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ISSUE: Petition Olympus

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RichO

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I have a friend who just bought an UZi based mainly on the excitement I have had with mine... She is a really good photographer and has taken great shots with an Olympus Film camera. Well that is another story...

My main point here...

I just did an extensive search to see if someone somewhere has found a way to update the firmware on the Olympus 2100UZ without having to take it in or ship it back and pay.

Seems this is a shared pain amongst many UZi owners. Owners of the C2500 can get their updates in the mail... Owners of other cameras (E-10 and Kodak ones) can get the updates downloaded to a smartmedia/C-Flash card and do it themselves.

Apparently, from the reports of those who have taken their UZi cameras to service centers say that the technician uses a smartmedia card or USB connection to flash the firmware into the camera...it only take about 15 seconds for it to do it.

Considering the 2100UZ might be retired this year or early next year...it would be nice if we could be able to do the "final" upgrade ourselves.

What do you think about petitioning Olympus about this? Think we could get support here and elsewhere?

Reports are that the cameras with 73 version have more hot pixels and this was corrected some with software in 77 version.

Thoughts?? Ideas??? Is it worth it?

--RichO :)
http://www.pbase.com/richo/
'Life is a dance, Love is the music.'
 
I'd sign. I don't have a 2100 but that's something I'd like to be able to take care of on my 3040.
 
Where did you ever here you could do your own C2500 & E-10 updates yourself. As far as I know ALL olympus cameras have to be returned for firmware updates. They do not send or make download updates available for consumer installation. Please !! correct me if I'm wrong...
Ron...
RichO said:
I have a friend who just bought an UZi based mainly on the
excitement I have had with mine... She is a really good
photographer and has taken great shots with an Olympus Film camera.
Well that is another story...

My main point here...

I just did an extensive search to see if someone somewhere has
found a way to update the firmware on the Olympus 2100UZ without
having to take it in or ship it back and pay.

Seems this is a shared pain amongst many UZi owners. Owners of the
C2500 can get their updates in the mail... Owners of other cameras
(E-10 and Kodak ones) can get the updates downloaded to a
smartmedia/C-Flash card and do it themselves.

Apparently, from the reports of those who have taken their UZi
cameras to service centers say that the technician uses a
smartmedia card or USB connection to flash the firmware into the
camera...it only take about 15 seconds for it to do it.

Considering the 2100UZ might be retired this year or early next
year...it would be nice if we could be able to do the "final"
upgrade ourselves.

What do you think about petitioning Olympus about this? Think we
could get support here and elsewhere?

Reports are that the cameras with 73 version have more hot pixels
and this was corrected some with software in 77 version.

Thoughts?? Ideas??? Is it worth it?

--
RichO :)
http://www.pbase.com/richo/
'Life is a dance, Love is the music.'
Click to expand...
--Ron Wischer... http://ronwischer.250free.com
 
I think the way to do it would be to set up a web page with the text of the petition. At the bottom have a couple of form feilds where you enter your name and email address (so Olympus could see these were valid people and not just names we made up) and then have a hidden field for the text of the petition. The submit button would just use formmail to send the text plus your name and email to Olympus. The only issues would be the exact wording of the petition and which Olympus email address to send it.
Ed Williams said:
Any idea how we would do it? Through the web Site? Snail Mail. I
would definitely do it
Click to expand...
 
I stand corrected...what I saw a page that was cut and pasted from the Olympus site...but I have gone back to look at the original which is no longer there. They have this instead...

http://a384.g.akamai.net/7/384/1468/20020128171805/www.olympusamerica.com/files/C2500Lupgrd_2.pdf

and this...
http://cf.olympus-europa.com/consumer/digimg/service/firmware.cfm

This is from an E-10 site that has a page with some interesting entries journaled over a period time... worth reading...

http://e10club.topcities.com/e10talk/e10firmwareupgrade.html

======================================

An Olympus Representative discussed the issue with another E-10 owner who was inquiring about the reasons for not posting a firmware update on the Olympus USA website. The Oly Rep responded in this way:

1. If the firmware was released and a user were to load the firmware update and there was a problem, the processor would have to be replaced. The processor is $320.00 US Dollars and the Labor is another $200.00 coming to a total of $520.00 goof-up. If it happens at the Olympus Repair Center then they eat the cost.

2. The update requires multiple items and multiple steps. The first is a speacially formatted Smart Media Card. He said that it was not the common format that the camera uses and formats itself. It obviously contains code specific to loading the firmware update.

3. The installer must have Olympus' Diagnostic Software loaded either on a PC to connect to the camera via USB and put the Camera into a diagnostic mode that allows for firmware upgrade. There are some special codes used.

