S9500 mysterious firmware upgrade

My S9500 was today returned from Fuji Australia Digital Service Centre with repaired command dial (A$130 charge and an annotation COMMAND DIAL PROBLEM NOT RECOGNISED AS MANUFACTURING FAULT BY FUJI JAPAN) but also with an intriguing job description: " replaced listed parts (Assy Case Top S9500), upgraded firmware".

Upgraded firmware? Indeed firmware version shows on the camera as v1.03

I thought that the current firmware version for S9500 was 1.02? An upgrade to 1.03? Upgrade to what funactions exactly? Why on the quiet? Is it a harbinger of a successor camera?
--
ChrisAU

ChrisAU said:

My S9500 was today returned from Fuji Australia Digital Service
Centre with repaired command dial (A$130 charge and an annotation
COMMAND DIAL PROBLEM NOT RECOGNISED AS MANUFACTURING FAULT BY FUJI
JAPAN) but also with an intriguing job description: " replaced
listed parts (Assy Case Top S9500), upgraded firmware".

Upgraded firmware? Indeed firmware version shows on the camera as v1.03

I thought that the current firmware version for S9500 was 1.02? An
upgrade to 1.03? Upgrade to what funactions exactly? Why on the
quiet? Is it a harbinger of a successor camera?
--
ChrisAU

Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

when my cam was in repair (quite a while ago) at Fuji Aust Service, though they did not write down any kind of "upgrade" done, when it came back to me it had been performing differently. In some areas, like the speed of AF it is much faster BUT the sharpening is just over the board. I shoot in soft and with the parameters (and same test objects, the noise is over one step up. Interestingly enough, the parameters are the same at the same ISO, 800 has become almost unusable due to white speckless all over the shot (result of overshaprening). I complained about the noise, they checked camera and returned me with comment "focusing/apreture noise normal" (like sound noise, not image and I provided them sample photos before and after repair....) I tried to re-flash the cam with 1.02 FW but it did not take it as same level firmware already installed.

My guess is they had some FW patches they were implementing from case to case, so they finally reached "complete package point".

Report back if you notice any problems or benifits with this new FW. BTW I think you were ripped off as many others - my dial broke twice and though Fuji agreed to repair it free of charge (out of warratny back in August I could not aford repair in service as going on holidays, so I fixed it following instructions posted on the web. I even send several links to Fuji to "let them know they have a problem", like http://www.flickr.com/groups/s9000/discuss/72057594083256772/
I laughed a lot, but it worked/

cheers

ZorSy said:

Hi Chris,

when my cam was in repair (quite a while ago) at Fuji Aust Service,
though they did not write down any kind of "upgrade" done, when it
came back to me it had been performing differently. In some areas,
like the speed of AF it is much faster BUT the sharpening is just
over the board. I shoot in soft and with the parameters (and same
test objects, the noise is over one step up. Interestingly enough,
the parameters are the same at the same ISO, 800 has become almost
unusable due to white speckless all over the shot (result of
overshaprening). I complained about the noise, they checked camera
and returned me with comment "focusing/apreture noise normal" (like
sound noise, not image and I provided them sample photos before and
after repair....) I tried to re-flash the cam with 1.02 FW but it did
not take it as same level firmware already installed.
My guess is they had some FW patches they were implementing from case
to case, so they finally reached "complete package point".
Report back if you notice any problems or benifits with this new FW.
BTW I think you were ripped off as many others - my dial broke twice
and though Fuji agreed to repair it free of charge (out of warratny
back in August I could not aford repair in service as going on
holidays, so I fixed it following instructions posted on the web. I
even send several links to Fuji to "let them know they have a
problem", like
http://www.flickr.com/groups/s9000/discuss/72057594083256772/
I laughed a lot, but it worked/

cheers

Click to expand...

A sharp observation, mate. I cannot comment on oversharpening on my S9500 yet, as I have just got the camera back this afternoon. I normally shoot 9M F jpg's on standard sharpness, and might be able to compensate for any changes by turning the sharpness setting down to soft. I will do a methodical shoot over the full ISO range at the weekend and report back.

No point asking Fuji what they have done, as I can prettty well imagine the evasive answer. If Fuji do not recognise the command dial problem as a manufacturing defect, they are not likely to own up to any backroom fiddling with the firmware settings either.

