Serious Backfocus Problems on Sony EX3

[Eric Matthew]

Was having this exact issue with both of our EX3’s here at our rental house.

Called our Sony engineering line and spoke with one of the techs.

After telling him that I had done the FB Adjust under proper lighting, etc. he asked what firmware version I had. Oddly enough, one of them had v1.02 and one had 1.05.

Sony’s most current version for the EX3 is v1.1.

After he stated that upgrading my firmware would clear the back focus problems, I could upgrade the camera myself. But, only the camera with version 1.05 (user upgradeability unlocked at v1.05).

After a tricky process of upgrading, from a hidden usb port on the bottom of the camera, and doing the auto back focus adjustment test again, the problem has been cleared.

Hope this works for everyone else….

If you have v1.05 or later you can get the download here:
https://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/micro-xdcamexsite/resource.downloads.bbsccms-assets-micro-xdcamex-downloads-XDCAMEXFirmwareUpgrade.shtml

[Ben Ged low]

Hello Richard,

I read your posts about EX3 backfocus problems. Quite intriguing. Thank you for posting your struggles. I just purchased an EX3 from a friend … only to discover it has one of those ‘flawed’ lenses much discussed on forums. My friend didn’t realize. They’d changed the original lens under warranty immediately after he purchased it. He shot with it 14 days, put it in storage for a year. I bought it technically only 14 days used, but beyond its warranty, and in a different country. And found out two days into a shoot on an island in the North Atlantic that the replacement lens is ALSO buggy, dust in between the elements, stuttering zoom etc. Sony is now going to change the lens (again) at cost, but no special deals.

I’m picking up the ‘new’ lens tomorrow. I’ve got your notes on backfocus problems printed out. Any advice you might have for dealing with the Sony technician so I can be sure when I walk out of there $1500 lighter that I’ve actually got a decent lens? I’m also going right into another film, and would hate to discover issues a day or two into the shoot. Any suggestions would be most appreciated – and if your EX3’s have been working fine since you solved the backfocus issues, that would be most encouraging to me!

All the best,

Ben