There is no doubt anymore. The official Sony Hong Kong website already published the A850/A900 firmware upgrade manual! Take a look at the screenshots at Dchome.
UPDATE: There is an english manual here: http://support.sony-asia.com.edgesuite.net/consumer/IM/ADWB100111.pdf
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45 Responses
-Maximum EV Compensation upgrades from 3EV +/- to 5EV +/-
-Added Shutter Release without Lens
-Improve AF functionality
-In the Top LCD bar .. for EV below -3.3 EV until -5.0EV will appear Lo
while +3.3EV until +5.0EV will appear Hi in Exposure compensation mode
No Improvement of Image Quality which is another disappointment again :/
What would a manual state about IQ upgrade?
“There’s a new option in the menu, ‘improve image quality’”?
Let me help you translate that out.
1) Release shutter without lens (same as A580/Nex)…
2) EV compensation upgrade from +3/-3 to +5/-5
3) HDR enhance from +2/-2 EV to +3/-3 EV (same as A580 upgrade)
4) Improved AF speed and accuracy, especially in Tele end
What would a manual state about IQ upgrade?
“There’s a new option in the menu, ‘improve image quality'”?
Sorry, replied to the wrong thread.
I’ve presumed that “Reply” links refer to the comments above them.
I’ve done that and its frustrating!
Could someone explain enhancement number 3? Thanks.
HDR means the camera take multi number of images under fast and slow shutter speed, and combine to an image. So you can have an image with higher dynamic range (more details in strong and low light area)
The manual didn’t mention whether it takes 2 (A550) or 3 (A580) images at the same time to achieve EV+3/-3 compensation. Let’s wait and see.
I want to give a praise to Sony HK website, its webpage design is superb (even comparing with Sony’s website in other region :P)
http://www.sonystyle.com.hk/ss/product/alpha/a580/feature_3.jsp#feature3_1
I hadn’t realized the a900 had an HDR feature? I assumed they were just referring to EV bracketing? hmm
Disapointed!
No possibility select High and Low IQ.
I wouldn’t be disappointed that Sony are still supporting the A850/900…
No slow FPS mode like in Nikon D3x, probably nothing was changed in IQ of RAW files 🙁
@Edgars: I guess you would be better served with a P&S if you need Low IQ. These cameras are meant for people who needs best IQ possible. Useless whining..
I’d wait for a couple of brave people to install the firmware upgrade first before I do… how BIG is the improvement of #4?
What reason do would you have NOT to upgrade the FW?
Imagine if the FW has a bug… then they’d need to release another FW to fix it. So much trouble and it could happen.
The Sony operating system update to the k850i is worse than the original OS and you cannot downgrade.
Banana, you really didn’t understand irony in sentence about possibility select LOW and HIGH image quality?
Not dissapointed.
Now it seems to be SR 5+ . Can´t wait to see the download finally appear.
Ragaziii!
Adesso basta, basta, state buoni. Tutti a dormire!
Image quality improvement came with Lightroom 3.
Basta complains.
I suppose there will be certain image quality enhancement…..cause if Sony able to expand the EV compensation range, it should have enhanced the image processing logic. So we can expect better noise control.
If you use PS, you will discover adjusting +EV should create much more noise.
That makes absolutely zero sense, and you are confusing several different things. The in-camera EV compensation is of course controlling the actual light that hits the sensor, which is vastly different from any post-processing correction.
HDR enhance ? A850 and A900 can take HDR photos ?
I don’t quite understand #3. The A850/900 currently has no HDR function at all. If anything, this function is added, not enhanced.
@Simon_P: I know what it means in that way. I just didn’t know A850/A900 had this function. Does it mean that it’s added via this firmware?
Sorry you are right. I am not A850/A900 user. So I try to translate again point 3 word by word:
Add additional setting for “phase” shooting
Add additional setting for continuous and single phase shotting. The camera can now take 3 pictures with 3 EV settings. (Before this update, you can shift at most EV 2.0) The camera will display [3.0EV3] for this setting.
