XDCAM EX Firmware Updates Available
 

Looks like the Sony UK site has started posting new firmware updates for the EX1, EX3, PMW350, and EX1R. The good news is that anyone can preform these updates. The EX1 and EX3 require software (for PC & Mac), but the EX1R and EX350 can be upgraded from an SxS Card. A comprehensive PDF is included in each download with upgrade instructions. They have posted some of these upgrades already, but the EX1 software may not be available until Monday. I had some issues using Firefox on their site, but Safari seemed to work.

Visit our blog to learn more - XDCAM EX Firmware Updates Now Available | CineTechnica

And the Sony UK site to start download - Sony : XDCAM EX firmware upgrade : United Kingdom

Excellent news. Thanks for the update.

Andy S: Is the recent firmware update cumulative? In other words, does it incorporate previous updates?

I've not updated my Ex1 since I bought it from you guys over a year ago, in part because I heard horror stories about people doing it themselves and locking up their camera (because it was supposed to be sent back to Sony).

Thanks
Bob

No new features added to the EX1 or EX3 other than the new memory cards and version info in the menu?

OK being in the USA..how does one do this as the UK site says you have to sign up and there is no "USA" listed for countries?

how can we colonials do it?

Bob: This is version 1.20 of the firmware for the EX1, so it should include all updates in previous releases. I would recommend updating because a number of issues were resolved over these different releases.

Kevin: I haven't done the update yet, but it appears that these are the only changes besides adding the firmware version into the "OTHERS" menu.

William: I had the same problem, however the site doesn't seem to care what country you specify.

I believe it will be available as of March 8.

Looks like the EX1 firmware isn't on the site yet.

EX-3 Update 1.02 to 1.10
 

My first try was to use the Mac VersionupTool on Snow Leopard 10.6.2. To make a long story short, nothing happened after launching the Tool -- it did not even launch to the "End User License Agreement".

My second try was to use Parallels and Windows 7 Ultimate. Everything worked as spelt out in the "Installation Instructions." The process was flawless and took the allotted 15 minutes. During the upgrade process, it was nice to see the Red Camera record light on and then it flashes to indicate that it is safe to turn the power off for reboot and then again when the process is finished. I was expecting all the camera settings to be reset to factory default, however, it retained all of my settings - another nice touch.

My EX-3 was at firmware version 1.02 and is now at 1.10. Some quick test shots with my Kensinton ExpressCard and 16GB Sandisk ExtremeIII SDHC cards -- seem to function as before. Went to the next configuration with my Corsair SSD and it also seems to be working as before.

Nice job Sony, it was worth the wait. Cheers!

Barry, thanks for letting us know how it went. I'm glad to hear that third party SDHC adapters are still working too.

As a fellow colonial 'down under, just put in your olde 'London' address ;-)
I'm sure they won't mind.
Cheers,
Mal

Bumped mine from 1.030082, worked fine and seems to boot 3 or 4 seconds faster too. My old Kensington adapters still work.

Can someone who has done the update tell us if the zoom minimum zoom speed has been altered.

If you like to do "creep-creep" zooms you should hold off until this is confirmed, otherwise your camera will be downgraded in the zoom department.

Andrew, the zoom settings in the menu remained exactly the same. I am still able to obtain a smooth very slow zoom. Cheers!

VersionUp Bonus
 

The original 1.02 firmware on my EX3 was only reliable up to 48fps at 720/24p when using SDHC cards.

Exploring more with the new 1.10 firmware reveals that I can now obtain the full 60fps overcrank speed using my Kensington/Sandisk 16GB SDHC cards as well as on my Corsair SSD.

Any risk to using this UK update on a US camera?

Rumour was that back focus adjustment would be changed to allow user adjustment instead of full auto.
Anyone know if this has happened?

Same here. Bargain, nice update so far.

hey Mal,

thanks I will do that, so mate...goodday to you.....

Bill
in Texas......

Am I missing something, i can't see a download button ?

Paul

The EX1 firmware doesn't seem to be up yet. Look for it again on Monday.

None of it works!
 

Well I'm not having much luck here. Downloaded the file on my Mac, but opening the VersionUp app causes nothing to happen at all - a tiny glimmer in the dock and then it disappears. So, like someone in an earlier post I tried in Parallels, mine is only Win XP though. So I downloaded the .net runtime 3.5 as per the instructions, then restarted, then tried to open the Windows version of VersionUp. But that just came up with an error saying it needed to close. So can't open the app on either platform! Any ideas?

Ben

Ditch the Up Versioner software and re- unzip it again. Switch off both computer and camera. Connect USB to both, Boot Laptop, launch UpVersioner, then switch on EX3. All should work, did for me, I'm using MacBook running Snow Leopard.

