Last week Sony announced the release of the new firmware for SLT and NEX cameras. And today it’s available for download at Sony Japan’s website (translation here).
UPDATE: You can now visit the Sony Asian websites click on the “support” tab and select the camera you want to update. An example:
Sony Australia: NEX-7 fw update.
Sony Asia: A99 fw update.
Sony Singapore: NEX-6 fw update.
Sony Germany: NEX-5n fw update.
Sony US: All updates here (just select the model).
Let the comunity know your findings after the upgrade!
241 Responses
Updates are available on Sony Singapore:
http://www.sony.com.sg/support/download/546493/product/nex-6l
http://www.sony.com.sg/support/download/546490/product/nex-5rl
No sign of it on the UK website yet:
http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/product/SLT-A57/updates
Available in UK now!
Huge update file and installation takes a long time on the Nex-5R. Can’t beleive it’s only for supporting PDAF. There should be some other enhancements. I will test later on
It’s up in Australia
http://www.sony.com.au/support/download/546415/product/nex-7
http://www.sony-asia.com/support/download/545887
For Sony NEX-6 update go to http://www.sony.com.sg/support/product/NEX-6L
It’s in English so should be easier to understand
http://www.sony-asia.com/support/product/slt-a99v
Available on http://www.sony-asia.com
Lens Firmware Update 05/02/2013:
v02 for SEL50F18 (Applicable Models) NEX-5R, NEX-5RK, NEX-5RL, NEX-5RY, NEX-6, NEX-6K, NEX-6L
http://di.update.sony.net/NEX/2dBUyjWmXb/Update_SEL50F18V2D.exe
v02 for SEL30M35 (Applicable Models) NEX-5R, NEX-5RK, NEX-5RL, NEX-5RY, NEX-6, NEX-6K, NEX-6L
http://di.update.sony.net/NEX/jVvVNS32jA/Update_SEL30M35V2D.exe
The nex 5n gets better bracketing too! Nice. I think I’ll be downloading the UK version soon enough….
what about A77 firmware update ?
No matter how many times you click there is no improvements of the camera and that is what is it.make believe canikon boys have fun and you check every day about news and rumors about firmware to fix the problems witch should be fixed before the camera get on the shops.
Ok I bite, what problems ?
Don’t bother to list lack of A77 tethering or A57 lack of micro-adjustment bc they are not bugs.
Issues that can-nik fanboys like to pose to Sony users.. not worth the discussion… My team is better than your team and I am compelled to say so.
Can we start with horrible lossy compression on RAW files and a nasty JPEG engine…like these haven’t been mentioned before
oh, forgot no NR off option too
It’s odd that years ago the A700 v4 update improved the jpeg engine and gave the option of turning NR off. It’s like the A77 guys haven’t learnt from their own history.
Those are not bugs either.
Perhaps they aren’t bugs in the strictest sense but they are glaring oversights IMO.
Grizzler, please show us where “horrible lossy compression on RAW files” makes any noticeable difference in the real-world.
C’mon!, reality check is simply not fair! /E
The voices told him.
It makes a difference during PP, the better the input data the better the output. Compare it with the non-lossy output from an A900. cRaw on the 900 was lossless.
So show some examples, Grizzler.
You know, Nikon offers the option for both Lossy and Lossless…
But hey!!! What does a B grade camera company know about cameras when compared to the mighty Sony right?!?!?! right??!?!?!
Correction….
Nikon offers 3 levels uncompressed, lossless compressed and lossy.
Lets see what options do we have… RAW and JPEG…
grizzler, if you care about PP, you should always be shooting Raw, so that is an invalid argument. I can see for the few people that refuse to do PP and still want to sell their photographs to publications/advertising that require high magnification/quality it could be a concern, but I don’t think many would…
It always amazes me that people still consider firmware updates bug fixes. That may have been true a decade ago but now we’re in the age of powerful microprocessors. This is not a 90’s dvd player, today even tv’s can be made better with a firmware update. Code can always be rewritten to apply new functionality or make things run smoother(I have been a software engineer for 15+ years). My guess is that Sony’s engineers are too busy working on new cameras to really have time to improve current models, this shows that they don’t care about their current customers and their commitment to you ends once they pocket your money.
Lens updates aren’t bugs either.
Too right.
I want oil and dust on my sensor, plus light leakage.
If only they could reduce the color accuracy at ISO 3200, because thats easier to correct in LR than the noise caused by 1/3 stop SLT loss.
When will Sony learn to play like the big boys?
Me write like Yoda too, understand what you wrote even a Jedi can not. Grammar poor in this one. Fail, he will. LOL many at his writing. Keyboard pounded by a monkey was, and words output sense make not.
That literally made me LOL.
I loled hard, too.
Is this an upgrade they think?! shame shame shame Sony.
Buy Canon if you want firmware updates 3 times a year that fixes bugs.
I am very happy with the support now of my SAL 16-35 :-). Don’t need anything else on my A99 !
If you bothered to Googled, you will be quite surprised at what Canon adds to their cameras through firmware…
Just upgraded my A99 to fw 1.01. Although the change log states that there are only new lenses added to AF-D pool, the start up time is now much better than previous. It was ~2 seconds before and now it is up around 1 seconds.
Update for A77 is up at Sony Au, only new lenses listed in the rev, but officially a Windows 8 compatible patch now…
http://www.sony.com.au/support/product/SLT-A77VQ
My friend for sure you and your team don’t have more Sony staff than me. I’m not canikon boy but I already decide not to use sony on the future.
seriously, get a life. You’ve already gone on to something else… yeah we get it… good riddance. You’ve got to be the biggest loser that you have to continue trash talking in a Sony forum. Grow up
OMG…….
Friend not you are, bridge under living troll. Words orders not sense in make. Grammar poor and spelling not words are you. Future warn you about what not do you know, and intelligence not is your seem very small.
