Wait! Here’s Why You Actually SHOULDN’T Download The Latest Sony a7 IV Firmware Update

Sony Suspends a7 IV Firmware Update

Announced on the Sony website as an “Important Notice”, Sony has confirmed that some a7 IV cameras may not operate properly after installing the latest firmware update (version 6.00). While the company investigates, it has suspended the update and it is encouraging any users who may be experiencing issues after downloading the update to contact its support center.

Sony has further confirmed that the issue, while not for every camera, appears to be one where the a7 IV camera may enter power saving mode when the monitor is closed, regardless of your settings. The good news here, you could say, is that the issue does also appear to be resolvable by users initializing all the settings to the default setting—which should undo this issue.

Firmware Updates Best Practice

As is always the case, even while we’re more than happy to share the news of new firmware updates for cameras, apps, and other filmmaking gear when available, it’s always worth the reminder that it can be good practice to wait (at least a couple of days) before downloading new firmware updates.

It can be tricky as sometimes firmware updates are needed to address or fix other bugs (perhaps caused by past firmware updates), so it’s still advisable to get the latest software for your cameras and devices. But this is a nice reminder that if you move too quickly, sometimes new issues can occur.

In the meantime, you can also just skip this whole debacle and consider upgrading your Sony a7 IV to the just-announced Sony a7 V camera—which you can read more about here.