A77 firmware 1.05 or even 2.0 - any hints?

[mikeyp2000]

I was just wondering if there is any hint of a firmware update for the a77 beyond 1.04.   There have been quite a few glitches found and suggestions for improvement but as yet there has been no firm response indicating that we can expect an update.

Is there any chance of Sony confirming or denying any plans for an update? Perhaps even a rough timescale?

Cheers,

Michael

[Mick2011 · Accepted solution]

Hi mikeyp

As ever, the official Sony site is the place to find firmware updates, but there's never any official warning - they just appear when they're ready for release. It's last place I'd look for hints & rumours of firmware releases, because (like most major electronics manufacturers) Sony simply don't enter into discussion of upcoming product development until launch day.

Of course the web is full of sites that do, as a quick Google search will confirm. As you doubtless know, there are whole web communities, founded on second-guessing the intentions of major electronics manufacturers, which relies on their silence for it's very existence. We can't have the likes of Sony spoiling everyone's fun now, can we?  

In all seriousness, I hope you get that update soon and it resolves the issues you've reported on these boards. Sorry I can't be of any more help.

Mick

[fotowolf61]

Hi Mick!

Me like almost any other A77 user is waiting for a new firmware. I am pretty sure that Sony knows about the A77 firmware issues, but instead pushing on happy existing customer base, I have the feeling that firmware updates are only released when they get close to loose reputation.

This is really a strange philosophy! This was true with A850/A900 firmware update and the same now with A77 firmware. Until people started to send back their A77 with buggy firmware, Sony was not willing to do something. Making a secret of potetial product improvements is really hard to understand from a customer point of view.

Please put some more offord in releasing a new firmware update soon. Even if it fixes only a few issues, it is better than nothing. Any usefull information is very welcome.

Regards,

Wolfram

Nachricht geändert durch worinke

Nachricht geändert durch worinke

[everquest-xx]

Hi ... I have sony DSLRs from time of their first product in this category - Sony A100 ( before that i had Tha minolta A1 , 7D ), so i want to be a good costumer of this brand. I have more electro components, jike Autoradio, reproductors, Mobile phones, and many moore . Now i have the two bodies of DSLRs - Sony A700 and new Sony A77 ( + more lenses ) . I am very unhappy with Sony A77 quality of photos. Raw can be used in ISO only to 160 - in the ISO 200 i see noise ( without any postprocess ). I print Large banners to the PVC and i need quality. I dont take photos on higher iso Than 1600. But i want to super result on isos Between 100 - 400 . In The A77 i can go to max ISO 160, because i need to do some postprocess = more noise.

I need to know what can I do. If i may wait for a new firmware , or sell all Sony Photo accesories and go to the Nikon, ( mabe Canon ) ?? I believe the Sony want to troubleshoot this firmware problems ... i found many more problems than noise ... this firmware is not comleted and many useres can see it.

So ... When does Sony make new firmware for A77 ? I need to know, photograph is my work and i dont want to wait if i dont know so the new firmware will exist at 100% ... thanks, Sony eploee...

Sorry for my English....

[fotowolf61]

Might be interesting to mention that the latest rumors say that a new FW 1.05 A77 will be available around March 29 . More details here: http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/good-news-a77-firmware-1-05-coming-on-march-29/

Thank you Sony.

[everquest-xx]

Thank you ? Sorry but - Have you the same problem with ISO 100 and visible noise ? Thats is not normal, if U use ISO 200 and some postprocess in RAW, you must to do strong noise reducing - and youre details of photo are gone. This is the problem !

On the internet you can read, like the A77 have very good ISO performance, on dxo sensor mark they write good ISO performance to ISO 801. Thats not true !!! And Sony A77 beats 7D, or NIKON D7000... how ? :smileygrin:

And comarsion of sony and 5D MKII ... its very funny :smileygrin: :smileygrin:

Response of the A77 is problem too.... i will be happy if they fix it. But I sell my sony items. Nikon D7000 is from 2010 year and beats Sony A77.

Today i shooting some pictures in sunny day. The EVF was terrible - not show the picture right. The sky is overexposed , but the ground was underexposed ( black ). And in computer i will see diference .... big difference - pictures look better. So The evf is goot only for horizontal line angle controll.

And I dont know if they can fix these problems.

Continous shooting - every picture have different expousure - one is lighter, second is darker....

In all good modes - HDR, smart teleconverter, ISO 25600, 12 frames per sec - you cant shoot RAW files - only JPEGS with extremly strong noise reduction. And RAW from SOny A77 have reduced noise ... they do it on sensor , before data get to the RAW file. Pictures on ISO 200 and more are like painted - in 100% scale.

I must sold everything, what i buing for all time I using Sony  - flashes, lenses, everything... thats because i believe Sony!

Sorry but this isnt normal today !

[fotowolf61]

Sorry, cannot agree to your comment. I assume you have done some missconfigurations on your A77.

No other model can shoot HDR-RAW, this mode does not exits, neither on Canon, Nikon, Pentax or Olympus. RAW is RAW. You can shoot EV bracketing in RAW that you can convert to HDR if you mean this feature.

You can also shoot 12 fps in RAW and of couse smart teleconverter is nice feature that allows you to shoot 1.4x or 2x enlarged jpegs. You can do the RAW also by yourself in postprocessing if you like. RAW performance is very good and better than A850/A900 . Jpg-Engine unfortunatly is poor in high-ISO range and contains too much denoising artefacts. This reads a big improfement.

Suggest you read the documentation carefully and shoot in RAW for high-ISO or critical pictures.

Still the A77 has many FW issues, of which hopefully many will be solfed with the upcoming FW 1.05 and future FW updates follwoing quickly to fix ALL FW issues.

[everquest-xx]

Ok ... i sad Sorry for my english

The RAW things that you wrote is true - this is logical. Sorry for that - HDR i can to do in computer, but I can do HDR from a RAW files ..

But you wrote "RAW performance is very good and better than A850/A900", so you have A77 ? Take a picture on ISO 200 - and watch noise. Maybe i have bad series of a77 - or some wrong one. Dynamic range - i mean true dynamic range - is worst as a700 - 5 year old camera. I have bouth and I was testing both in many situations.

So i dont know how you can write than A77 have better RAW performance than A900.... PLease can you give me a test shot with youre a77 with ISO 200 - converted from RAW without any corrections ? Thank you ...

Maybe i have reallly wrong one !!!

[fotowolf61]

Hi,

well I had an A700 and use now an A850 + A77, so I have a direct comparison between both Sony top models.

I am not shooting JPEG I shot most of the time RAW and compare RAW performance. I did a lot of testing and comparison for myself and from my point of view the A850 is at least equal or better than A700 and A77 is equl or better than A850 in all technical aspects and performance issues.

A77 sensor noise is at least one stop above A850! This is for sure when you compare RAW and use the same RAW converter. That is what I have learned from my comparisons, though I have not done scientific tests it is my personal view.

[Mick2011]

worinke wrote:
A77 sensor noise is at least one stop above A850! 

True, and not surprising. The A850 is a full-frame camera, while the A77 is APS-C (DX) format. If your primary reason for shooting is to achieve noise-free images, you should choose full-frame over APS-C.

This is because APS-C pixel density needs to be roughly 50% higher to give the same size file. The greater the pixel density, the smaller each pixel must be. As smaller pixels collect less light, they have to work that much harder to combat noise.

I'm afraid this is a basic law of physics that no firmware update will ever change

Mick