Specifically for the discussion of the A-mount DSLR range
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No doubt! Yesterday may have been the happiest day I have had as an A-mounter....The new firmware made the A700, which was a very fine machine already, an outstanding machine that will serve me well for a very long time.
Seriously, many of us a700 shooters would have paid a substantial amount of money for that V4 firmware upgrade...Paid firmware upgrades for performance increases I am not opposed to, especially when they come a year(ish) or more after the camera was released.
-Sonolta
I am with ya brother!
I like to shoot avian subjects and will never be able to afford fast, long glass. High ISO will be my only savior for less than mid day sun. Here are a couple of links to couple of threads on another site that will show what is now possible that was not just a couple of days ago.
At the press conference, Sony confirmed that v4 would go official on their website today (10th) and was fine to use.
They also said that all the A900 bodies were not production models, and some had different firmware to others, and no high ISO or NR or other image quality tests were valid. They had gathered together a bunch worldwide.
I saw ISO 800 work which I would rate equal to the best on the market when viewed at normal sizes, but pixel peeping was not possible!
I will be getting the original files from Duncan McEwan, at full size.
One of the Sony contacts though DPR member (US I think) said the 16th regarding the V4 firmware. did they elaborate on any other possible changes in it beyond whats been discovered already? htere rumours of better WB performance and low ISO diferences too it's something thats really hard to tell unless you know to look at it before you update. Also today there were a lotof posts from A100-350 users looking for new firmware too, feeling left out no doubt
It may just be a bad sign for Paul Genge. He said both the SonyStyle advance orders for Europe, and the firmware update being posted, would happen 'from tomorrow' (on the 9th) and clearly he was not misinformed - or Sony is further fine tuning the v4 release, or the documents and explanation which go with it, before releasing it. I think they will be saying that the contrast curve (A to D conversion transfer function) and colour look-up tables have been improved as well.
I have been looking harder at my raw and JPEG files from the A900, using the new beta version of Raw Photo Processor (which does not really work, but allows some clean pixel peeping). The JPEG algorithm in the A900 sample I tried is right back to where the A700 started with firmware v1 - I can't say anything about high ISO watercolour as I didn't shoot anything over 800. I also didn't know that I was not going to get a further crack with the camera or another body. But at 800, the effect is like someone has laid an anti-reflex picture framing glass or an anti-Newton slide glass over the image - a granular fuzzing of edges. I saw this before in the first A700 I used.
The raw files are hiding something completely different, exquisitely detailed even at 400-800 ISO.
What I am doing right now it taking some of the few shots I did get and resizing them to 12 megapixels - to match the D3/700 or the A700. When you do this, the extra resolution even from the poor JPEGs really jumps out at you. We are not used to viewing 24.6 megapixel images. We are used to viewing 12 megapixels. I've also tried one or two and reduced them to 6 megapixels (D7D size) using Bicubic Sharper. Do this, and the result is superb.
For Don - they used the new Bravia 4000 series to display sample images, loading them into a PSP3, with auto activation of Photo-TV. This was pretty amazing because at full frame filling the screen, each picture looks fine for a second, and then suddenly adjusts itself (including rebuilding fine detail, like a progressive JPEG reaching its full res) with enhanced shadow and highlights. Then, if you enlarge the image using the PSP hand control, it can be scrolled and zoomed right up to 100 per cent in real time - no motion problems, just absolutely flicker-free, smooth navigation. The huge screens (47 inch I think) act like a window on an image which is maybe six feet wide by ten feet tall. When you stop scrolling or zooming, the image freezes and onde again looks sharp, but then becomes ultra-sharp about 1 second after you leave it 'still'.
They also showed a new 18.5 inch Vaio laptop which comes with Lightroom and Elements 6 all installed, plus a remote, plus HDTV functions (tuner etc) which they will be selling as a photo workstation for home use.