4. The manufactuer of the CCD and Olympus have a licensing agreement that does not allow Olympus to publish any firmware updates to the consumers. It must be kept in-house or the license agreement is broken. Nikon and Canon and other Camera companies are probably breaking their agreements with other hardware manufactuers if they are allowing firmware updates to their equipment.
======================================

Previous to this Olympus had said in an email to someone...
================================
Thank you for contacting Olympus Digital Technical Support in the United States.

Olympus would like to have the camera sent in for we would like to change the firmware ourselves then having it downloaded. If you download items from the internet, you could get a virus downloaded also and Olympus would not want to chance something happening to your camera. You would send the camera in to the address listed below to have the upgrade applied to your camera.

=========================================
Ron Wischer said:
Where did you ever here you could do your own C2500 & E-10 updates
yourself. As far as I know ALL olympus cameras have to be returned
for firmware updates. They do not send or make download updates
available for consumer installation. Please !! correct me if I'm
wrong...
Ron...
Click to expand...
--RichO :) http://www.pbase.com/richo/ 'Life is a dance, Love is the music.'
 
Thanks RichO

I did'nt think Olympus was making any updates user friendly. I do like my Olympus cameras, but I think my next one may be a Nikon. At least they allow you to download their updated firmware.

I really don't like the idea of sending fairly expensive camera's back to correct problems that should have been corrected in quality control before leaving the factory.
Ron..........
RichO said:
http://a384.g.akamai.net/7/384/1468/20020128171805/www.olympusamerica.com/files/C2500Lupgrd_2.pdf

and this...
http://cf.olympus-europa.com/consumer/digimg/service/firmware.cfm

This is from an E-10 site that has a page with some interesting
entries journaled over a period time... worth reading...

http://e10club.topcities.com/e10talk/e10firmwareupgrade.html

======================================
An Olympus Representative discussed the issue with another E-10
owner who was inquiring about the reasons for not posting a
firmware update on the Olympus USA website. The Oly Rep responded
in this way:

1. If the firmware was released and a user were to load the
firmware update and there was a problem, the processor would have
to be replaced. The processor is $320.00 US Dollars and the Labor
is another $200.00 coming to a total of $520.00 goof-up. If it
happens at the Olympus Repair Center then they eat the cost.
2. The update requires multiple items and multiple steps. The first
is a speacially formatted Smart Media Card. He said that it was not
the common format that the camera uses and formats itself. It
obviously contains code specific to loading the firmware update.

3. The installer must have Olympus' Diagnostic Software loaded
either on a PC to connect to the camera via USB and put the Camera
into a diagnostic mode that allows for firmware upgrade. There are
some special codes used.

4. The manufactuer of the CCD and Olympus have a licensing
agreement that does not allow Olympus to publish any firmware
updates to the consumers. It must be kept in-house or the license
agreement is broken. Nikon and Canon and other Camera companies are
probably breaking their agreements with other hardware manufactuers
if they are allowing firmware updates to their equipment.
======================================

Previous to this Olympus had said in an email to someone...
================================
Thank you for contacting Olympus Digital Technical Support in the
United States.

Olympus would like to have the camera sent in for we would like to
change the firmware ourselves then having it downloaded. If you
download items from the internet, you could get a virus downloaded
also and Olympus would not want to chance something happening to
your camera. You would send the camera in to the address listed
below to have the upgrade applied to your camera.

=========================================
Ron Wischer said:
Where did you ever here you could do your own C2500 & E-10 updates
yourself. As far as I know ALL olympus cameras have to be returned
for firmware updates. They do not send or make download updates
available for consumer installation. Please !! correct me if I'm
wrong...
Ron...
Click to expand...
--
RichO :)
http://www.pbase.com/richo/
'Life is a dance, Love is the music.'
Click to expand...
--Ron Wischer... http://ronwischer.250free.com
 
Although the firmware can be easily loaded without cracking the case, the camera would almost certainly require calibration. Calibration is also most likely done while the camera is in engineering mode. All this takes place via the USB port, using calibration and setup software that you will not have access to.

These cameras are all calibrated after manufacture. It is possible that when a camera doesn't produce the high-quality images you'de expect that calibration is required, not a firmware update.

Sorry, there are good reasons for sending the camera back to the service center.

regards
--richc-700, d-510 http://www.pbase.com/iceninevt
 
I can understand that, but then why is it is possible with the Kodak cameras and the Nikon cameras?
iceninevt said:
Although the firmware can be easily loaded without cracking the
case, the camera would almost certainly require calibration.
Calibration is also most likely done while the camera is in
engineering mode. All this takes place via the USB port, using
calibration and setup software that you will not have access to.