Administrator, please replace point 3 as:
3) Can now take 3 pictures with shift of EV3.0 settings (Before the upgrade is EV2.0 shift)
hi simon,
could it be DRO improvements?
Well, im fine if they add HDR option
Thanks Simon!
Autofocus speed and accuracy is a welcome improvement. Also I like putting my camera on bracket mode, so the +-5 bracketing is also welcome. Personally, I dont trust any software to make my HDR images, and thus hand do them in PS. Well done Sony!
Cheers, Josh
Ok, now it’s more clear. Altough it would have been better to take at least 5 images with EV latitude chosen by user up to +/- 3EV.
Direct links to the A850/A900 firmware upgrade manual:
– Simplified Chinese: http://download.sony-asia.com/consumer/IM/ADWB100911.pdf
– Traditional Chinese: http://download.sony-asia.com/consumer/IM/ADWB100811.pdf
– English:http://download.sony-asia.com/consumer/IM/ADWB100111.pdf
(this last link does not work for the time being, as I am writing this message, but it comes from the same Sony Hong Kong web page as the two other ones)
Sorry, http://download.sony-asia.com/consumer/IM/ADWB100111.pdf for the manual in English (I forgot a space after the first column) but it still does not work.
Hi there,
do we know how the firmware upgrade will be installed? I hope it’ll work with a Mac…
here the working link in english:
http://support.sony-asia.com.edgesuite.net/consumer/IM/ADWB100111.pdf
“A [Release w/oLens] item has been added”
“The range of the exposure compensation has been expanded”
“An additional setting of the exposure step for the bracket shooting
has been added”
“The AF function has been improved”
They make mention that AF performance will be improved with telephoto lenses, and I wonder if this means they want to have the best performance possible when the new 500 F4 lens comes out (possibly early next year)? I’m already looking around for extra cash to see if I can afford that lens.
My guess is that it will set you back 7-15K. Magnesium-Aluminum alloy body,SSM, drop in 42mm filters,f4 constant, metal hood, (82mm front filter), G quality -all these are very expensive features. I’ll stick to 70-400G for a long time. If you manage to find some dough for this lens please post the pictures for us to enjoy.
Is this joke ???!!!!
My 3 months old A900 allready have this so called
improvements. I think most A900’s have, there for there are no problems with AF or EV known.
Or might this not be the (un-officialy)anaunched ugrade.
This proofs that 90% of text on forums is hot air from people that dont even own the device the are blabbing about.
Oops release without lens is not in my firmware version, but 0.5 or 0.3 for ev correction and braketing are allready there. also no af problems. old minolta glas, sam, hss, hsm it all works fine.
It’s not 0.5 or 0.3 EV as possible unit compensation, it’s +/- 5 EV instead +/- 3 EV as total possible compensation.
Gosh Poirot – what do you say about that?
Well my 1 month old A850 doesn’t have any of the above. I guess it all depends on manufacturing date. Obviously when the decide to make a change in a firmware update, they probably incorporate it in newer production camera’s. So I guess soem owners won’t get quite the upgrade as the rest of us.
Hey Robert, what firmware is your A900?
Because my A900 also does everything states on that list already.
So, I’m also confused why this is an “upgrade”
Can an A850/A900 owner who has no problems with AF install the firmware and see if the AF has improved before the rest of us install it?
I can see your point – the possiblity of having a massive camera meltdown is not nice! There are no guarantees in life, but it’s reassuring to see the A700 firmware upgrades all went well for me, and produced real benefits.
Someone say : ISO in improved, but a little bit.
Someone say : coz is little bit, Sony is skip to tell us.
Someone say : IDC is upgrade to 3.2, new firmware should upgrade also.
someone say : A900/A850 IQ is very well at this time, why everyone is dispointed for, coz they are mistake about IQ and ISO is diffence talk.