Pages: [1] 2 3 4   Go Down

Author Topic: DEAD IQ160  (Read 25800 times)

david.westphal

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 86
DEAD IQ160
« on: June 14, 2012, 12:42:58 am »

Just had my IQ160 die on me this past Sunday in the middle of a shot.  Pretty embarrassing.  Kinda thought we were past those days where we needed a second back on location as back-up.  I received a temporary replacement back on Tuesday.  Apparently, phase is only responsible for 24 hour replacement Monday through Friday.  Wondering how many working photographers on this forum only work M-F?  Cost me $1000 to cover a rental back for two days.  The second rental day was Tuesday but because I had a 5am call time, they could not accommodate me.  That's a poor excuse from phase.  I understand that there is typically nothing that can be done the day of, but that is a real cost.  I now have to add that cost to the overall cost of my back.  I cannot recover that expense.  To make matters worse, my temporary replacement is a P65+.  I've got to know the logic behind that?  Why it is that I am paying a value added warranty only to receive an outdated model.  The same chip size is BS.  The best part, the firewire port on the P65+ is fw400 so I had to go out and buy a new cable for that back.  I just don't understand why it is that phase can charge us the premium cost for their product and services and yet, we are constantly denied a premium product and service from them.  I find it baffling.  But I shouldn't be surprised, it is afterall, phase one and in my book have always been notorious for not living up to their own hype. 

I don't even know the phase one rep for California?  Who is that and why didn't I have that information on Sunday when my back died?  I guess that's on my dealer.  I will not give out my dealer's info.

The purpose of this post, besides my rant.  Just wanted to let everyone know that this is your reality if your phase one IQ back dies on you.  So I hope it doesn't happen to you.

And by the way, when I say die, I mean burnt electrical smell coming from the back die. 

Feel free any phase one rep to chime in here.  I'd like to hear you defend your response to the poor customer service I've received.

David
Logged

HarperPhotos

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1309
    • http://www.harperphoto.com
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2012, 01:57:41 am »

Hi David,

Get a Nikon D800e like I have. These DBs have had there day in the sun mate.

Cheers

Simon
Logged
Simon Harper
Harper Photographics Ltd
http://www.harperphoto.com
http://www.facebook.com/harper.photographics

Auckland, New Zealand

amsp

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 810
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2012, 06:21:12 am »

Hi David,

Get a Nikon D800e like I have. These DBs have had there day in the sun mate.

Cheers

Simon

Trolling the MF forum now are we?

Logged

HarperPhotos

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1309
    • http://www.harperphoto.com
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2012, 07:05:11 am »

Hi asmp

Nah not trolling just been a realist when it comes to the advertising work I do. I can guarantee David's client wouldn’t give a rats ass what camera he used. The client is only interested in in getting what they want and not having camera malfunctions is not one of them. For the cost of one of these fancy DBs you could have a number Nikon D800e’s. And yes I do own a Leaf Aptus 75

Cheers

Simon
Logged
Simon Harper
Harper Photographics Ltd
http://www.harperphoto.com
http://www.facebook.com/harper.photographics

Auckland, New Zealand

amsp

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 810
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2012, 07:35:40 am »

Hi asmp

Nah not trolling just been a realist when it comes to the advertising work I do. I can guarantee David's client wouldn’t give a rats ass what camera he used. The client is only interested in in getting what they want and not having camera malfunctions is not one of them. For the cost of one of these fancy DBs you could have a number Nikon D800e’s. And yes I do own a Leaf Aptus 75

Cheers

Simon

Sorry, but going on a medium format forum and telling someone who has a problem with his back/service to buy a Nikon instead is pretty much the definition of trolling, and quite frankly this kind of fanboyism isn't befitting a professional like yourself, nor is it helpful in any way shape or form to the OP. I think any pro realizes there are different needs for different people and situations, period.