Sony is targeting - make no mistake - the same market of ordinary rich folk who used once to buy a Leica outfit because it was Leica. They intend to catch people who will spend $30-50,000 on an Alpha 900 system plus a huge Bravia plus an entertainent media delivery centre and a top end Vaio. The entire kit including the TV will be entirely wireless. The next generation of TVs has the screen mounted on the wall, with a power point. There are no HDMI inputs, no inputs at all, because the media box communicates wirelessly and can be sited anywhere in the room/house. Handycams and Cybershots, Walkmans etc will all communicate with that wirelessly as well - nothing was said about Alphas, I guess the filesizes will be so huge they will be the last to get wireless connectivity. SonyCentres will demonstrate this whole setup the way Bang & Olufsen used to get demonstrated and Bose still does get sold.
I feel in a way this leave us 'ordinary photographers' behind, but maybe Leica, Contax did that in the past and we still benefited. We do not have to buy into the Sony brand integration; I won't be able to afford to, that kind of money goes to other priorities. But can just manage to afford an A900 body, and I now know that whatever their failings, my older full frame lenses will be up to the job. I'll explain more about that later on the blog, and show examples.
Is it possible the FW update improved SSS a bit? I haven't had much of a Chance to shoot any pictures recently but tonight I applied the fw patch and tried some high ISO shots in our dark living room and was as impressed as anyone else of the new image quality. Also I took a wiener dog shot (can't really have enough of those) but her face was in shadow so I decreased the shutter to 1 second and tried the shot with no real hope of getting it. damned if it wasn't a lot sharper than I expected I even got one where she didn't move and the whole DOF is sharp. Previously with a shot like this I was only capable of maybe 1 in 5 sharp pictures at 1/5 second. so I'm thinking there was some impact on the functionality of the SSS. It may be my imagination though because this is a D lens I'm using now where I'm pretty sure any other attempt at this was with a non D lens and maybe the distance info added to the SSS ability to stabilize this particular shot
I really wonder what the official release notes will say. This upgrade seems to work wonders! Btw, the pics look cleaner and more detailed, maybe it even increases the megapixels from 12 to 14, did anybody verify?
bossel wrote:I really wonder what the official release notes will say. This upgrade seems to work wonders! Btw, the pics look cleaner and more detailed, maybe it even increases the megapixels from 12 to 14, did anybody verify?
I'm afraid they are waiting for our conclusions to post them on their sites
I have been away from my computer for a week so I haven't been able to keep up with all the posts. I haven't yet read through everything on this new thread, but it sounds like great news that there is a firmware update for my A700! I have a question though for those of you who have already tried it, David in particular. David, I recall that some months ago you compared the A700 to the Nikon D300 and, I think, you found that at high ISO the Nikon D300 gave more exposure than the A700 such that A700 ISO 800 was more or less equivalent to D300 ISO 1600, etc. Forgive me if I am misremembering what you wrote. Anyway, I am wondering about the A700 v4 update? Does it get better high ISO by just giving more exposure like the D300? Thanks!
Last edited by bakubo on Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
bakubo wrote:I have been away from my computer for a week so I haven't been able to keep up with all the posts. I haven't yet read through everything on this new thread, but it sounds like great news that there is a firmware update for my A700! I have a question though for those of you who have already tried it, David in particular. David, I recall that some months ago you compared the A700 to the Nikon D300 and, I think, you found that at high ISO the Nikon D300 gave more exposure than the A700 such that A700 ISO 800 was more or less equivalent to D300 ISO 1600, etc. Forgive me if I am misremembering what you wrote. Anyway, I am wondering about the A700 v4 update? Does it get better high ISO by just giving more exposure like the D300? Thanks!
No, the D300 files are still marginally better than the A700 files, but if you crush the A700 shadows the same as the D300 and increase the midtones (how they handle it, with effectively more gain plus more black clipping plus more exposure) it is clear they are equal. You will still get, from the A700, anything from 1/3rd to one stop less exposure in identical lighting conditions - and you will get darker raw files, with more highlight headroom. You can match the D300 pixel for pixel by exposing with +0.5 or similar setting.