HOWEVER - they have really done SOMETHING weird to my camera, because my S9500 with the purported 1.03 firmware version now grabs focus at the long end of the zoom (300mm) fast and decisively in the dimmest of light - EVEN WITH THE AF ILLUMINATOR OFF! Previously it used to hunt quite a bit at 300 mm, even in fairly good light.

I recall that when the S9100/9600, a minor upgrade from the S9000/9500 model, was announced, one of the few changes advertised by Fuji was "the FinePix S9600 has better low-light performance with the Real Photo processor".

In view of the strange improvement of low light AF on my S9500, my educated guess is that the mysterious v1.03 is actually S9600's firmware, being run quite happily by S9500's Real Photo processor, which is thus proven to be entirely identical in 9500 and 9600.

Can someone with S9100/9600 read the firmware version number off their camera (switch the camera on while holding the BACK button down) and let us know what is the firmware version number in S9100/9600? I have a feeling that I probably now have a S9500 with S9600 firmware in it - for better or worse. We shall see. I do not care all that much about performance at ISO 800, as I would use 800 only in a genuine emergency, and have always considered ISO 1600 a useless curiosity with the 9MP sensor this small.

--
ChrisAU

My S9600 says

"Use AC Adaptor for firmware upgrade.

Version: 1.00"

Alleluyah!
Focusing at the tele end is a real nightmare, as focusing in low-light is too...

Could you try the manual focus speed, too? I'm still baffled by the fact they voluntarily slowed the focus speed in manual mode...

Moving the ring like a madman should use the fastest focus speed available (when focusing, the s9500 is quite capable of going to the macro end nearly instantaneously, so why not in manual???), but it moves at a snail's pace (with small increments and pauses, no matter how fast you actually move the ring)...
With this, the manual focus mode could become nearly useable...

Another thing would be the RAW writing speed...

Anyway, thanks for this good news!

ChrisAU said:

COMMAND DIAL PROBLEM NOT RECOGNISED AS MANUFACTURING FAULT BY FUJ JAPAN

Click to expand...

Forget for a while about unauthorized driver updates in your equipment. Is it a separate item on your bill?

Command dial in S9000 is the best known manufacturing problem which brought into this forum dozens of complains. Obviously, there is nothing done in this matter in S9100. What did they say about your responsibility for the malfunction? Did you bite the dial?
(--)

My S9600 also displays: version 1.00.

@Diopter: the 9000 and 9500 are identical. The command dial problem has been fixed for the 9100 (=9600). I've shot 15000 pictures without a problem (knock on wood etc).

Good news in general. Thank you for clarification.

But the doubt remains even stronger: the OP has been charges outrageous amount of many for a replacement of a generally troubling part in the older model. The company having its future in mind proclaims a general recall in such cases.
(--)

My s9100 is using Firmware 1.00
--
Fuji Film S9100
s9100/s9600 Flickr Group:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/37994085@N00/

My S9500 purchased in England, April 2006 and Ser No. 61Q1181x has firmware version v 1.02 and the Command Dial is still ok with 5,000 + shots in the bag.

The firmware upgrade is a mystery so further information would be appreciated.

Something similar occured with the Minolta Dimage 7. This was a good 5Mp camera similar to the S range by Fuji and with a manual lens. An upgrade became available by returning the camera to Minolta UK but in other parts of the world it was available on CD for upgrading by the owner. The final upgrade made an already good camera a fantastic one with many sensible changes and improvments.

The fragmented policy of Minolta soon led to the upgrade being hiked around the internet for free. It was possible to upgrade and downgrade as both firmware versions were freely available.

Perhaps the moral is - Makers, don't mess with us buyers. We have ways of doing things, so be honest and straight with us or your reputation goes down the drain PDQ.

Maybe we need more info on all the Fuji S9500/9000 firmwares.

David G

'] http://img85.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05582ye6.jpg] [/URL] [/URL]

--
ChrisAU

--
ChrisAU

ChrisAU said:

ZorSy wrote:
HOWEVER - they have really done SOMETHING weird to my camera, because
my S9500 with the purported 1.03 firmware version now grabs focus at
the long end of the zoom (300mm) fast and decisively in the dimmest
of light - EVEN WITH THE AF ILLUMINATOR OFF! Previously it used to
hunt quite a bit at 300 mm, even in fairly good light.

