In this modern age, where all electronics are complicated and there are inevitable bugs (as the market gets to play beta tester) it's a fact that people are going to need firmware updates on almost all devices. If they're not going to push it out with a simple (click yes to update) button they really should make the process idiot proof. My parents are awful at doing these sorts of updates.

Hell, it always makes me nervous bricking devices when flashing firmware on phones/tablets/cameras etc and I am pretty tech savvy..can only imagine other people sweating through the process.

The fact that it fails not infrequently. Despite selling in vastly higher numbers, I don't think I've ever seen a report of a bricked Canon or Nikon DSLR. I've seen dozens of reports for Olympus bodies though.

DH

You're lucky, did you read the suggestions set by Olympus?

I don't like the fact that it's reliant on a stable internet connection and an external device (i.e. a computer). I would take a memory card based firmware update any day of the week. I hadn't heard of the term bricking until reading Olympus forums.

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Nic
E-M5, GH1
Flickr Photostream
>> Insert quote here <<

And so would Vitaly. Dun dun duuunnn . . . Maybe they'll change the update format if we get enough petitions or bricked cameras. Not too hopeful though.

What im guessing (and again this is a personal guess), is that connecting the camera to the computer what it does, is not just replacing its firmware, it might also take all the info we look when we go into that "shutter count" menu in our cameras, so Olympus can gather information of camera usage, what we use more, were the camera fails and so on. I dont think its idiotic to update with the camera connected to a computer...no one thinks its idiotic to update your iphone, ipad, ipod, through the computer!.

Personally i was an early adopter of the Fuji X100 and updating the firmware of that thing was dodgy for me. you had to download the software put it into an sd card that had to be formated before, put it into the camera, press tons of buttons and if the process fails you gotta do it al over again...not sure if could brick the camera during the process but certainly while clearing the firmware it got rid of the previous version that could brick the camera.

this is simple. open updater, connect camera, put it in storage mode, click "next" and wait. i dont see the problem in that.

Honestly im not sure what could go wrong with Tobers camera. but i havent got any problem updating my old pen and now OMD at all.

Yes, im an "instruction manual" geek and read every single instruction 2 times to get it clear if needed. and if you go through the updater it doesnt say anything of not connecting the camera into a usb hub. can you send me a link to were it says that. if thats a problem of course im not going to do it again like that! dont want to brick mine!

I just updated the firmware in my X100 to accommodate the new wide angle conversion lens. The update process was the simplest and fastest I've encountered on any camera, and I've had occasion to update various Canon, Panasonic and Olympus models. The Oly is by far the scariest....

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Chuck

From the Olympus Updater Instructions:

- Operation is not guaranteed when using a USB port that is not directly part of the computer.

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Chuck

Unfortunately,
Olympus has one of the worst firmware upgrade systems out - if it's any consolence, I've seen quite a few Olympus owners who have "bricked" their bodies due to a firmware update gone awry.....

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Olympus E-PL5
M. Zuiko 17mm ƒ1.8 | M. Zuiko 17mm ƒ2.8 | M. Zuiko 14-42 II | M. Zuiko 14-150 ED | M. Zuiko 45mm ƒ1.8 ED | M. Zuiko 75mm ƒ1.8 ED | M. Zuiko 75-300 ED II | Leica DG Summilux 25mm ƒ1.4 ASPH | Lumix G Vario 45-200 |

Yep. The x100 firmware update process is just like Nikon's.

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Olympus E-PL5
M. Zuiko 17mm ƒ1.8 | M. Zuiko 17mm ƒ2.8 | M. Zuiko 14-42 II | M. Zuiko 14-150 ED | M. Zuiko 45mm ƒ1.8 ED | M. Zuiko 75mm ƒ1.8 ED | M. Zuiko 75-300 ED II | Leica DG Summilux 25mm ƒ1.4 ASPH | Lumix G Vario 45-200 |