of the production run.

-gb-

Can somebody atleast post some pictures?

I just got my camera last week and have only held it a dozen times or so and it seems that the paint on the grip (right about where your thumb would be ) is already coming off. I'm not sure if it's paint or the plastic just has defects..

The writing over the back roller controller has almost disappeared.

This is VERY odd for a camera that is ONLY a little over two months old!

Is Sony offering anything for this issue?


At this rate, I will have no markings left on the camera at the end of the year.

Can somebody please provide a picture. I have had mine for almost a month and it is in pristine condition. I'm trying to figure out where the problem areas are.

This seems to be such a common problem with this camera that I was wondering if that entire backplate could be removed and sprayed with a clear coat of.....what? Lacquer? Enamel? It looks like it is held on with 4 screws.

Maybe sony are doing this on purpose so that we all get trained up and know the function of every button by memory. hehe.
If your renting your EX out and need the lettering to stay on I recommend finding a good engraver. They would be able to engrave the lettering a half mill into the palstic and then coat it again with white so that its all flushed.
I bet Sony will have the lettering recessed in like that on the plastic shell of the EX2.

Paint is coming off on both sides, as you can see. I talked to my dealer, Sony is going to order the defective part and replace it as soon as it's available.

I have to say, I've never seen this happen to any camera within four months of its release... unreal

Maybe Sony wants us to know that the camera body is made mainly of metal, not plastic?

Yeah, YEAH!!....that's it....pure genius on their part. :(

I just came back from NAB. As I walked around the exhibits, I noticed 2 other EX1s with paint peeling off the handle! I guess this problem isn't as isolated as I thought it was.

My ND filter numbers and Menu Text is rubbed off now too. But its still an amazing camera!