UPDATE: 01-OCT-02: Got a QV4000? Here's the English version 1.01 of the firmware, downloadable from the Japanese Casio ftp site. IMPORTANT: The QV4000 has it's own update procedure different to that of the QV3000EX below. Please read this thread for other users' experiences with it.

UPDATE: 05-JUL-02: Casio now have the QV3000EX/Ir firmware V1.003 available for free download after registration. Instructions are at http://world.casio.com/qv/download/en/qv3000_firmup/.

This resource page is the distilled wisdom of the firmware upgrade experiences of many QV-3000EX owners on the Digital Photograpy Review Casio Talk Forum. I thank them all.

Early versions of the QV-3000EX came out with version 1.000 of the firmware. This is visible when using the freeware DiCaInfo program to look at the Exif info of an unedited picture: Right at the bottom there you'll see 'Make, Model, Firmware: CASIO, QV-3000EX, Ver1.000'.

UPDATE 21-Mar-2001
Casio Japan released version 1.003 of the firmware about a month ago. Users of the Taiwanese DC review posted it and 3 other cameras' firmware upgrades. Supposedly it's aimed at Mac users to allow them to delete files and folders properly. Users have reported no problems upgrading to it from either version 1.000 or 1.002 using the upgrade procedure below.

Other users have pointed out that you can even downgrade from 1.003 back to 1.002.

And finally some users *think* they have experienced problems with V1.003. Have a read and decide for yourself. You can always downgrade aferwards:

• Sensitivity (ISO) setting stuck on 'Normal' when in 'S' mode
• In Macro mode the LCD screen goes very dark
• Slowness and inaccurate focusing

If you are not a Mac user perhaps you don't need to upgrade.

Finally it seems that this upgrade doesn't always delete the BIN file after upgrading. You can delete it manually when the camera is connected by USB.

Key press combination to show firmware version

Later releases of the firmware will respond to a 'hidden' key press combination by reporting the version number.

• Hold down the SET key and turn on the camera, either to REC or PLAY.
• If the firmware is already version 1.002, you will see

  VER 1.002

  until you press any key. In that case you do not need to upgrade the camera firmware.
• If you get no response to this key combination, i.e. the camera goes straight into PLAY or REC mode, then your camera is running an early firmware version and you can upgrade if you want (see 'Why Upgrade?' below)

Why Upgrade?

Users have reported problems reading the microdrive after formatting in the camera (and again) when using the new generation of IBM Microdrives (series DSCM) in a camera running the old firmware version. Upgrading the firmware fixes this.

Hint: You can tell which version of microdrive you have got by looking at the word 'microdrive' on the front of the microdrive. If the 'm' is lower case then it is the earlier DMDM series. If it is uppercase - 'Microdrive' - then it is the later DSCM series.

Another Hint: It also has the model printed on the back ;) e.g. 'MODEL DMDM 10340' is the early series 340 MB.

IBM, not Casio, released the firmware upgrade, presumably because it is needed to support the new DSCM series 340MB, 512MB & 1 GB Microdrives. These drives spin slower and use less power than the first-released DMDM series, but who knows what else was changed in the upgrade. One user pointed out that it's probably a minor upgrade because the programmers did not change the version number much - '1.000' to '1.002' means a minor fix. The upgrade was briefly available here from IBM but it was pulled.

Possible scenario why download was pulled:
Casio: Hey, we gave you that firmware upgrade to send to users who report problems.
IBM: But this is the 21st century, our users download the software they need when they need it, not when support gets around to it.
Casio: Ours don't.
IBM: Oh.

Some Warnings, Caveats & Disclaimers

• Be sure to have either fresh batteries in the camera or the camera connected to an AC adaptor.
• This firmware upgrade cannot be done using the serial cable connection, you'll need to use the USB connection to your camera or a compact flash/microdrive reader of some sort, the type that shows your camera memory device as another drive on your PC.
• This upgrade process is not known to be reversible nor is any backup made of the firmware version originally in the camera.
• If your firmware version already reports as 'VER1.003'(see above), then don't do this upgrade - you don't need to.
• You reeeeally want to avoid a camera shutdown due to loss of power during the upgrade.
• Neither should you manually switch off the camera during the upgrade.
• And don't upgrade the firmware when you're about to have a power blackout.
• Loss of power during firmware upgrade could result in totally screwing up the camera firmware and having to send it back to Casio support to be fixed.
• Have I made myself clear on that point?
• Good.

You have been warned. Supposedly this upgrade should only be done by Casio support staff, so if you decide to do this yourself, then you and you alone must take responsibility for the outcome.

If you stuff it up, you will have to return your camera to Casio.

Let me add: if as a result of doing this upgrade, your camera ceases to function then it wasn't my fault for providing you these instructions nor Ray's for providing the firmware for download.

Scared yet? No? Read on:

How to upgrade

1. Download V1.002 or V1.003 onto your hardddisk
2. Check the file sizes of the downloaded files against the table above. If they don't match repeat step 1.
3. Unzip or extract QV300EX.BIN from the downloaded zip or exe file and copy it onto your memory device, can be the microdrive or compact flash memory. A tip from a user who had problems with his DSCM series Microdrive after formatting it - instead of using the badly-formatted Microdrive for the upgrade, use the compact flash card that came with the camera.
4. QV3000EX.BIN has to be in the 'root directory' of the device, that is you should be able to see the folder DCIM in the same place as the BIN.
5. Disconnect your camera from the PC and turn the camera off OR if using a memory device reader, after correctly removing the memory device from the reader, insert it into your camera.
6. ENSURE UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLY FOR CAMERA DURING THE NEXT 2 STEPS
7. While holding down the SET key turn your camera on (to PLAY or REC). This appears on your screen:

   PROGRAM UPDATE YES NO VER1.002

   Use the SET key to select 'YES', or the arrow keys and the SET key to select 'NO' if you don't want to upgrade.
8. The firmware upgrade will be detected and loaded - takes about 20-30 secs for V1.002. V1.003 is quite a big file nearly 2 MB and so takes more time to upgrade, about 60 secs.
9. If the firmware upgrade file is somehow been corrupted, for example by an incomplete download, the message

   FILE CORRUPTED

   will appear during the installation and the installation will abort. In that case, go back to step 1.
10. Now you should be able to check your firmware version and get 'VER1.002' or 'VER1.003' on your LCD screen.
11. Sometimes the upgrade doesn't always delete the BIN file after upgrading. You can delete it using your desktop computer when the camera is connected by USB.
12. Downgrading is exactly the same process, just install the V1.002 BIN file on a camera with V1.003 firmware.

Thanks go out to:

• Rick Kellaway
• Eckhard Henkel
• All at the Digital Photograpy Review Casio Talk Forum