Last month, Sony announced significant firmware updates for four of its Alpha cameras, the a7S III, a7 IV, a1, and newest flagship, the a9 III. The latter two camera updates, due to an unexpected error in the case of the a1 and by design for the a9 III, were delayed until today, April 24. These new updates have arrived and are available to photographers now.
Sony a1 Firmware Gets a Redo: Version 2.01 Available Now
Since the a1’s big version 2.0 update experienced some post-launch blues before being pulled from Sony’s support website, the new update is version 2.01. Unsurprisingly, the new firmware not only brings the same benefits as version 2.0 but also fixes the problem that the latest firmware introduced.
To recap, version 2.01 brings Sony’s first foray into C2PA tools to the a1. While the actual C2PA workflow is still restricted to select users, Sony’s new firmware update lays the essential groundwork for the company’s content authenticity efforts.
Much like C2PA is geared primarily toward professionals, many of the other new features and improvements are, too. The a1 can now relay image playback across multiple connected media, copy between memory cards, filter media playback, automate FTP transfer settings, save lens model info to MP4 files, and much more. All users will be happy to see that the a1 can save up to 9,999 images in a folder, up from 4,000.
The latest a1 update also promises improved image stabilization performance, better autofocus assist, improved flash usability, 4K/30p UVC support, and better breathing compensation during video recording, among other tweaks.
It is a substantial update, and after a bit of a false start late last month, it is finally ready to go. Sony Alpha 1 users can download the new version 2.01 firmware from Sony’s support website.
Sony a9 III’s First Major Firmware Update Has Arrived
The a9 III’s version 2.0 update has always been scheduled for release today. It is the first big update to arrive for Sony’s first global shutter camera.
With firmware 2.0, the a9 III overcomes one of its more notable shooting limitations from launch. When the a9 III first arrived on the scene, its excellent 120 frames per second continuous shooting was limited to shutter speeds slower than 1/16,000s, while in other modes, the camera could shoot as fast as 1/80,000s. There aren’t instances where users require these speeds, but when they do, they can now shoot at them as fast as 120 fps thanks to the new firmware.
A similar limitation, that photographers could not shoot at f/1.8 at its fastest shutter speed, has also been removed.
The a9 III also gets the same workflow improvements and C2PA support as the a1. Suffice it to say, a9 III version 2.0 is a big update for Sony’s fastest camera. The complete details and firmware download are available on Sony’s website.