Olympus C2100UZ firmware?

[Sausage]

I thought of upgrading my C2100's firmware last week, before the warranty expires. The firmware version was v352-73, as reported by Exifread.

I submitted it to the olympus studio last thursday, and collected it back today, friday. A grand total of 8 days. When I got home, I checked the exif of a newly-taken photo. It still said v352-73.

Is this really the latest firmware, or did they do nothing at all?

 

[Sausage]

Would anyone like to try deciphering my repair form?

http://www.singaporeanimenews.net/repairform.jpg

I'm wondering whether they even did the firmware upgrade.

 

[Jayan]

Originally posted by Sausage
Would anyone like to try deciphering my repair form?

http://www.singaporeanimenews.net/repairform.jpg

I'm wondering whether they even did the firmware upgrade.

The last time I sent it in for CCD remapping, which I consider is the more important issue. The firmware version has no impact on your DC unless it's buggy. Mine is also v73.

 

[Sausage]

What got me interested in doing an upgrade is the so-called sudden death syndrome. I read on dpreview that v77 firmware automatically shuts the camera down as soon as the low battery indicator appears, to prevent it from dying. Though it's not a cure-all solution, I think it's much better than if I tried to squeeze a few more shots out of a low battery and killed the camera in the process.

 

[Sausage]

Okay, called them up and heard something surprising. Here's a transcript, to set the scene.


-------------

On 13 March 2003 I sent in my Olympus C2100UZ to the Olympus Studio at High Street center. My camera is still on warranty, and I requested for servicing for these.

1. There were 2 large dust specks trapped somewhere inside the viewfinder and body. Cleaning requested.
   
2. Upgrading of firmware from v73 to later version.
   [/list=1]
   
   
   I asked the counter staff whether these were covered by the warranty. He was not sure, but went to check with a technician, and told me yes, it was alright. And so I left my camera there.
   
   After 3 days, I got a bit worried, as cleaning a viewfinder and replacing a chip couldn't take that long. I continued waiting though. After 7 days I got really worried. Is there something wrong with my camera? And so I called them to check. They said it was still in servicing.
   
   The next day (the 8th day), I was feeling impatient and called again, and asked for an estimate of when it'd be ready. They said it should take 3 days more. Though saddened, I thanked the person on the other end of the phone. I was surprised, when 4 minutes later she called me back and told me that she just checked and found out that my camera was ready for collection; it was just that the status had not been updated.
   
   Great service, thumbs up for Olympus, I thought.
   
   I went down on 21 March 2003 to collect my camera. It was brought to me, and put on the table in front of me, wrapped tightly in a plastic sheet.
   
   The counter person was more interested in keying in quite a lot of data, apparently, and I was sitting there a while wondering what was supposed to happen. Okay, I know we're not kings and don't deserve to have everything done for us, but surely they could explain what exactly was done with our cameras during the servicing period?
   
   Anyway, I ripped open the plastic sheet and tested my camera. Not once did she say anything at all to me. The viewfinder checked out clean, but a firmware check would have to wait till I got home. I told her thanks a lot, and she simply asked me to sign a form. I looked at the servicing report, and the 'tasks performed' section had quite a bit of unintelligible writing, which was not explained to me.
   
   When I got home, I eagerly took a photo and put the card into my card reader. I was surprised to see that the firmware version was still the same, v73.
   
   I called up again the next day to ask about it, and was told that they'd check up on it. Knowing that this would probably result in nothing being done, I specifically requested if it was possible to setup an appointment with the technician or something like that. They said it was alright, and they'd get the technician involved in the servicing to call me up on monday as "they didn't really work on saturdays".
   
   Monday (today) arrived. At 5 pm I still had no call, and called them up myself. They put me through to the technician.
   
   

   Me: Hi, I'm calling regarding servicing of my camera. I'm not sure if I'm speaking to the right person, did you handle this job?
   
   Tech: Yah, I handled this job. My name is ******
   
   Me: Okay, what happened is that I sent in my camera for a firmware upgrade, and when I checked, it hasn't been done. I'm still having the same version as before I sent it in.
   
   Tech: Oh... can I know how you checked?
   
   Me: I use a card reader and check exif data. When I sent it in it was v73, and when I got it back it was still v73.
   
   Tech: Oh, I see. Maybe I forgot because your camera had a lot of things done. Viewfinder cleaned, l......
   
   Me: Ah... Just curious, can I check what exactly was done? Because I can't quite read the writing.
   
   Tech: Ok, viewfinder was cleaned, and the ccd remapped....
   
   Me: Remapped? I didn't ask for remapping...
   
   Tech: Because this camera is one of the older models, no noise reduction, and the lcd will age with time. We just perform it as a service for our customers. Now the newer low end models like C50 and C60 have built in remapping so customers no need to send them in to us. (plus a lot more stuff expounding the virtues of ccd remapping)
   
   Me: I see, okay, thanks for the remapping service then. But regarding the firmware...
   
   Tech: Hold on I check. [wait] Okay, our policy is not to update firmware. The factory dont allow us to upgrade..
   
   Me: I see. But I was told by the counter person that it was alright, and he checked with a technician.
   
   Tech: We don't, sorry. I tell you what... you just use your camera first, and see the viewfinder got problem or lcd got problem or not first, then if any problem send back to us.

   
   (realizing the futility in arguing, I thanked him and hung up)
   
   
   
   My comments and questions are here:
   
   1. I wish they explained exactly what was done when I collected my camera back, instead of giving me the silent treatment and leaving me to check everything myself. Still, that's alright, I guess. Customer service in Singapore is not exactly top notch. But...
   
   2. The counter staff checked with a technician who said a firmware upgrade was ok and covered by the warranty. I was specifically told this when I sent it in. And having been in there for 8 days, I thought it'd at least be done.
   
   3. The technician I called up said, at first, that the firmware upgrade was not done because maybe he forgot. Fine. But later after a while he said they don't upgrade firmware. Was he unaware of this at first, or was he trying to skirt the issue once he found out that I knew what I was talking about?
   
   4. Regarding the remapping, he kept saying LCD instead of CCD. Is this normal?
   
   5. I got the technician's name. Should I call up customer service and enquire about the firmware update policy citing what he said, or not?

 

[Jayan]

Cleanning of viewfinder you also can do yourself...just need a small screwdriver and a blower.......

As for the CCD remap, did you checked whether they've done it???

 

[Sausage]

I previously checked for hot pixels but never noticed any.. basically, I wasn't bothered by them even if they were there.

 

[Sausage]

Finally got a reply from olympus after 1 week.

First of all, we will like to thank you for support Olympus.
We sincerely appologise for the miscommunication and the uncertainty that was given to you.

Please allow me to explain the followings:
1) Firmware
Olympus had distributed our product all around the world.
There are 2 main reasons that why same model have different firmware.
The reasons are:
A) In order to prevent gray goods, we input different firmware's Name.
B) Due to the different manufacturer's plant that we had, we had to name
the firmware differently.
So that we can keep track. Due to the tolerence that each lens had, the

firmware name also different.


2) Re-mapping
Digital camera that did not came with the function "Pixels Mapping", we
will do it immediately after repair.
This is to re-calibrate the CCD.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you had any doubts.

But they never answered my questions.