Upgrading the Sony EX1 to Firmware 1.11 on Vimeo

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4. Upgrading the Sony EX1 to Firmware 1.11

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A demonstration of a Sony PMW-EX1 being upgraded to firmware 1.11 which allows it to function with KxS and other XxS alternative media solutions.

Don't forget to replace the maint. port cover after you have finished.
There are also some pdf files in the firmware package with instructions and error codes. Use and read them as nessesary. Some of the comments below are important to read too.

You'll have to figure out installing the driver for the maint. port using the indicated inf, I didn't get time to add this part.

I have also been told you can do it on a Mac with virtualization software: "I just did my EX1 on my MacBook Pro running Parallels 4 with XP. The key is to select "connect USB to virtual machine" when you connect the USB port AND to check to little checkbox to keep it that way so that when the installer reboots, the USAB port does NT disconnect." I'll leave you Mac guys to understand all that ;-) Be warned, at least one person has bricked their EX1 doing it this way though, I personally recommend a PC or at least a MAC under a bootcamp boot.

I upgraded my own EX1 some time ago (the EX1 in this video was not mine). I recently put it in for a service under warranty (battery drain issue etc) and had no problem with getting warranty. Funnily enough they claimed they upgraded the firmware but it still came back with 1.11 (I didn't argue with them about that, I just let it slide as I now have on paper an official upgrade for it).

This is a very quick draft edit but has most of the content needed.

Other XDCAMEX information at xdcamexinfo.com

Credits

29 Likes

Ricardo de la Fuente
25 days ago
Wolfgang Schliessner
1 month ago
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3 months ago
Chad Johnson
4 months ago
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4 months ago
illusivefilms
5 months ago
Adam Reuter
5 months ago
anselm vidal
5 months ago
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6 months ago
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7 months ago
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Greg Girardin 10 months ago

Awesome, thanks. I'm looking forward to being able to use cheap 32G cards after doing this upgrade.

By the way, I'm pretty sure if you delete a video vimeo subtracts that from your weekly limit, so you could delete this video and upload a new one.
Guy Barwood 10 months ago

Thanks. I've just read that a 'replace video' will not double dip on the quota so I will start that now. I am not sure if that will take this vid off line for a few hours but if so just wait for the new one too appear soon
Anthony Miles 10 months ago

Thanks Guy! Much appreciated.
Henrique Spencer 10 months ago

Where did you get the firmware file? I just can't find it on the Internet.
Guy Barwood 10 months ago

have a close read of this page, you should be able to answer your own questions ;-)
xdcamexinfo.com/SDasSxS/index.htm
Robert Marty 10 months ago

So your saying since my camera already has that update from Sony, that these cards are now compatible?
Sony has done the firm wear update for free on my camera. Im sure they might do the same for anyone else.

There is also a replacement part for these cameras when sending them in. They will change the power supply so the camera does not draw power when it is turned to the off position.
Almost all the cameras had a problem with this.
Guy Barwood 10 months ago

Hi Robert,

Yes, if you already have this firmware installed it will recognise alternative media such as KxS etc

There are a number of issues that Sony service will resolve under warranty (label markings earing off, battery drain, lens alignment issues in early models etc) however in the US Sony have been charging most people US$100 to install this firmware. In Australia it has been free but I heard a rumour that from 09 they too would start charging for it. All new EX1s should now be comming with at least 1.11 now as well (so no upgrade required).
Moses Stone 10 months ago

Excellent video, thanks a lot for sharing this & the KxS card article!

You're the best!
Moses Stone 10 months ago

Thanks a lot for sharing this and the wonderful KxS article!

You're the best!
Anthony Miles 10 months ago

Guy, thank you again. I updated my EX1 successfully today. I am now able to use the MxR and Transcend 16 gig SDHC.
Tomislav Povich 10 months ago

Had camera for two days updated firmware SDHC works!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEO MANUAL!
Wolfgang Gaebler 9 months ago

In Germany the firmware upgrade was free of charge for me...
William Kunitz 8 months ago

I want to add my thanks, also. It was a breeze with your help. Two things: First, you may already have .NET 2.0. The way to check is to navigate to the C:\ drive, then click on WINDOWS, then Microsoft.NET, then Framework. Look for a folder that says v2.0.##### (where ##### is for example 50727). If you have that you are all set.

Second, there is a very nice piece of documentation in PMW-EX1_1.10_0530.zip called readme_e.pdf that takes you through the process. That plus guy's video is all you need.
Barış Gürsel 8 months ago

Have my EX1 for 8 months and i was worrying about expensive Sony/Sandisk SxS... Really great help for everyone messing around XDCAM cinematography... thank you
Bass Pig 8 months ago

This is a worthwhile upgrade, for anyone who has had the EX1 for over a year. The two parts take different amounts of time. The second download to the EX1 takes MUCH longer than the first, so do not be disturbed by the apparent longer transfer time. Also, the first time you boot up with the new FW, your camera will take 15 seconds to boot. It is a one-time matter, after which, boot times are normal.
Now, the good stuff... the audio headroom is greatly improved with FW 1.1. No longer do you get that ugly suckout compression/limiting artifact on applause or percussive sounds and you can record levels right up to redline without ugly artifacts.
The Peaking function is more useful in this FW, with stronger visibility of the peaking indicators even in low light, low contrast images. Auto focus does not hunt as much as before. It pretty much locks on with the first try, which makes the end result a faster focus.
There are other enhancements, particularly support for 32GB and KxS solutions, which are all good.
This FW makes the EX1 feel like a whole new camera.
baco 8 months ago

Very nice information thanks. Where can we download this FW upgrade?
Guy Barwood 8 months ago

The torrent on mininova is usually seeded, just load it and wait, it should eventually come down.
Race Classic TV 8 months ago

Guy,

Thanks for this, I'm really at a loss why Sony don't put something up on their site to allow owners to carry out this upgrades themselves, even if they included a warning for "Advance Users Only" and made you accept an idemnity to cover themselves.