LOL
Thanks Sony for the update.
Euro update available too!
Gee I can’t wait to benefit from the, er, lens profile updates….thanks for another great firmware update Sony…
some of you guys whine waaaaaay too much. I feel sorry for your family and spouses
Ironic that you say that after telling somebody to “Grow up”.
Frank, you’re defending an idiotic, illogical troll who can’t even form proper sentences with (mostly) real words.
If that’s the kind of person you want to throw in with, go right ahead. Doesn’t make you look like a valid contributor to this forum, however.
Feel free to re-read my comment. I wasn’t defending anybody, I was merely pointing out the irony.
It’s not irony.
There’s no incongruity between Ken asking the idiot to grow up, and the idiot potentially or actually growing up.
You’re noting what you seem to think is incongruous between Ken telling another person to “Grow up”, and him then saying that he feels sorry for such whiners.
This is not irony. It is merely you thinking that something is peculiar. There is no relationship to the outcome of any events in any ironic fashion.
Meanwhile, some of us felt it was funny and justified. Just like myself when teaching children who are disruptive, cause problems, and won’t settle down. When I tell them that they’ll grow up to be janitors and garbage collectors, that isn’t ironic. In many cases, it’s merely the truth.
It doesn’t surprise me at all that you fail to understand irony.
telling someone to grow up is whining? Really?
Keep digging that hole…
the subject title is “Firmware update now available at Sony Japan’s website” It’s not “Let’s talk about how we really feel, and disappointed we are about Sony” or “Let’s JUMP ship and try and take as many people we can with us”
If you’re not happy with Sony, that’s fine… most people don’t care. This isn’t high school where kids try and get others to go hang out with the more popular groups. Just go, you’re a grown adult… you can leave without kicking, crying or whining.
and still digging…
How am I “digging a hole”?
Well photogs, how does it feel to know that Sony licks Nikons’ hairy balls?
Good luck on seeing a 36MP sensor till 2014 folks!
XQD cards, developed by Sandisk, Sony and Nikon, only to be used on Nikons flagship camera. If it makes you feel better, Sony manufactures the cards for Nikon cameras.
A99 is good, but nothing to scream about. At this rate, Sony should just develop more APS-C cameras and forget about Full Frames for 2013… Ohhh wait, that is exactly what they are doing….
WTH. I am calling you out. You have strong opinions and words. Stop talking. Please post the link to your superior work? Do you dare?
WTH. I am calling you out. You have strong opinions and words. Stop talking. Please post the link to your superior work? Do you dare?
I took the effort to actually read your double post. I am baffled as to how it relates to my statement and opinions.
Is it because you would only listen to me if I am a professional photog?
If that is the case, then you are thinking like Sony because that is what brought on the A99.
This is a bit childish, don’t you think?
in every forum, there’s always going to be a few haters. Those would be the losers in real life that gets no attention, but have to turn to the internet to mouth off. If you’re not a fan of Sony, what are you here?
Positively frothing at the mouth now.
Doesn’t change the fact that you are being a baby about this, though.
Aww, diddums
Is Frank frothing at the mouth?
No, he just got done blowing a Canon user.
Now that’s humor, my friend.
Wrong, I swallow. No frothing at all.
getting stroke=frothing
Imposter! Although I am flattered.
Unlike a lot of other recent high profile cameras, the Sonys just work, and when they do have issues I have never had one that didnt have a workaround.
So let me talk the talk and get into specifics for My A77.
I didnt like the fact that I couldnt have autofocus at the same time as manual shutter/aperture together in video, which is not good because for the ‘DSLR film’ look, you absolutely need 25p with *constant* 1/50s shutter and a constant aperture between f2 to f4.
Guess what, I can do it now: AEL works for video (!), so all you have to to is go to video P-mode, then use exposure comp to force shutter to 1/50 then hit AEL (or you can just point the lens at the sky or ground to get 1/50 and hit AEL). The camera always chooses f3.5 or as close as it can get, so thats ok off the bat. So now I have constant ‘DSLR film’ settings but with autofocus, and I set exposure with a variable ND. Makes the Sony the easiest video DSLR to shoot with.
Then I wanted to choose AF or MF when I am in autofocus, because if someone moves in front of the camera, sometimes I dont want focus on them. Guess what again, its easy to hack AF/MF to work in video while the thing is running. Even better, when it gets forced into manual, I have mine set to go into manual *and* focus peaking, and the same f stop and shutter as the running video, so there are no glitches in the video. I now toggle constantly in video between auto and manual focus.
Best thing: all this is a game changer for video on the A77, but no firmware update required, just a bit of thought.
Next issue: flash. Overexposes by about half a stop. It only seem to happen on some bodies, but when it does, its at least its consistent. Fine. Exposure comp it down. Issue gone.
Simple issues. No dust or oil on my sensor, no light leak, just stuff I can figure out, and guess what: that figuring out is fun, because when I see idiots bawling about stuff that doesnt work, when I know it can be fixed easily, I smile. When they go on about stuff that was only suggested in a non sony forum and then seems to trasform over time into a promise made directly by Sony, I smile when they wonder why sony never kept the ‘promise’.
I’m not a fanboy, im a camera enthusiast (Im looking at buying an old 5DmMk 2 right now instead of a A99, because its cheaper and seems to do everything I will need in a FF), but Sony shooters really need to realise that no Sony Camera has ever had a major issue. Sony QA may be slow, but its spot on.
Thats something to really bragg about.
What a constructive way to prove a very good point. Well done.
+1
Very well said Shamb!
Stef.