I recall that when the S9100/9600, a minor upgrade from the
S9000/9500 model, was announced, one of the few changes advertised by
Fuji was "the FinePix S9600 has better low-light performance with the
Real Photo processor".

In view of the strange improvement of low light AF on my S9500, my
educated guess is that the mysterious v1.03 is actually S9600's
firmware, being run quite happily by S9500's Real Photo processor,
which is thus proven to be entirely identical in 9500 and 9600.

Can someone with S9100/9600 read the firmware version number off
their camera (switch the camera on while holding the BACK button
down) and let us know what is the firmware version number in
S9100/9600? I have a feeling that I probably now have a S9500 with
S9600 firmware in it - for better or worse. We shall see. I do not
care all that much about performance at ISO 800, as I would use 800
only in a genuine emergency, and have always considered ISO 1600 a
useless curiosity with the 9MP sensor this small.

--
ChrisAU

Click to expand...

Anyone have this 1.03 upgrade that can be emailed etc?

I have the same on my S9100 purchased early Aug 2007 in USA.
1.00

My S-9100 reports version 1.00

My 9600 bought in the UK in May this year has v 1.0 firmware. Is it possible to upgrade without sending back to Fuji?

There is a downloadable firmware upgrade available from Fuji here

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital/download/s9500/fupd.html

The upgrade index is at

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital/download/index.html

David G

lentilbake said:

My 9600 bought in the UK in May this year has v 1.0 firmware. Is it
possible to upgrade without sending back to Fuji?

Click to expand...

This is about 9000/9500 Fuji - 9100/9600 owners should already have wishing updates implemented on their cams (like faster RAW, focusing and some minor mods around acuracy of the flash system in P/A/S/M without tweaking metering from centre to average etc. We 9500 suckers had to pay for our impatience till bugs are sorted out, knowing from (in my case) previous experience with 602 - Fuji would release "new" product which is aparently just firmware fixed previous model - talking here 7000. 9500 and 9600, apart from 0.2" larger LCD (which is not much) may have better command dial design and new firmware - and that's it. They aren't really any good about making existing users happy, they need new buyers. "unhappy" Fuji customers aren't really that unhappy to avoid this brand - so we always come back, as no other cam mfg (taliking anything but DSLR, and even them) does that too.

The question is if the later firmware as in the S9600 is a compatible upgrade to the S9500 camera.

For one I don't complain about the S9500 or Fuji as it's not the camera or make alone that gets the picture but the photographer. Far too many people expect the camera to produce the picture then moan when it doesn't.

Over the years there have been plenty of competitions won with the simplest and cheapest cameras. Remember the £25 Lubitel 2 1/4" square TLR? I remember some serious money won in a competition with one of those cameras.

David G

ctrlphoto said:

The question is if the later firmware as in the S9600 is a compatible
upgrade to the S9500 camera.

For one I don't complain about the S9500 or Fuji as it's not the
camera or make alone that gets the picture but the photographer. Far
too many people expect the camera to produce the picture then moan
when it doesn't.

Over the years there have been plenty of competitions won with the
simplest and cheapest cameras. Remember the £25 Lubitel 2 1/4" square
TLR? I remember some serious money won in a competition with one of
those cameras.

David G

Click to expand...

David, it's not moaning about 9500 - I bought it week after being released and have done only 35000 shots so far. Had it serviced twice for command dial, fixed finally by myself implementing metal shaft etc. I kept that camera after having a short trip into DSLR with Pentax DL but returned it as it did not deliver anything more I couldn't get with Fuji - that should say a lot (though I will move to DSLR sooner or later just for OVF as my eyesight is fading). Complaints about slow writing on XD card (or CF for that matter as use both) is a valid complaint and if fixed on 9600 (which as we assume is based on the same hardware) might be a firmware fix. What my saying is that Fuji CO. just don't look back to rectify previous products, releasing "upgrade" models instead. What about flash issues with 9500. Only those shooting in full Auto are not aware of them. I could not find a line about this for 9600 model. Honestly I do not think Fuji redesigned this through the hardware either. The bottom line is that none of these complaints are that serious, rather annoying.

I'd agree often it is the person behind the camera not camera alone, but some reading may help you when placing comments about people "moaning" as some complaints are placed with reasons.

cheers