IT Worked!!!: the Good and the Bad......and not too Ugly
 

Well, after messing with the download for awhile, it all worked. Here are the details:

I went to the UK Sony site, downloaded the EX3 file to my Sony Vaio, using Windows Vista, but when I went to install, I had a error message come up...."Must run install as a member of the administrators group"....so I decided to print out the instructions and there is was...how to fix it. Its very important to follow in the instructions, as it helped me.
So I got to the install window...but the camera (EX3) and the computer were not "talking" to each other...so I pulled out the USB cable and put it back in and then...it all started to work. Printing out those instructions were very helpful. So after 15 mins...it was there.

the BAD:
1) On the EX 3 you have to take off the shoulder pad...as the USB service port is below the pad. the instructions say to pull the pad all the way out, but I just took the whole thing off.
For the people who have the D&M plate, its going to be a pain in the butt, as the whole plate has to come off.

2) I tested my SxS cards and for some reason I have lost 2 mins of record time. I re- formated the card in the camera....but now I have only 55 mins of record time on my 16gb Sandisk SxS card. It does the same thing on using my SDHC KxS cards using Transcend 16 GB and for Transcend 8 GB its now at 26 mins. I used to get 57 mins for 16 gb and 28 mins for 8gb. BUT!!!!!

The GOOD:
1) The upgrade has sped up the the write time, going from "RED to Green"..in about 4 -5 sec.on both my Transcend 16 gb and 8 gb SDHC cards. On my Hoodman RAW 16 gb card, its now right at 4 secs for the light to turn green.
2) As you have already guested it....the upgrade does not affect using SDHC cards, but makes it better, as stated in the above.

Not To Ugly:
Losing 2 mins of record time is a fair trade out, if it gets the "red to green" time down using SDHC cards. In the past I have lost shots for not waiting for the light to change, as the old firmware setting, it would take 8-9 secs long before the red/green change.
As I have one very good/big client that I shoot for using SDHC cards, and to this day, the only video lost was due to me not waiting.

Sorry for the long post....but I figured this post might help other EX3 owners.

Anybody notice if they added the ability to "pre-record"? For example, you're waiting for a bird to take flight and the camera is recording 10 seconds of video over and over waiting for you to press the record button. When you press record, you get the 10 seconds before you pressed record.

One of the first things I was looking for as well. Sadly on the EX3, it still says "No" in the Clip Browser/Related Info/Cache Rec. So clearly, Sony did not design in the physical memory to support this function in the EX3. Cheers!

what am I missing here? I go to the "Download new firmware" page, and see this Software described in detail (PMW-EX1: Binary Package V1.20, etc.), but there's no "download now" button to press!
I was expecting to be unable to actually install the new firmware (I'm on a Mac, and don't have Parallels), but at least I was expecting to be able to download it.
Malcolm

might be a problem with the site. I notice that if I choose to upgrade the firmware for the EX-3 or the new EX-1R, there's a Download box at the bottom of the page. You Accept what's said in the box, and then choose 'Download Now'.
For some odd reason, this option doesn't exist for the EX-1. Not at the moment, anyway.
Malcolm

does the missing 2 min on the cards after firmware upgrade would not be a buffer for this retro-capture feature ? after all it does not need any memory on camera, it just needs to write realtime on the SxS in a loop.

Super upgrade - full overcrank on kensington/transcend 16GB - next upgrade should be 120 fps. on the SXS cards....

I tend to stick to "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." My EX3 performs exactly as I want it to. So if the upgrade doesn't add anything really slick, like cache record, then why should I bother?

Youre right - I just could not help it. The full overcrank is great for me, as I do not have to swich card, if I need to use it - dont know of anything else but the quicker boot up.

Is there another page where a download of the EX-1 firmware is possible? (the British sony site doesn't seem to be working) If so, I'd appreciate hearing about it.
Regards, Malcolm

The download for the EX1R is not happening right now either.
Maybe the Brit servers were not geared up for the entire U.S. to be poaching on them :)

Ooops... Apologies to Brittania
EX1R download is working now.

Fixed
 

Thanks for the tips - I actually had to extract the versionup zip using Stuffit Expander rather the built in extractor to get it to work. Once I'd done that it all worked fine. I'm on Snow Leopard too. Tested 60fps on my Sandsisk Ultra II and it worked for a good 5 minutes or so until I stopped it so that is definitely a big deal!

Still waiting for the EX1 download to appear....this is baffling, I don't see a download button on any pages, even changed browsers and didn't work?

EDIT: just found this (hidden) announcement on the site:
Please Note: Due to technical difficulties the firmware for PMW-EX1 will not be available until 09/03/10

Hello to all,

for me the upgrade doens't work. I'm on snow leopard Mac osx 10.6.2.
I downloaded the zip files, uncompressed it, then connect my ex3 to the macbook pro without put it on.
Then there is my problem, I try to lunch the app and nothing happen.
And when I say nothing, it is nothing at all, looking in activity monitor shows me that.

Did some of you had the same issues?

Thanks.

Ok didn't saw the previous post above.
Gonna try that.

And it worked, just using Stuffit for uncompress the zip files instead of the built in extractor.

Thank you very much.

Sony post out FW 1.20 for EX1.

http://supportdocs.sonybiz.net/sf/0/3/G/B/SS03GB_1.ZIP