Now guys.. let’s look at the reality. Now I see lot’s of people upset about these firmware updates. Expectancy is high. When not met, everyone is talking about switching to Canon or Nikon. I would like to know what these friends would do if they bought a Canon 7D 2 years ago and after 2 years, canon introduced a new firmware and increased speed of the camera 6fps to 8fps… or bought a Nikon D600 and experience oil spills on the sensor after using the camera for only 500 shots… or bought a D800 and had incredible amount of AF problems… or bought 650D where their previous camera was a 550D and saw that nothing spectacular has changed, same everything… Would they whine to Canon or Nikon and write to forums about how they were pissed off and now thinking about switching to Sony? Come on guys.. yes, there are points that Sony has to improve but be fair.
If they were Nikon users they would say they are switcing to Canon and Canon users switching to Nikon. Sony wouldn’t even enter their head.
You’re about 90-95% wrong. The vast majority of Canon users and Nikon users would absolutely entertain switching to Sony. That’s a fact.
You need to qualify your statement with the word “professionals” or “snobs”. Many professionals would not consider Sony, while many pros already use Sony. Otherwise, it’s just snobs that won’t. How many cameras are purchased by professionals who derive there main income from photography, anyway? Less than 10%, I’d wager.
In fact, quite a few pros are far more open-minded than you, and would consider Sony (even if they subsequently didn’t jump ship). Otherwise, 90-95% of average Joe consumers would consider Sony as an option.
It’s just the close-minded folks and trolls like you, who are quite narrow-minded, think alike, and always seem to assume that the rest of the world thinks like them and agrees with them completely.
Yes, sure. Of course the rest of us here have hung around forums long enough to know that there are endless Canon/Nikon swap debates, but very, very few mention that they are considering a swap to Sony or Pentax alternatives.
And some of us were able to utilize Sony bodies to earn a second living. I’ve used a Nikon D800 and a Canon 5D3. They may be great for those people who go to college to become photographers, but they are awful for me, who has a regular 9-to-5 during the week and moonlights in photography over the weekend.
The debate is useless. People are different and people react differently to variant form factors. I could have like Canon more out of the gate, but I didn’t. 4 Sony bodies later and my side-job has paid for my hobby in full and then some.
The 650D got Dual AF over the 550D. 🙂
Oh, actually I do have a bit of a complaint about the FW update – why no Mac version? Seems a little pissy for a company as big as Sony, given the increasing prevalence of Apple users worldwide and the fact other software for NEX is supported on OS-X?
Look closer at least on the US site there are Mac Updates.
I use a Sony Nex 7 … and a Nikon D3 and a canon G11 … and another canon, a silly point and shoot, the A2200 … and another Nikon, oh and an FM2 with film … and an Olympus, the Mju ii… and polaroids, yep, polaroids, and my phone, an HTC Wildfire Sucker for shooting my food over lunch.
You now what ? I don’t care about all the gimmicks, I use the one fit for the job and … I take pictures.
Any updates is welcome, but they don’t change my life and they don’t bring any more money in than me shooting.
My two cents.
Thanks for this great website, at least I get posted about the bloody updates 🙂
Seems my other comment didn’t post – a shame because it wasn’t a dig!
Kudos to Sony for updating our lenses to work with the new Hybrid AF!
Any chance we could suggest a future FW update to make the rear dial useable on the NEX-6 for, say, full-time Exposure Comp in A and S modes, or a soft programmable dial?
Also, a way to turn down contrast and saturation in the EVF- it’s too Pop Art for landscapes and portraits! Cool 🙂
Go help sony making better products! http://w20.searchease.com/jobs/920-1873/Product-Manager-DSLR-Alpha–Sony-Electronics-San-Diego-CA-USA
“Product Manager (DSLR-Alpha)”
They don’t make dSLR cameras.
Pedantic and pointless comment. I sometimes wonder if some people on this forum would EVER be happy.
Sense of humour transplant required.
Oh sorry, was that a joke? Can you let everyone know next time so we can be sure to laugh.
Maybe your next hilarious joke could be pointing out some spelling mistakes in the User Manual.
It’s okay, I realise that some people sturggle to keep up with the rest of us here.
I’ve been sturggling all morning – think it was that curry last night!
Ring-sting!
Here is the Sony Nex 5n firmware: http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/model-home.pl?mdl=NEX5N&template_id=1®ion_id=1&tab=download#/downloadTab
Updates also in Belgium: http://www.sony.be/support/nl/product/NEX-5N/updates
Sony DE for A99V
http://www.sony.de/support/de/product/SLT-A99V/updates
Updated 5N in Sweden. 16-50 works better.
I am ecstatic with the new FW update for my NEX-7. It applies the distortion correction in the viewfinder/LCD and now displays the focal length in the top right corner. My 16-50 just got better.
“displays the focal length in the top right corner”
That’s cool.
For Nex5N/7, when it pair with 1650, why the Auto distortion correction is disable? Instead of Auto/Off option?
Thanks, I was deciding if I was going to install the update but hearing about the focal length in the display has made me make a decision. I was looking for just the other day.
for bracket shooting, does yours still display 0.3EV? it states it’s supposed to be 1.0EV. FW version 1.02 was supposedly 0.7EV, but mine would still display 0.3EV.
edit: FW version 1.01 was supposedly 0.7EV.
v1.00 – 0.3EV
v1.01 – 0.7EV
v1.02 – 1.0EV
No JPEG engine update for the A65. No x-fine setting on the A65 so I don’t leave too many details out… thank you anyway sony, but we are still expecting.
I thought that the A77 extra fine setting was differentiator between the A65 and A77 so will never be added to the A65.
it might have been back then. Now, even Nikon D5200 with 24MP sensor and cheaper bodies do have it. So, it’s no longer a differentiator, but just another pain that needs to be addressed.
A99 English Firmware update
http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/model-home.pl?mdl=SLTA99V&LOC=3#/downloadTab
Thanks Sony. This ‘firmware’ update is, to me, as much use as a chocolate fireguard…the same as the last one which I also had no use for.
