Boycott Panasonic cameras - forced proprietary battery use in firmware

On 20-06-09 19:01, ray wrote:
> On Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:34:57 -0400, Alan Browne wrote:
>
>> Panasonic issues 'battery safety' firmware
>>
>> Panasonic has released firmware updates for its latest digital cameras
>> including the GH1, G1, ZS3 and TS1. The new firmware can identify
>> genuine Panasonic batteries and _prevents the use of any third party
>> battery packs_. The company says it has taken this move to ensure safety
>> of its users against possible injuries because of overcharging, internal
>> heating or short circuit in third-party batteries.
>>
>> http://www.dpreview.com/news/0906/09...vicenotice.asp
>>
>> What a BS ploy. (And I hope this does not occur to Sony).
>
> I doubt Sony would worry themselves over such an issue - after all many
> of their cameras already require proprietary memory cards!

Not DSLR's to date, though the a900 takes both CF and MemStick.

And the consumers of the other cameras probably don't give a **** about
the memory card source. They get one and keep it with the camera for
its life.

Sony license the design to other co's, as well, such as SanDisk.

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On 20-06-09 20:48, Robert Coe wrote:
> On Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:34:57 -0400, Alan Browne
> <alan.browne@Freelunchvideotron.ca> wrote:
> : Panasonic issues 'battery safety' firmware
> :
> : Panasonic has released firmware updates for its latest digital cameras
> : including the GH1, G1, ZS3 and TS1. The new firmware can identify
> : genuine Panasonic batteries and _prevents the use of any third party
> : battery packs_. The company says it has taken this move to ensure safety
> : of its users against possible injuries because of overcharging, internal
> : heating or short circuit in third-party batteries.
> :
> : http://www.dpreview.com/news/0906/09...vicenotice.asp
> :
> : What a BS ploy. (And I hope this does not occur to Sony).
>
> Surely you jest. Sony is the company that once sneaked operating system
> changes into users' computers to prevent them from "stealing" content from
> Sony CDs.

And it cost them dearly in reputation. They will be a lot more careful
in the future.

To date they are not forcing their batteries on people. That is the
point. And their DSLR's support CF cards. And support Minolta lenses.


> A few years ago laptop batteries sold by Dell and several other manufacturers
> started exploding and starting fires. Some of the manufacturers had to issue
> recalls. Who actually made the offending batteries for those manufacturers?
> Sony.

Which in an odd way proves my point. More suppliers are better than
fewer. As to the Sony batteries, as unfortunate as those failures were,
it was a near inevitable consequence of making Li-ion batteries -
learning curve.

>
> I think it's fair to say that if there's a way to make an extra buck, it has
> already occurred to Sony.

Not according to their financial results. They've had a rough time of
this current climate.





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On 21-06-09 00:39, Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
> In article<epednUbel9xv2qDXnZ2dnUVZ_sadnZ2d@giganews. com>,
> Alan Browne<alan.browne@Freelunchvideotron.ca> wrote:
>
>> Panasonic issues 'battery safety' firmware
>>
>> Panasonic has released firmware updates for its latest digital cameras
>> including the GH1, G1, ZS3 and TS1. The new firmware can identify
>> genuine Panasonic batteries and _prevents the use of any third party
>> battery packs_. The company says it has taken this move to ensure safety
>> of its users against possible injuries because of overcharging, internal
>> heating or short circuit in third-party batteries.
>>
>> http://www.dpreview.com/news/0906/09...vicenotice.asp
>>
>> What a BS ploy. (And I hope this does not occur to Sony).
>
> Calling for a boycott is a bit strong. It's better to warn people and
> let them them decide that Panasonic is full of crap on their own.
>
> I just bought a Panasonic TV a few hours ago. This kind of BS would
> make me cancel my order if I could.

I bought a Panasonic television (plasma) and blu ray player at the end
of 2007. Fine equipment - quite pleased.

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"Alan Browne" <alan.browne@Freelunchvideotron.ca> wrote in message
news:A4adnWFASt6VzqPXnZ2dnUVZ_tGdnZ2d@giganews.com ...

> Which in an odd way proves my point. More suppliers are better than
> fewer. As to the Sony batteries, as unfortunate as those failures were,
> it was a near inevitable consequence of making Li-ion batteries - learning
> curve.

There's usually a balance between authority and society, or brands and the
market. I note, Ray Bradbury is railing against the internet and he has a
point. The tiny bit I pay attention to isn't very good, and I get a similar
discomfort with the traditional darkroom versus the digital darkroom.

--
Charles E Hardwidge

"David J Taylor"
<david-taylor@blueyonder.not-this-part.nor-this.co.uk.invalid> wrote in
message news:hQm%l.45440$OO7.13222@text.news.virginmedia.c om...
> PDM wrote:
> []
>> Would never ever consider buying Panasonic again. Everything I ever
>> bought doesn't work properly as it should or broke soon after the
>> guarantee ran out: TVs, freeview boxes (11 and 2 set on fire) DVD
>> recorders, cameras, et al. High spec but poor component quality, and
>> their batteries are probably 3rd party crap as well.
>>
>> PDM
>
> Sorry to hear you've had problems. All the Panasonic items I have bought
> have worked perfectly, including three very excellent digital cameras.
> I've used both Panasonic original and 3rd party batteries, and had no
> trouble with either.
>
> Strongly recommended.
>
> David

Strongly not recommended

PDM

Alan Browne <alan.browne@Freelunchvideotron.ca> wrote:

> Most of these 3rd party batteries, esp. Li-ion, have
> the protection circuit built in and this is stated on their product
> sheets.