Logged

MrSmith

  • Guest
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2012, 07:40:51 am »

i don't know any photographer who shoots without a back-up which is usually a dslr, those that don't are 25min away from a rental body/back.

can't comment on the level of service, here in london it's the people on the end of the phone who are good (like Teamwork) they don't answer on the phone on weekends though.
Logged

Paul2660

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4066
    • Photos of Arkansas
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2012, 09:03:43 am »

David,

Sorry to hear about the problems.  I don't think there are any true "phase rep"s in the U.S.  At least I have never found one since owning a Phase back since early 2008.  It's always been a "dealer", that provided info, price and warranty support. 

Your receipt of the P65+ however is a concern that I addressed when I purchased my 160 with the value add warranty.  Based on your experience, I am rather disappointed and agree with your concerns.  That Phase considers a P65+ to be a workable replacement for a IQ160 to me goes totally against the terms of the value add warranty.  You are to receive a back that has the same capabilities as the back you sent to Phase.  No way does the P65+ begin to have all the same capabilities as the IQ160.  I choose the 160 over the P65+ mainly due to those differences for working with a tech camera.  Plus Phase has continued to provide firmware updates to the 160, and I have not seen any recent firmware updates to the P65+.  To me all they really share is the same physical chip, totally different cameras. 

Sounds like your back overheated which is also a surprise.  Hope that Phase can turn your back around in a hurry.

Paul
Logged
Paul Caldwell
Little Rock, Arkansas U.S.
www.photosofarkansas.com

david.westphal

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 86
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2012, 10:34:59 am »

i don't know any photographer who shoots without a back-up which is usually a dslr, those that don't are 25min away from a rental body/back.

can't comment on the level of service, here in london it's the people on the end of the phone who are good (like Teamwork) they don't answer on the phone on weekends though.

I was talking about a medium format back up.  I switched over to my canon until I found a rental mf back in this particular case.  But I needed to shoot nodal with the canon to get the proper coverage that I was getting with the mfdb.  We used to carry two mfdb backs on location but that was almost 10 years ago.

David
Logged

torger

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3267
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2012, 10:40:32 am »

It's a new situation now. Previously MFDBs were so far ahead in image quality it was easy to forgive them for being less-than-perfect in many other aspects. Now DSLRs have quite decent image quality so the gap is smaller, so I guess it puts some more pressure on the MFDBs to deliver on more aspects than just image quality.
Logged

bcooter

  • Guest
bbq
« Reply #9 on: June 14, 2012, 01:52:19 pm »

Hi David,

Get a Nikon D800e like I have. These DBs have had there day in the sun mate.

Cheers

Simon

Jeez Simon, your not counting in the value added.  

I woke this morning to emails from about every Phase related dealer in the world offering free BBQ and we all know that a saving $7 on a BBQ sammich is a heck of a deal when your dropping 20k on a camera back . . . well except in England where the BBQ really should be free . . . oops sorry I take that back, in England they should pay you to eat the BBQ, but I guess that would require a whole new topic of discussion.

All the best.


BC.
Logged

MrSmith

  • Guest
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #10 on: June 14, 2012, 01:58:29 pm »

are you making slanderous accusations towards the British sausage?
and it's 'sandwich' BTW as invented by the first lord of the admiralty John Montague 4th Earl of Sandwich 1718 – 1792
Logged

HarperPhotos

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1309
    • http://www.harperphoto.com
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #11 on: June 14, 2012, 05:14:49 pm »

Hi asmp,

Yes you got me I am a self confessed Nikon fanboy and in the immortal words of Maxell Smart, Agent 86 “And loving it”

All the best

Simon
Logged
Simon Harper
Harper Photographics Ltd
http://www.harperphoto.com
http://www.facebook.com/harper.photographics

Auckland, New Zealand

Schewe

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6229
    • http:www.schewephoto.com
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #12 on: June 14, 2012, 05:55:34 pm »

Apparently, phase is only responsible for 24 hour replacement Monday through Friday.  Wondering how many working photographers on this forum only work M-F?  Cost me $1000 to cover a rental back for two days.  The second rental day was Tuesday but because I had a 5am call time, they could not accommodate me.