What is the use of having good lenses and lens compatibility for the A77/65 when, as Grizzler states earlier, the RAW quality is poor because of the bad lossy compression and the Jpeg engine is just cr*p.
Sony, you really must solve these problems, and not just by pushing out new cameras. If you won’t support and solve the problems with the current models, why should anyone think you will do with the next models.
I know that many people love and protect the A77/65 but perhaps they work in the studio or in controlled circumstances. I, and many others, don’t. Much of the time I can’t even use a tripod and the light is very variable. Being unable to use many of the cameras facilities in RAW is a pain and even when I do use RAW, the quality is not good when compared to pictures from other similar priced cameras taken at the same time.
Sony, give us a proper firmware update, one which make everyone say ‘it took a long time but here it is, well done Sony’ and do it before you release any more new cameras, maybe then people will start to trust you and will think seriously about buying the latest model.
lol at whiners who buy cameras with all these ‘defects’ without waiting for reviews.
Dumb. Just dumb.
Bad troll attempt!
All reviews available at the time WERE read. Unfortunately, reviewers do not, will not, or cannot say everything they would like to. I do nature photography and use longer lenses in varying conditions and according to the reviews at the time it would be a great camera. So much for reviews.
And yet there are people who are able to take great pictures (yes, even landscapes) with the A77/A65/A57 cameras. Even before the firmware upgrade. I wonder how they could ever do that.
You must have a very badly broken A77 to be able to actually use it to take photos. According to the whine-o’s the camera is non functional in every way. When you press the shutter button you get an incomprehensible pile of garbled colors.
Please send your camera in for repairs – it is clearly NOT working as designed!!!
Please Sony, a firmware update to make this camera work as badly as everyone says it should!!! HURRY SONY OR I’LL LEAVE U FOREVERRRRRR
If you say his A77 is broken… He should send it for repairs…
We all know the shortfalls of the A77 vs its competitors, no need to be bitter and lash out on others.
Geeze…
what are you talking about?? A77 image quality its superb , and the RAW’s awesome, so much flexibility!! and now i dont do studio shooting, i do Surf photography in very hard conditions
here’s an example, this shot was taken with the sun almost set, in cloudy weather, and i’ved manage to pull so much information from the shadows! i’m still amazed with the A77 RAW capabilities, so my suggestion is: learn to shoot first.
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/7895/dsc02048pm.jpg
A77 is an amazing camera.
I would have cropped it tighter…
iso200
f6.3
1/500s
doest look like demanding light conditions
Hey WTH. Stop talking. Show us your superior work? Where is your link?
Gorden, you seem butt hurt… Whatever is up there, I can promise you it wasn’t me that put it there.
I could have just said, nice pic and left it at that, but I think
Hellven would prefer people to give constructive feedback.
You seem quite obsessed for me to display my work. As if you were trying to prove a point to everyone that they can only post on Sony Alpha Rumors if they have reached a certain level of mastery deemed by your judgment.
If I have said something to hurt your feelings for Sony, please prove me wrong with facts.
Since you have not done so, I can only assume you are suffering from “cognitive dissonance”.
what are you talking about?? A77 image quality its superb , and the RAW’s awesome, so much flexibility!! and now i dont do studio shooting, i do Surf photography in very hard conditions
here’s an example, this shot was taken with the sun almost set, in cloudy weather, and i’ved manage to pull so much information from the shadows! i’m still amazed with the A77 RAW capabilities
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/7895/dsc02048pm.jpg
A77 is an amazing camera.
1/500s @ F6.3 @ISO200 – that is not heavy overcast, sun almost set. Thats EV14 bright overcast day with no shadows, sun position clearly visible through clouds.
Great shot!
Can you please post some indoor low light shoots… lets try sports.
You talk about amazing RAW and post a JPG. Will you tell us, if you shot it in RAW, how you post edited? The light is not that difficult, most camera’s now can make this shot. It is a nice shot.
Thanks for posting a pic. I like the a77 too. It is very resposive and fast. that 12 fps is great. More people should post pics. Show me don’t tell me. Photography is a visual art form. All whiners or trolls should be required to prove their points with pics not words and name calling. If they claim that this or that is so much better then show me your stuff if they dare. I think it is so weak for a person to hide behind a false identity or no indentity and name call or be rude.
“All whiners or trolls should be required to prove their points with pics not words and name calling”
Gorden, Photography is an Art, Yes I agree on this.
However Cameras are not a form of art. They are the tools used to create art.
People are allowed to whine, they don’t have to prove anything, especially to you.
It is all about their online demeanor and how they respect others. SAR is a great forum because it is filled with a variety of people giving it a rich user base with many different kinds of opinions and suggestions.
Admin has done a fantastic job in not censoring peoples opinions and staying out of the key discussions. Gorden, you are playing a dangerous game here by implying that only people who meets your standards are allowed to post.
Post processing performed in Light Room. Just take a look at th EXIF data.
Quite why Sony keep their cards so close to their chest I just don’t know. Although this update is stated as no more than an addition to the number of lenses with ‘Depth Map’ support for the A99, it clearly has more to offer.
As another poster pointed out, the start up time is much, much shorter. IT IS NIGHT AND DAY!
I’d be curious to know what other improvements are hidden, but might take time to discover. The update takes longer than I would have thought for just the mundane changes indicated.
There are a couple of things about the instructions which are wrong, though:
You can’t eject the camera as the computer indicates it is in use, so you just need to confirm the ‘OK’ on the camera for resetting.
The USB needs setting to ‘Mass Storage’ prior to connection as once it is attached the menu is not accessible.
Finally, some advice for Lightroom users, if you have it set to automatically import, remove any cards that contain images when connecting, otherwise it will open the program on first connection; a nuisance but not important.