And the new firmware has somehow corrected the colors and/or WB. I am quite sure about that.
In Dyxum too, you'll encounter too many posts insisting what I said.
And if you had adjusted previously on "Menu - previous" this will be readjusted to the factory default, i.e. "Menu - top". All other instances you have adjusted to your needs are not altered.
I picked the following up off of the Sony USA support site, outling what the new firmware etc. is intended to do, etc.:
DSLR-A700 Camera Firmware and Software Updates
Posted: 09/16/2008
Sony has released updated firmware for the DSLR-A700 α camera, as well as updates for the Image Data Converter SR, Image Data Lightbox SR, and Remote Camera Control bundled software applications.
How to Get the Updates
Please visit the Sony Support Site to download the following free updates:
Firmware Update
This utility updates the DSLR-A700 Camera Firmware to version 4 and provides the following benefits:
Benefits over firmware version 3:
Adds a "2 steps/3 shots" option to the "Bracket: Single" and "Bracket: Cont." Drive mode settings for auto exposure bracketing.
Adds an "Off" option to the "High ISO NR" (Noise Reduction) setting.
Provides improvements in picture quality when using a high ISO setting; color noise is minimized in images captured using an ISO setting of 1600 or higher.
Provides improvements to the Auto White Balance (WB), especially when taking pictures using the flash.
Improves performance of the D-range Optimizer (DRO). The ability to discriminate between scenes has been improved, and the scope to which the advanced DRO effect can be applied has been broadened.
Improves the ability to make a successful connection with the VG-C70AM vertical grip.
Additional benefits over earlier firmware versions:
Resolves an issue where the Access Lamp remains lit and the camera stops responding when several pictures are taken in rapid succession.
Resolves an issue where powering the camera off while in "MR" mode may cause some registered settings to carry over to other shooting modes.
Sharper images for pictures taken under low contrast conditions
Reduced noise for pictures taken at ISO 3200
Improved flash control for objects closer than 1 meter with non ADI controlled lenses
Click the appropriate link below to download the firmware update for your operating system:
Firmware Update for Windows Operating Systems
Firmware Update for Macintosh Operating Systems
Image Data Converter SR & Image Data Lightbox SR Updates
This utility updates the supplied Image Data Converter SR software to version 3.0 and the Image Data Lightbox SR software to version 2.0 and provides the following benefits:
Benefits over Image Data Converter SR software version 2.0.01.09280
Improves general operability
Improves display speed
Adds a peripheral illumination compensation function
Adds an improved D-range optimizer
Additonal issues corrected over some earlier versions of Image Data Converter SR software
Image distortion may occur when the "Highlight Color Distortion Reduction" feature is set to "Advanced".
Non-compressed RAW files may be indicated incorrectly as compressed RAW files in the image properties.
There may be color differences between the camera and the software when the "Creative Style" setting is other than the default setting.
Parts of an image may be displayed with a mosaic "ghost" when viewed.
The original image may not be displayed correctly in "Double View" mode.
Benefits over Image Data Lightbox SR software version 1.0.01.09280
Improves display speed
Enhances filtering function
Additional issue corrected over some earlier versions of Image Data Lightbox SR software
Non-compressed RAW files may be indicated incorrectly as compressed RAW files in the image properties.
Click the appropriate link below to download the software update for your operating system:
Bundled Applications Software Update for Windows Operating Systems
Bundled Applications Software Update for Macintosh Operating Systems
Remote Camera Control Update
This utility updates the Remote Camera Control software to version 2.0 and adds an interval timer shooting function.
NOTE: This upate is available only for Windows Operating systems.
Click the link below to download the software update:
Remote Camera Control Update
Dulaney
Sony Alpha 700; SAL 50mm f1.4; SAL18-250mm; Carl Zeiss 85 mm f1.4; grip; HVL F58FM;
Minolta DiMage A1; Minolta SRT-102; Rokkor 50mm f1.4; Rokkor 100mm f2.5
