Many video-focused shooters are waiting patiently for Sony to announce the a7s III. Could it arrive Monday, April 20 during its 9 AM PST digital press conference? Probably not. But maybe. Rumors suggest the long-awaited camera will be announced in 2020.
Rival Canon has already confirmed its latest 8K EOS R5 mirrorless and will showcase its own virtual press conference 2 hours later at 11 AM PST, possibly making for an interesting day in tech.
In the meantime, Sony has updated the firmware to its a9 II full-frame mirrorless camera to version 2.00.
The biggest improvement in version 2.00 for the Sony a9 II is the addition of a ‘Hi Frequency Flicker’ function that helps "reduce the impact of flickering of artificial light sources (e.g. digital signage, electronic signboards, LED lights, etc.), by more finely adjusting the shutter speed." In theory, this will help reduce the amount of flicker produced by lighting fixtures when shooting video or stills.
The update also improves the Face/Eye Priority autofocus setting. Users can assign a custom key for Face/Eye Priority which can now be easily activated or deactivated by pushing a button. It essentially creates an on/off switch. If a custom key has already been set, after the update, it can be deactivated with the same button.
Others include improvements to the Remote Camera Tool, which adds support for displaying Focus Frame, a new function that will close the shutter when the camera is off, improved FTP transfer, and the ability to show the camera's MAC address as a QR code, among others.
Sony also notes, without explanation, that the Imaging Edge Remote, Imaging Edge Mobile, and Remote Camera Tool software will not be supported after April 9th, 2020.
Firmware 2.00
- Adds the Hi Frequency flicker function, which allows you to reduce the impact of flickering of artificial light sources (e.g. digital signage, electronic signboards, LED lights, etc.), by more finely adjusting the shutter speed
NOTE: The Imaging Edge Remote, Imaging Edge Mobile, and Remote Camera Tool software will not be supported after April 9th, 2020 - Improves the Face/Eye Priority in the AF function:
- When set to a custom key, the Face/Eye Priority in the AF function can be activated or deactivated each time the custom key is pressed
- If Face/Eye Priority is already set to custom key, this improvement will be available after the camera is updated
- Improves the Remote Camera Tool function by adding support for displaying Focus Frame for almost all scenes
NOTE: Version 2.00 (or later) of the Remote Camera Tool is required. Please update to the latest version. - Improves the FTP transfer function
- Allows the camera's MAC address to be displayed as a QR code
- Adds a function to close the shutter when you turn off the camera to prevent dust or debris from adhering to the image sensor when you change lenses
- Allows you to save or load the customized camera settings to My MENU
- Improves the overall stability of the camera
Firmware version 2.00 is available for download on Windows and macOS via the Sony's a9 II support page.