If you think your instructions needed changing, I have the Photo app on Windows 8 pro and Lightroom fighting over the disk drive. 😉
That being said, I didn’t really pay attention to the startup before the update but the A99 does seem a hair more responsive coming out of disk writes. Still not as responsive as the A77 but better. I wish I had baselined it, rather than just gotten excited about AF-D on 2 lenses and not paid attention to the behavior before update.
Update A57 in Germany:
http://www.sony.de/support/de/product/SLT-A57V/updates
+++ Sony !
I am very pleased with the A77 and the 16-50/2.8 !!!
….and so you should be, it’s a great combination. I was going to hang onto my lens and go body only but I’m glad I got the 16-50 too.
MY A77 can sit on 1.06!!!!
I rather spend the time to post this message on SAR than to risk bricking my camera with a firmware flash.
Too bad… so sad…
Mine is still on 1.05. I just couldn’t be bothered risking the last update either.
Hey WTH. Use facts. The 1.07 firmware update works fine. Don’t spread falsehoods..
Gorden, I never said there was anything wrong with the firmware.
As most intelligent people understands, when you flash a device there is always a chance that it might fail.
This can usually occur when:
1) communication is disrupted during the flashing process.
2) flash loader program on the camera fails to complete its task or worst hangs.
3) power failure
4) user error
The damage it can cause will vary depending on the stage of flashing.
I have personally experienced 2) and thankfully the A77 was still able to enter its flash bootloader (this is why the camera resets before the flashing starts).
Now that I have justified my post, I think your post is very wrong. I won’t be able to change what you think of me, but hey you are allowed to have your opinion and I will respect that.
Dear Sony
It sucks that I can’t update my camera on Linux.
Regards
I’d like to know (because they need to be applauded) who makes firmware updates available in Linux.
HP, IBM, qlogic.You need to update firmware for BIOSes, HBAs, NICs , disk drives and such and it can be done from linux as they provide fw updates that run on Linux.
I’d love if I could update the camera from the PS3 too.
At least, I can scan, print and play with a good range of pixma’s from linux, with no issues.
Reply 2: in a world with more and more tablets, phablets and even smartphones, iOS and Android should be supported as a platform from which you would like to update your camera/GPS/whatever sooner rather than later.
HP and IBM have a history of Linux support, so aren’t really valid examples tbh.
well, sony has a bit of Linux history in the PS3 as well. Not a happy one. In any case, I’d be happy if they allowed me to upgrade my sony stuff from the ps3. The ps3 itself autoupdates from the internet… no Windows required.
Why don’t you just use Wine and flash the camera?
nb. if this bricks your camera, I am not to be held responsible.
I was not talking about computer hardware manufacturers. I am asking about camera makers who make firmware upgrades for their cameras that run natively in Linux.
Yeah because there are huge numbers of Linux desktops out there…
Thanks for the update Sony !
“The firmwares of the following lenses are also required to be updated in addition to this update: SEL30M35, SEL50F18, SEL18200LE.
– Download firmware for SEL30M35 and SEL50F18
– For SEL18200LE, please contact nearest Sony service centre for free firmware update.”
Source: http://www.sony.com.sg/support/download/546490/product/nex-5rl
So I’ll need to take my SEL18200LE into a service center to get hybrid AF?
And?
And it means I might not do it as that would be a time consuming pain in the ass.
Still, offering it is better than not offering it.
I’d be rather pleased to get that free upgrade and all for the monumental task of posting a lens to Sony.
I would very much like a proper output from the A77’s HDMI port (not uncompressed, just clean), whilst retaining the ability to use my EVF and LCD. The camera becomes useless in situations where the director wants a secondary monitor on set.
To be frank Sony managed to surprise me just this once.. will try it tonight and I hope it’ll be worth the time 🙂 someone already tried it and spotted any significant response time difference?
I am very happy with the NEX7 and NEX5R lens updates, but can we get the 16mm pancake to support hybrid AF also? I pretty much leave the pancake on my NEX5R most of the time. Admin, can you ask around to see if Sony plans a firmware update for the 16mm pancake in the future?
There are some here that must not be photographers, because the spend so much time here. Where do find the time?
You do realise that you are not in the same time zone as other people here? You may be working, I may be resting.
There are going to be others who are self-employed, unemployed, work from home, have Internet access etc.
Do YOU take photographs 24x7x365? You must be very special if you do…
Whoooosh!!
*Kevin’s point*
*Frank’s head*
You don’t understand the point?
Seriously? Did you miss that one too?
I’ll take it that you don’t understand the simple point then. Why doesn’t that surprise me…
What?! Are you mental?
I understood Kevin’s point. You clearly didn’t.
It must be the loud jets.
You appear to be doing a good deal of commenting, strange since you appeared to have an issue with other people doing it.
ya the pregnancy got my whore moan going.
I wonder if frank makes angry pictures, grammar corrected photos in photo shop, and laugh at other peoples work right in front of them.
It’s comforting to know that you are thinking of me. However I am suprised that you have time to do so, shouldn’t you be taking photographs?
I should be. I with child now.
You’re pregnant?
I told you so.
Why is the expression of customer disappointment/dissatisfaction called whining? If you’re happy with the performance of your camera, that’s great. But don’t use the label of whining to mask your ignorance of continued oversights that affect performance for others that make a living with their cameras.
What is the internet, if not a platform to voice concerns which otherwise would not be heard?
Those who continually toss the word “whining” about, are only demonstrating their lack of insight as to the differences between a camera, and a refined photographic tool which evolves to the benefit of its users, rather than devolves to the detriment of ignorant potential new customers.
There is a long list of fundamental features which have been lost over the past few years. If more people realized that, they’d be whining about it too. Then our voice would be more unified, and Sony more likely to hear, and answer appropriately. If Sony answered some of the whining, our cameras and service would be better for everyone. Even if some didn’t realize it.