Uh...I think your expectations are totally unrealistic. Phase is like any other business...it keeps normal business hours (like normal people do). The fact you were shooting on a Sun isn't Phase One's fault...it was you for allowing yourself to take a booking on a weekend. Sure, I understand ya gotta shoot when ya gotta shoot, but just because YOU do doesn't mean the rest of the world has to revolve around your schedule...and say Phase One had a 24/7 capability...how do you suppose Phase was gonna ship that puppy to you? Put it on a plane for special hand delivery on Mon? Pretty sure FedEx isn't open on Sun for drop offs either...

The fact you had a 5AM call time on Tues is again, not Phase One's fault...I presume Phase shipped the replacement back FedEx priority overnight? Again, what exactly do you think Phase should have done? FedEx SameDay service is a bit expensive...is that what you were expecting?

The only thing I agree would be frustrating would be to get a P65+ as a replacement for and IQ 160...did you actually talk to somebody at Phase about this? I suspect they were trying to get something in your hands ASAP and simply didn't have an IQ 160 to send you and did the best they could with what they had on hand...

I realize you are embarrassed in front of your client for not having a backup back to shoot with considering you were shooting over a weekend with little chance to do a quick local rental (most rental houses would also be closed on Sun ya know). I understand you're pissed the back got fried...I also understand your frustration at getting a suboptimal P65+ (which still ain't to shabby) but your rant about Phase not being open on Sun and that they couldn't get you a back shipped for your 5AM call time is really just a bit (well, maybe more than a bit) unrealistic...
Logged

david.westphal

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 86
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #13 on: June 14, 2012, 07:59:20 pm »

Uh...I think your expectations are totally unrealistic. Phase is like any other business...it keeps normal business hours (like normal people do). The fact you were shooting on a Sun isn't Phase One's fault...it was you for allowing yourself to take a booking on a weekend. Sure, I understand ya gotta shoot when ya gotta shoot, but just because YOU do doesn't mean the rest of the world has to revolve around your schedule...and say Phase One had a 24/7 capability...how do you suppose Phase was gonna ship that puppy to you? Put it on a plane for special hand delivery on Mon? Pretty sure FedEx isn't open on Sun for drop offs either...

The fact you had a 5AM call time on Tues is again, not Phase One's fault...I presume Phase shipped the replacement back FedEx priority overnight? Again, what exactly do you think Phase should have done? FedEx SameDay service is a bit expensive...is that what you were expecting?

The only thing I agree would be frustrating would be to get a P65+ as a replacement for and IQ 160...did you actually talk to somebody at Phase about this? I suspect they were trying to get something in your hands ASAP and simply didn't have an IQ 160 to send you and did the best they could with what they had on hand...

I realize you are embarrassed in front of your client for not having a backup back to shoot with considering you were shooting over a weekend with little chance to do a quick local rental (most rental houses would also be closed on Sun ya know). I understand you're pissed the back got fried...I also understand your frustration at getting a suboptimal P65+ (which still ain't to shabby) but your rant about Phase not being open on Sun and that they couldn't get you a back shipped for your 5AM call time is really just a bit (well, maybe more than a bit) unrealistic...

Pretty much disagree with you.  Everyone who works in this industry knows how it works.  And that means working weekends.  As an assistant and tech, I never told anyone I worked for, provided services and equipment to that I would only be available M-F.  If I had known of a regional/ local phase rep, I could have called him and gotten a demo back, at the very least, on Monday.  That's how it used to work.  That's what Brian H would have done.  I would hate to have a vendor in this business that told me I could only reach then at certain hours.