There are some 3rd party batteries that don't, by your own
admission.
(And I am not even talking about falsely labelled capacities and
incorrect claims on product sheets.)

In my part of the world, seatbelts are not considered optional
by the law (nor by almost all people), even if most, nay, almost
all car uses do not include accidents.

> And that is what I checked (via the re-seller) when I bought them.

And the part about accidents is proven by statistics, even the
government statistics bureau and the politicans freely says so.

> All this is is a ploy to force OEM battery purchases.

All this must be a ploy to force people to wear seatbelts without
any need, right?


Now I wait for statements along the lines "Here I present you
3 dozen old men who were heavy smokers all of their life. See,
smoking doesn't affect your health."

-Wolfgang

Alan Browne wrote:
> Panasonic issues 'battery safety' firmware
>
> Panasonic has released firmware updates for its latest digital cameras
> including the GH1, G1, ZS3 and TS1. The new firmware can identify
> genuine Panasonic batteries and _prevents the use of any third party
> battery packs_. The company says it has taken this move to ensure safety
> of its users against possible injuries because of overcharging, internal
> heating or short circuit in third-party batteries.
>
> http://www.dpreview.com/news/0906/09...vicenotice.asp
>
> What a BS ploy. (And I hope this does not occur to Sony).

Okay, I'll boycott them. Again. Isn't the fact that they're noise boxes
already enough of a reason to avoid them at all costs?

On 21-06-09 13:13, Charles E Hardwidge wrote:
> "Alan Browne" <alan.browne@Freelunchvideotron.ca> wrote in message
> news:A4adnWFASt6VzqPXnZ2dnUVZ_tGdnZ2d@giganews.com ...
>
>> Which in an odd way proves my point. More suppliers are better than
>> fewer. As to the Sony batteries, as unfortunate as those failures were,
>> it was a near inevitable consequence of making Li-ion batteries -
>> learning
>> curve.
>
> There's usually a balance between authority and society, or brands and the
> market. I note, Ray Bradbury is railing against the internet and he has a
> point. The tiny bit I pay attention to isn't very good, and I get a similar
> discomfort with the traditional darkroom versus the digital darkroom.

You keep raising objections to your own progress with digital
photography. Take the Nike attitude.

Ray Bradbury is one of the brighter lights of fiction, esp. science
fiction coupled to social realities. I can see how he would see the
negatives in the internet. However, like all double edged swords, the
internet has its overwhelmingly positive side as it does its negative -
people need to focus on getting positive value from it.

A friend of mine, no wilting flower where it comes to technology,
marketing and media, has all but sworn off reading or listening to the
news. It has become to him a mind distracting repetitious blur that has
almost no bearing on his life.

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On 21-06-09 13:34, SMS wrote:
> Alan Browne wrote:
>> Panasonic issues 'battery safety' firmware
>>
>> Panasonic has released firmware updates for its latest digital cameras
>> including the GH1, G1, ZS3 and TS1. The new firmware can identify
>> genuine Panasonic batteries and _prevents the use of any third party
>> battery packs_. The company says it has taken this move to ensure
>> safety of its users against possible injuries because of overcharging,
>> internal heating or short circuit in third-party batteries.
>>
>> http://www.dpreview.com/news/0906/09...vicenotice.asp
>>
>> What a BS ploy. (And I hope this does not occur to Sony).
>
> Okay, I'll boycott them. Again. Isn't the fact that they're noise boxes
> already enough of a reason to avoid them at all costs?

Doesn't count if you're not in the market... ;-)

I don't know that they're noise boxes. From most of what I hear/read
Panasonic make very good digital cameras, both 4/3 and other. That's
not to say they could be as good as an APS-C or FF. Their best noise
performance is limited to a narrower ISO range, that's all.

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"Alan Browne" <alan.browne@Freelunchvideotron.ca> wrote in message
news:kO6dnRAlEu-B8qPXnZ2dnUVZ_hCdnZ2d@giganews.com...
> On 21-06-09 13:13, Charles E Hardwidge wrote:
>>
>> There's usually a balance between authority and society, or brands and
>> the market. I note, Ray Bradbury is railing against the internet and he
>> has a point. The tiny bit I pay attention to isn't very good, and I get a
>> similar discomfort with the traditional darkroom versus the digital
>> darkroom.
>
> You keep raising objections to your own progress with digital photography.
> Take the Nike attitude.
>
> Ray Bradbury is one of the brighter lights of fiction, esp. science
> fiction coupled to social realities. I can see how he would see the
> negatives in the internet. However, like all double edged swords, the
> internet has its overwhelmingly positive side as it does its negative -
> people need to focus on getting positive value from it.
>
> A friend of mine, no wilting flower where it comes to technology,
> marketing and media, has all but sworn off reading or listening to the
> news. It has become to him a mind distracting repetitious blur that has
> almost no bearing on his life.

I'm taking a balanced view, and that was really the point behind my comment
so there's no violent disagreement here.

I've stopped watching broadcast TV, don't read the media, and don't vote for
similar reasons.

I think, it's important to find yourself as much as finding the shot and, in
some ways, they can be the same thing.

--
Charles E Hardwidge