Makes a difference to “troll” being banded around I guess.
+1000
I would like to add that they lack the basic level of empathy that a human being would usually exhibit…
For Nex5N/7, when it pair with 1650, why the Auto distortion correction is disable? Instead of Auto/Off option?
just updated the a99 with the firmware from the dutch site on OSX. Took quite some time to upgrade, but all is working now. AF-D on the 70-200 works quickly and on/off and image review feel a bit quicker, but maybe that’s caused by the reset and not the firmware update. Didn’t find any new menu options (I wanted autoreview to be set independently for lcd and viewfinder.
Just posted some shots on dpreview as well.. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/post/50798879
Can you check if the wireless flash delay is still present, as demonstrated in the Gary Friedman video on youtube. Also find a discussion on the topic at Dyxum.com.
Very nice shots.
Thanks for including your thoughts about the new MIS shoe vs iISO shoe. I prefer the iISO too. Your comments about the looseness of the adapter are mirrored at Dyxum.com discussion.
It’s also good to hear that settings effect can be turned completely off for black screen with flash. Although this doesn’t seem appropriate, it actually would serve great purpose for adjusting ambient exposure to level good for fill flash balance. Good to have the choice for EVF auto gain or not.
Thanks for the report.
Thanks!
But I meant to say, that when I switch on the pixel king on the iso ilso converter the settings effect is automatically switched to off. ignoring the menu function. So you can always see what’s happening, even if used in darkness and lit only by flash. This is quite handy as it saves me going in to the menu and switching it on/off.
I will try to find out if the flash delay is still there, have to use one HVL 43 to trigger the other.
Thanks for posting examples of your work.
I just upgraded for A77. I tested under iso1600 and 3200 at low light. My impression is that it is more usable than before. Somebody please help to validate this.
I’ll do it.
I haven’t upgraded my A77 yet (I did upgrade my A99). I’ll run an ISO 1600 and 3200 comparison test for the A77 and post it on my blog (stealthmodephoto.wordpress.com)
Probably looking at tomorrow to post results, Friday to be safe.
Wow, thanks joe, I was combing DPReviews for someone who would have done this.
Fingers crossed, but I think I know the results already.
Hi Joe. Nice blog.
I still don’t know why people upgrade for the A77, shoot in RAW and DxO it.
The program is $169 USD and it has a most of the lens correction… which is not many lenses…
If you are still using Image Data Converter “you’re not holding it right”…
So, please shoot in RAW, unless you don’t really care about the quality.
So now you want to shoot in RAW, well don’t bother upgrading to 1.06 – 1.07 if you haven’t done so already.
It always amazes me that people still consider firmware updates bug fixes. That may have been true a decade ago but now we’re in the age of powerful microprocessors. This is not a 90′s dvd player, today even tv’s can be made better with a firmware update. Code can always be rewritten to apply new functionality or make things run smoother(I have been a software engineer for 15+ years). My guess is that Sony’s engineers are too busy working on new cameras to really have time to improve current models, this shows that they don’t care about their current customers and their commitment to you ends once they pocket your money.
well the question is whether end users are really willing to accept an agile software development model for their camera. I for my self prefer buying one that meets all the requirements i have at the time i buy it instead of hoping and having to whine for new features to be released in one of the next sprints for the firmware , this way i know that e tool i buy does what i paid for. ROI and sucess are quick and safe. If i can’t live with the JPEG quality of an A77 why the should i buy it and then hope for remedy if there are alternatives on the market ??
Imho this has nothing to do with the digital age or the potential developers can unveil from modern hardware by optimizing code. Its more a question of how one decides to purchase an item. if getting regular firmware updates which include new features is important to me then i just choose the right vendor which offers this USP .
Please repeat this argument to the PS3 and XBox community and lets see how well it stands.
That is really last decade thinking, we’re not talking about a $300 dollar point-and-shoot here. When you buy a dslr you’re buying into a system. Most of us have lenses that only work with A-mount so its not easy to change brands without losing money. I know the professionals can afford to switch and buy new cameras but the prosumers can’t afford it, therefore if we buy something “expensive” we expect that system to be supported for a few years. My 3 year old iphone just got a nice update a week ago. That shows commitment to the brand. I’m sure the engineers figured out how to push their hardware since the a77 was released, a committed company would release that as a firmware update.
i think the argument isnstillmvalid.
I shoot with Minolta since more than 20 years. When i decided to go for the A77 i did test and evaluate the product and made a final conscious choice to invest my money into this cam.
I am not a pro at all and use it for pure leisure. From my minolta/konica lessons learned i knew that going for the alpha i will put my money on a system that is far less spread/known/supported in the world than canikon, but still analyzing the features of the cam and the results of my test i did decide to buy it based on facts that superseeded the bad support FOR ME. Yes this is a personal prefrence and you may very very well priorize the support quality higher than i did. All i am saying is that when you have certain must have criterias for something you want to buy then you should make sure that you buy the product that HAS the features and not the one that eventually promises it.
To stay with the PS3 which i own : I bought it because of its features at the time which were interesting to me (streaming, Blueray) not because a future fw might add netflix support to it after a couple of years. If i had wanted netflix at that time then a PS3 would have been the wrong choice, wouldn’t it ? Of course, if a vendor doesn’t upgrade his products according to market demands then the risk is higher that customers abandon the brand and this was part of my considerations before i bought my A77. Last but not last is the PS3 a system that was designed on purpose for upgradeability , the HW was oversized on purpose at the time it was realeased and a whole business model is based on the upgradeability and connectivity (PSN). I wouldn’t gomthat far to consider the current a77 as being designed as such a platform although it is definitely worth to think along this path: why not releasing a camera platform that can be extended with features like Apps on my ipad, i for myself would be willing to pay for maintenance and feature packs in the same way as i do it for my IPAD apps when they release new feature packs via in-app purchase. But again, i would decide for such a camera based on the features it has ( the purpose designed upgrade/extension capability) .