In terms of phase working to get me a back asap and that's why I have a p65+, that's BS.  My dealer told me that a client with a 180 got a p65+ when their back went down just a couple of weeks ago.  Phase has no excuse for not providing me the proper replacement.
Logged

locpham

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 34
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #14 on: June 14, 2012, 10:01:26 pm »

Pretty much disagree with you.  Everyone who works in this industry knows how it works.  And that means working weekends.  As an assistant and tech, I never told anyone I worked for, provided services and equipment to that I would only be available M-F.  If I had known of a regional/ local phase rep, I could have called him and gotten a demo back, at the very least, on Monday.  That's how it used to work.  That's what Brian H would have done.  I would hate to have a vendor in this business that told me I could only reach then at certain hours.

In terms of phase working to get me a back asap and that's why I have a p65+, that's BS.  My dealer told me that a client with a 180 got a p65+ when their back went down just a couple of weeks ago.  Phase has no excuse for not providing me the proper replacement.

I have to agree.  Working weekends is the norm for photographers and when someone purchases a digital back with value added, I would expect better service.  What they are paying for is support in case of an emergency.  To not be there when it is needed defeats the purpose.
Logged

Schewe

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6229
    • http:www.schewephoto.com
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #15 on: June 14, 2012, 10:21:19 pm »

Working weekends is the norm for photographers and when someone purchases a digital back with value added, I would expect better service.

Read the fine print...does Phase One offer 24/7? No...if your expectations are that they do, you didn't read the fine print or you have totally unreasonable expectations.

And having been in the biz for about 30 years, I gotta tell you that if you are working weekends and off hours, you either do the professional thing and work with backups and any/everything you need to do the production or not. The OP apparently didn't read the fine print in the value added warrantee and was shocked that a company closes on weekends. I find that unprofessional on the part of the photographer and he's trying to off load the blame to somebody else...sorry, but if you are gonna do a shoot for a client you have to anticipate production problems and have a system in place to deal with it.

Bitching about Phase One not being open on Sundays is silly.  Complaining that Phase couldn't get a replacement back by 5AM Tues is silly. Complaining that he got a P65+ instead of the IQ 160 is legit.

Photographers working weekends and off hours is their choice. Just because THEY do it doesn't mean the rest of the world will (and in fact as the OP has now found out, it doesn't).
Logged

EricWHiss

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2639
    • Rolleiflex USA
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #16 on: June 14, 2012, 11:18:13 pm »

Schewe,
You probably forgot about all the pro wedding photographers and the like who mostly work weekends? 


Logged
Rolleiflex USA

Schewe

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6229
    • http:www.schewephoto.com
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #17 on: June 14, 2012, 11:25:22 pm »

You probably forgot about all the pro wedding photographers and the like who mostly work weekends? 

If you KNOW you're gonna be working weekends it would behoove you to have backups, no? And Sat is different than Sun, no?
Logged

TMARK

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1841
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #18 on: June 14, 2012, 11:39:47 pm »

Commercial shooters work weekends and late hours, often in strange places.   I used to have backs and cameras shit out on me all the time back in the P25/Aptus 22 days. I would switch to the Canon at that point and wait for some dude from Fotocare to show up with a replacement. I think the point is that Value Added may not Add as much Value to a pro's back if s/he works on location in the wilds. Works great in NYC and I'm sure even on a weekend Fotocare or DT would get you a back that day. But I was always suspicious of the value the Value Added warranty provided, just from my experience with the time frames required by FedEx and UPS.

What eventually happened is that when I sent in th deliverables the editorial clients didn't see a difference between the MF and FF frames, which made me question why I was using a slow $20k back that ate batteries and had issues talking to the camera when the Canons worked flawlessly.
Logged

Schewe

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6229
    • http:www.schewephoto.com
Re: DEAD IQ160
« Reply #19 on: June 14, 2012, 11:55:03 pm »

Works great in NYC and I'm sure even on a weekend Fotocare or DT would get you a back that day.

On a Sunday? Really?

I think the fact that Phase got "something" in his hands Tues (ok, not early enough for his call time) to be pretty good...and I don't disagree that the further away you are from "civilization" you are, the less likely you will have a replacement back the next day. Which the OP should have known...
Logged
Pages: [1] 2 3 4   Go Up