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New firmware is here

Knorp

Well-known member
Good show, Tim - I'll be awaiting your findings with bated breath :thumbs:

:watch:

Kind regards.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
OK, I installed it. It's a bore to install because you need the USB cable (mine never gets used but I found it!) and it all has to be done from a computer.

All my custom button setting survived but my Memory Recall positions 1 and 2 seem to have been re-set: I had one for tripod with A mode ISO 100, delayed release and OSS OFF and another for handheld with M mode, ISO Auto and OSS on and no delay. All gone. So keep a note of your settings.

Startup time 'from recently turned off' is supposed to be faster but I compared two A7R's (albeit two different Prime FE lenses) and they seem the same. However startup from cold (simulated by removing the battery) is a LOT faster with the new FW, by, literally, five or six seconds. I double checked this by switching the memory cards in each camera just in case it related to the building of the card database and it made no difference. This is a HUGE benefit.

IQ: this is where I got cunning: it could take forever to PROVE that there's a difference but I took a card with a day's shooting and then after the update I shot some simple and some complex scenes. Yesterday's file sizes are all 36.9 or 37mb though there is one outlier at 37.5. Post FW, the file sizes are all different and vary from 36.7 thru 37.7 so maybe, just maybe, there's less compression going on, varying according to subject matter.

As for the differences to Play Memories. Well, I will leave that to more experienced photographers to discern...
 

Slingers

Active member
Thank you for letting us know your findings. Do you believe there is any change in AF speed or accuracy?
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Tim even if they changed the compression method the files could possibly be the same. It actually sounds like they did being just a wee bit bigger. Have to wait for the nerds to tear it apart. LOL
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I'll load in the morning even the start up time is a huge help to me. Check self timer modes see if there is a change.
 

Knorp

Well-known member
Thank you, Tim - apparently it's not yet the killer update we've all been waiting for eliminating/reducing the shutter impact.

Kind regards.
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
Thanks Tim. It's the restart time which was my biggest problem with start up. Seems they haven't fixed it. Sigh. Nothing for shutter lag, nothing for bounce, no 'my menu', sigh...
 
Installed the FW on the A7 and on the A7r. First one (A7) failed once and I had to restart from scratch, eventually everything is ok.
I have the clear impression that the start-up is considerably faster at least on the A7r.
 

Rawfa

Active member
My A7 took forever to start and now it feels really faster. AF on the 28-70mm also feels very fast.
I cannot confirm on the improvement on IQ though, nor the apps thingy.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Reading around. Reports of faster AF with the Sony 4 adapter, faster magnification times. So look for speed improvements. I have not updated yet but before one installs maybe shoot a plain white wall notice the file size than update and repeat and see if file is different. I may try this later today
 
Done. Start-up time definitely faster - after switching the camera on, the info overlay in the display appears almost immediately, where it used to take a few seconds.

Haven't noticed anything else.
 
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