Frankly you'd have to be a real kumquat to get this wrong, it's no more involved than reflashing the Bios on a motherboard or firmware upgrade on a router. Frankly most camera operators are pretty clued up and resourceful folks I can't really see this being an issue.

The idea of sending your camera back to the manufacturer to have a firmware upgrade is pretty odd these days, particularly as Sony have to know it means you'll be without the machine for a minimum of 2 weeks, plus all the risk of damage in the post etc.

Anyway thanks for the effort of bringing this all together, my upgrade went fine, now reading 1.11 and ordering some MxR Expresscards.

Disclaimer: No kumquats were harmed in the writing of this post.
Guy Barwood 8 months ago

I agree, this upgrade is simple in comparison to the firmware upgrade process needed to upgrade some Netgear Switches I had to do recently. For that I had to set up a TFTP server!
Kyle Karges 8 months ago

Hey thanks for the info I'm updating my EX1. Where is the maintenance port for the EX3? It isn't next to the normal usb connection.
Guy Barwood 8 months ago

I don't have an EX3 so I am not sure, but it doesn't matter as no EX3 needs to be updated to support SD media and no EX3 firmware has been slipped out to the public by Sony such as they did with 1.11 for the EX1.
Kyle Karges 8 months ago

Nm, just found a post saying that the 1.11 firmware is for the EX1 only. the latest version for the EX3 is 1.02 and that it will work with the MXM media!
Guy Barwood 8 months ago

All EX3 firmware versions (to date) work with XxS.

Its all in the FAQ:
xdcamexinfo.com/SDasSxS/faq.htm
Alistair Holloway 6 months ago

Hi Guy, thanks for your video - I think i'll find it very helpful.

Just a quick question. Does anyone have any experience using an EX1 with Vista Ultimate x64? I have both and can't figure out how to install the EX1 driver. Which means I can upgrade my camera. Any clues?

Thanks!
Mike Luzansky 6 months ago

Great, Im going to try this tonight and get my Ex1 working with my new Hoodman Cards!! Cant Wait!
leonard alflalo 6 months ago

Leonard thanks Guy Barwood very much i bought 2 ex1 for a lot of money i refuse to pay Sony $100 to load firmware i upgrade my two camera myself with your help and happy
Julian Gil 6 months ago

So what happens if you do mess it up? Do you have to send it back to Sony? Geez I wonder what that charge would be?
Guy Barwood 6 months ago

The one report I have heard of was a Sony repair of replacing the firmware board, about US$1000. This was from the person trying to do it from a Virtual Windows environment. No one has reported binning their machine from a standard Windows machine.
Adam Reuter 5 months ago

I was deathly afraid of making myself a $6,000 brick but I finally went through with it after having the EX1 for over a year. I'm very glad I did!

And also now that folks have had enough time to use the KxS and MxM, etc. cards to see if they mess up or not...I'm going to pick up a pair for myself in less than a week.

What put it over for me was Bass Pig's audio note. I recorded a music show about a month ago and the audio was peaking all over. Since I did not have an external mic I had to make due with the camera taking over. Eww...the pumping artfacts and other nasties. I can't wait to hear the improvement in headroom!
Adam Reuter 5 months ago

Oh yeah, and I'd still like to know why there was no 1/50 shutter speed addition for the PAL 1080/50i mode (or 50p mode for that matter.)

I have to resort to setting the camera to ECS shutter mode and using 50.02! Lame...
freestyleMovement™ 5 months ago

very nice, just 2 questions .. the inf file is just a simple install like a mac ".dmg" ?

also, does it have to be a vista machine, or can it run xp?

thanks for posting this!
Guy Barwood 5 months ago

yep, just point the install hardware wizard to the folder with the inf once you extract the firmware zip file.

It works with XP and Vista, and most likely Windows 7 as well (not tested though).
Alan Carvalho 3 months ago

I'm ecstatic and blown away at the ease you brought to this otherwise extremely tense ridden process! BRAVO!!! It literally took me a few months to get brave enough to do this upgrade.
I was bringing to light the distant possibility of carry around a nice looking brick, but thanks to YOU, GUY, and your patient camerawork, editing, and comforting narration, I'm proud to have learned from the best!
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!!
Sébastien Marqué 2 months ago

Merci, c'est la déboite, ça déchire, tout fonctionne à merveille, c'est du putain de tuto, et les fichiers du torrent sont top. ghostmoviesproject.com
Thanks, fucking genius, it's huge, every works great, that's a huge tutorial, and torrent files are the ones.
dr inde 1 month ago

Thanks very much for all of the help, Guy, both here and over email. The only hitch I ran into was that the USB camera driver will not work under XP x64, and my computer is only running a dual boot of XP and Win7, both of which are 64 bit. Luckily, and to confirm your theory from a few posts above, I was able to complete the update on my wife's Win7 x32 system. Tip o' the hat to ya.