These cameras are all calibrated after manufacture. It is possible
that when a camera doesn't produce the high-quality images you'de
expect that calibration is required, not a firmware update.

Sorry, there are good reasons for sending the camera back to the
service center.

regards

--
rich
c-700, d-510
http://www.pbase.com/iceninevt
Click to expand...
--RichO :) http://www.pbase.com/richo/ 'Life is a dance, Love is the music.'
 
One possible explanation is that those cameras are designed to allow the end-user to update firmware. Designing in this feature costs kodak and nikon $$$. Most consumer, and pro-sumer electronic devices are not designed this way.
RichO said:
iceninevt said:
Although the firmware can be easily loaded without cracking the
case, the camera would almost certainly require calibration.
Calibration is also most likely done while the camera is in
engineering mode. All this takes place via the USB port, using
calibration and setup software that you will not have access to.

These cameras are all calibrated after manufacture. It is possible
that when a camera doesn't produce the high-quality images you'de
expect that calibration is required, not a firmware update.

Sorry, there are good reasons for sending the camera back to the
service center.

regards

--
rich
c-700, d-510
http://www.pbase.com/iceninevt
Click to expand...
--
RichO :)
http://www.pbase.com/richo/
'Life is a dance, Love is the music.'
Click to expand...
--richc-700, d-510 http://www.pbase.com/iceninevt
 
I'd be interested in knowing how to get the latest version. I have 3.52u-73 My camera was purchased about 3 or 4 months ago. (back when the CompUSA fiasco was going on - I got mine for $399) :)--JTOlympus C-2100UZOlympus C-3040Z
 
I would love to get it done without sending it to the Customer Service. I live in Pakistan (the camera was bought from USA) and it would cost me at least a few weeks, if not a couple of months, to send it over to USA and get it back. I won't send it only for firmware update, but I would love to do it myself here.
You can start a petition at http://www.PetitionOnline.com
Regards,
Waqas Usman
RichO said:
I have a friend who just bought an UZi based mainly on the
excitement I have had with mine... She is a really good
photographer and has taken great shots with an Olympus Film camera.
Well that is another story...

My main point here...

I just did an extensive search to see if someone somewhere has
found a way to update the firmware on the Olympus 2100UZ without
having to take it in or ship it back and pay.

Seems this is a shared pain amongst many UZi owners. Owners of the
C2500 can get their updates in the mail... Owners of other cameras
(E-10 and Kodak ones) can get the updates downloaded to a
smartmedia/C-Flash card and do it themselves.

Apparently, from the reports of those who have taken their UZi
cameras to service centers say that the technician uses a
smartmedia card or USB connection to flash the firmware into the
camera...it only take about 15 seconds for it to do it.

Considering the 2100UZ might be retired this year or early next
year...it would be nice if we could be able to do the "final"
upgrade ourselves.

What do you think about petitioning Olympus about this? Think we
could get support here and elsewhere?

Reports are that the cameras with 73 version have more hot pixels
and this was corrected some with software in 77 version.

Thoughts?? Ideas??? Is it worth it?

--
RichO :)
http://www.pbase.com/richo/
'Life is a dance, Love is the music.'
Click to expand...
 
You can't say that, we know Olympus has made the Panorama Mode unavailable for Non-Olympus cards for no reason except for compelling people to buy Oly cards, this is BS. Similarly they could have restricted the upgrade of firmware. But we don't know about it, an Oly Rep could answer this question.
Regards,
Waqas Usman
iceninevt said:
RichO said:
iceninevt said:
Although the firmware can be easily loaded without cracking the
case, the camera would almost certainly require calibration.
Calibration is also most likely done while the camera is in
engineering mode. All this takes place via the USB port, using
calibration and setup software that you will not have access to.

These cameras are all calibrated after manufacture. It is possible
that when a camera doesn't produce the high-quality images you'de
expect that calibration is required, not a firmware update.

Sorry, there are good reasons for sending the camera back to the
service center.

regards
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
rich
c-700, d-510
http://www.pbase.com/iceninevt
Click to expand...
 
Fiasco for some, bargain for others.

Back in October their web site showed the Uzi for $399. But out of stock. The fortunate folks (myself included) were able to get their local CompUSA stores (actually the first refused) to match their own web price (was $499 in the stores).
RichO said:
JT said:
I'd be interested in knowing how to get the latest version. I have
3.52u-73 My camera was purchased about 3 or 4 months ago. (back
when the CompUSA fiasco was going on - I got mine for $399) :)
--
JT

Olympus C-2100UZ
Olympus C-3040Z
Click to expand...
--
RichO :)
http://www.pbase.com/richo/
'Life is a dance, Love is the music.'
Click to expand...
 
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