Having said that i certainly enjoy new features which i get for free and i also hope that vendors do recognize the importance of supporting their customers beyond fixing obvious bugs. But i am realistic enough to understand that there is a tradeoff between investing development budgets into maintenance vs research. Working in the SW industry i live this fight every day and in the end most shareholders want the sales figures going up and can easily be convinced with a business plan that demonstrates the sales potential of new products . Go to your CFO and explain to him with hard figures ( i.e. Dear Cfo if you invest x million dollars in creating new features for the A77 this will return us x+y million dollars) that you want him to put money on support rather than developing new products that can be pushed into the market. … I am not defending this behaviour and as a customer i also hate it but it reassures me that making fact based well thought decisions is as important today as it was decades ago. However, the chances that i get additional value for my dollars by the means of updates are better than anytime before, thats for sure but i am not a gambler at all when it comes to my money.
Its great you like the A77, I too liked the A77 after they fixed the critical bugs.
I get what you are trying to say in that very long explanation. But look at the reality of the situation, if the competitors are improving their cameras post release, why should Sony exclude themselves from the same kind of services?
If I had a choice between the A99 and a 5D M3, I might consider the 5D M3 knowing that it is a good camera and that it will become better in the future.
Wth that’s bad advice. There are lens correction in raw. Distortion is for sure.
Sony Canada website is showing alot more than just lens correction for the 1.07 update for the a77
Oh…”Benefits provided by previous updates and included in version 1.07″ Sorry to get your hopes up….
what’s going on? Why is it that my comments don’t show up?
I’m glad to see they actually made some improvements to the a77, versus just adding some lenses. Notice I said IMPROVEMENTS, not ADDED FEATURES. At this point, I’ve accepted and am content with the fact that Sony is most likely not going to add any new features to the a77. Doesn’t mean it isn’t a great camera. I’ve had a blast shooting with it and I’m sure it will be that way for a long time. Below is a link to some shots I took at a Foreigner concert a few months ago. I have zero complains about the image quality.
http://sdrv.ms/WsoIs9
Note about my last post: I’m still using 1.05, so upgrading to 1.07 will give me the latest improvements.
Other than lens profiles the only documented improvement from v1.05 to v1.07 is disabling the movie button.
Well…it’s an improvement I suppose!! Still don’t understand why a lot of people try and throw the a77 under the bus as some inferior piece of camera gear…
Most haven’t held one let alone used one.
Firmware question, say my version is on 1.03. If I upgrade the firmware to 1.07 does it give improvements from previous firmware releases as well, or do I have to update the other updates individually? 1.04,.05.06
Upgrading to 1.07 will give you all of the benefits of the previous updates. So you only have to download 1.07.
Thank you!
There are no improvements to the A77/65, only lens support. Sony does not do camera improvements in what they call ‘firmware updates’! That is a proven fact looking at the last two ‘firmware updates’.
So then these…
Improves Auto review response
Improves the responses for the front/rear dials
Improves response between power SW operation and power off
Improves AF response with 500mm F4 G SSM (SAL500F40G) lens
Improves AF accuracy for scenes which include overexposed areas
Improves the responses for the front/rear dials when assigned for exposure compensation
Improves picture quality for 24p movie recording (NTSC regions only)
Improves overexposed images while in ADI flash control
Improves usability
…are not improvements? The operative word in all of these is “improves”. To suggest that Sony does not make improvements via firmware as FACT is quite FALSE.
I do realize the improvements listed are not specifically from 1.07, but a combination of previous updates. You can be mad all day about how nothing was really “improved” with 1.07, but the fact remains; Sony has made improvements.
“Improves usability”
Unless Sony asked a large, random sample of A77 users to test usability both before and after the update, and only if a statistically signficant number opine that the camera is more usable after the FW upadate, can that statement be accepted as ‘fact’.
It’s a rather wishy-washy statement.
I guess it all boils down to how one defines “usability”. Has the firmware update actually changed the way I use my camera? No. I still go through the same exact steps to do anything. Does the camera seem quicker as far as the menu system and camera mode changes go? In my opinion, it does. Does that improve usability? I say yes.
You really could pick almost any of the improvements and ask yourself “well who decided it was better?”. Is the 24p video REALLY better? I might say it is; another might say it doesn’t look any different. As far as the Sony Engineers are concerned, all of the improvements are factual based on their testing.
Not everybody can be as frank as frank. Frank god.
Please…. a post just to make fun of someones name!
/facepalm
I was just out shooting with my A77 in the evening, on a new-snowy swedish evening… what amazing pictures this thing has… no matter the .jpg quality, I’m f*ckin proud to posses this thing to shoot with! <3 A77 …. (and no, I didn't do a firmware update yet, but of course will)
Pretty excited to update my 5N for the exposure bracketing update. It always felt pretty goofy that they only gave you a .7 EV spread. Glad to see that they’ve brought the 5N up to parity with the new models.
I lovethe fact that now on the A99 af-d is also supported on my Tamron 70_200 USD. And the Minolta 70_200
What a joke…
I cant wait for a Real Sony Alpha Full-Frame “update”.. The A1X
2014 apparently.
I am sure there are many changes happening at Sony.
Redundancies and management change.
I hope the idea of a photographic centric camera will survive the distance.
90% of this post replies is bitching and poor Frank getting it in the neck. Come on SAR admins step up and turn this site into a mature site and not a bitch slap every post.
Si
From what I can see Frank is the agitator on this forum!! He’s never slow in piping up with a good dose of sarcasm or insults….
Frank and others actually offers insightful opinions.
They are vocal because they actually care more about Sony than you would actually understand.
I don’t doubt this agreement.
argument
How would you have the slightest idea what I would understand?!? I read every comment on these forums (fora?) so I have a very idea of Frank’s motives. Kindly keep your condescending comments to yourself.
Didn’t you just “pipe” up to insult him?
“Improvement of image quality when using a wide angle lens.”
Oh oh oh.
Everybody who has a Sony a77 should update there cam with this update. My cam turned on and was able to shoot in less than a second. As soon as I hit the button. No Sony logo for a moment when you turn it on anymore as in the past. Dials have no lag what so ever. Off is instant. There maybe other updates also. Better than before.
Kevin, if what you are saying is accurate and I am not doubting it. This would mean that Sony has made several enhancements to the firmware and have not released a statement regarding it.
However, if you are kidding, this is known as disinformation and a false rumor, something I am sure Admin would not like to see.
Can anyone else verify this claim?
I am in agreement with you. Finally. I turn the camera on and it is ready much quicker. It turns off in an instant and the dials are all very responsive. The best thing for me so far is the flash works perfectly now. Sometimes in the past it would not even be recognised. Now it is found and direct flash and bounce flash expose correctly. It is a whole new camera.
Definately also changed autofocus on the A77. Cant tell if its an improvement in the focusing, but the UI is definately subtly different.
I have my autofocus set up so that when I half press it focuses, then drops into manual with peaking.
What it previously used to do is show the sensor finding focus as green, then drop into manual with peaking, and the sensor square would continue to go blank/green depending on focus.
Now the green indicator stays on irrespective of focus, but peaking is always on throughout.
All the settings are exactly the same, so theyve done something to the code.
As to what the practical changes are, I dont know because I dont have 1.06 anymore to compare, but the issue is that they look to have changed (or reworked?) stuff in not on the change list.
Shamb,
I believe you are referring to the Direct Manual Focus (DMF) setting. This can be configured in AF-A settings.
This is most possibly a bug as I can’t see the reason to keep the focus points active after you have de-focused from that focal pane.
Is there some way of submitting this bug to the appropriate Sony channel?
This very much the case for my cam. maybe the word of mouth is better considering how much we all say here. my cam is very fast at start up now. maybe I did know what was doing before. Before on the lcd flip down screen it would flash for just a moment a Sony Logo on the start up of my A77. It is no longer there at start.
Thanks for that Kevin,
Do you know what firmware version you were using previously before the most recent flash?
Because my 1.06 fw does exactly what you stated above.
I too don’t have the Sony Logo at startup.
I did remember however 1.03 there was a logo.
Can anyone else confirm?
The top lcd still takes a second to tell you your f stop, but the back panel comes on the moment I turn the switch.
I have update 3 time sense I got the cam in august and was 1.06 was the last one. Maybe it did work right after the last update. Just seems better than before. Anything is possible with me.
I think even the sometimes it would flash the firmware # at start before. A alpha logo and/or Sony logo at start with 1.06 installed. Maybe I thought I saw something and I needed a firmware update. If so I’m up to date now. Thanks everybody. I’m better now.
Let me do a test. It’s possible this happened after I would put in the battery after I charged it up full. that I would get the flash logo at start up. I’ll charge up and then get back.
I just updated to 1.07 (from 1.06) on my a77 and it seems a bit more quick to respond as Kevin says…. minor if any change from previous.
The 5N updater for OS X requires me to reboot into 32-bit mode and the list of supported systems does include 10.8 Mountain Lion.
The previous OS X updater for 5N required unplugging ALL USB devices and selecting a particular USB port for connect the camera, so I’m a bit worried to try this updater, particularly since it doesn’t list the latest operating system as being supported. 🙁
I updated my A99 and it seems overall more responsive. Start up time is definitely shorter than before: right after powering up the camera the “on screen live view” image is shown for longer time than with the previous firmware (this before showing the chosen screen setting), nevertheless the camera can take pictures right away. I’m not sure about this: the EVF seems to come alive faster now than before (maybe they have changed the sensitivity of the sensors under the EVF??).
Dit anybody else notice that AF-D is also supported with 3e party lenses.
It realy works with my Tamron 70-300 USD.
Also the Tamron 90 macro
The Minolta 100 2.8 Macro
The Minolta 50 macro
They all seem to have AF-D support on the A99
I read your post and I thought “well, let’s see…”; you know what? AF-D on A99 works with my old lenses from 1995: Sigma 28/70 f2.8-4 UC, Sigma 70/300 f4-5.6 APO Macro, Sigma 18/35 f3.5-4.5 and Minolta 17/35 2.8-4 D (kit lens from the glorious Minolta 7D). On top of that they all focus damn fast: a lot faster than on A900. I think Sony did some really major upgrade there with the new firmware
I forgot: what I’ve noticed is that there is no “distance” on the scale and all the “yellow crosses” don’t show up on the screen (they do show up with the official lenses supported in the update). Nevertheless the system works: the camera is unable to focus outside the chosen range.
The posts were a mix of “AF-D” and “Focus range” stuff… 😀
The A57 seems to start quicker too. The moment the dial is turned to ‘ON’ the camera is ready.
I’ve checked for other enhancements but can find none in the short time I investigated.
I’ve compared the speed with my A580; the A580 feels so sluggish.
Dunno if anyone tested the 5R fast hybrid update on the 30 3.5 and 50 1.8. For the record the focusing on the macro is plain silly at this moment. But I’ll get back as soon as I’ve tried it out.
Can anyone confirm if sony a57 is more accurate at focusing (it is prone to backfocus)?
thanks.
Thank you Andrea, I would never find out about an update if it weren’t for SAR. And THANK YOU Sony, anything that improves my camera is VERY welcome!