Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
Panasonic has released a firmware update, version 1.1, for the GF1 Micro Four Thirds camera, along with 5 Panasonic lenses. The firmware provides the GF1 with improved auto focus, auto white balance, noise performance and more. The lens firmware upgrades offer improved auto focus in video recording modes, along with other improvements.
You can obtain instructions and download the firmware on Panasonic’s website.
Additional details on the firmware update in the press release below. [Read more…]
Sony has released a firmware update for the Sony A230, A330 and A380 DSLRs. The firmware version 1.10 addresses the following:
When the [Metering mode] is set to the [Center weighted] or [Spot] metering modes, the exposure will be locked when the focus is confirmed. (When shooting in AF mode).
To learn more about the update or to download it, visit Sony’s download site for Windows PC or for Mac.
Canon has released a firmware update for the EOS 7D. The new version 1.1.0 is supposed to address the strange ghosting issue that was uncovered last week.
Canon’s official word about the firmware:
1. Corrects a phenomenon that in images captured by continuous shooting, and under certain conditions, barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame may be visible.
To learn more about it or to download the update, see Canon’s website.
Canon USA has issued a service notice regarding a phenomenon where traces of the immediately preceding frame may be visible in an image file from the Canon 7D. This has apparently occurred in situations using continuous shooting mode. According to Canon, the problem “is not noticeable in an image with optimal exposure.”
As the notice states, “Canon is currently investigating and analyzing the cause of this phenomenon, and we are planning to release a firmware update to address this issue.”
I have been unable to reproduce this effect in testing the 7D today; however, an unofficial discussion and sample images demonstrating the problem appear in DPR forums here. According to one observer, optimal conditions for reproducing this error include the following:
1. Shoot with maximum continuous shooting rate.(8.05fps)
2. Shoot with fast shutter speed.(>1/500s ?)
3. Image’s back ground is flat and bright.(Blue sky,etc)
4. Target is a fast moving object.(Bird,Jet fighter,etc)
5. 2nd or later frame image has a ghost of previous frame image.
You can read the entire service notice on Canon’s website.
Canon has announced that it is in the process of developing firmware for the 5D Mark II, which will offer 1080p recording at 24 and 25fps. We won’t get full details on the process or other capabilities until 2010; however, the complaint department has probably been a little high since the release of the EOS 7D, so this news may help curb some of the derogatory remarks from 5D Mark II owners.
Canon’s official statement on the firmware development is below. [Read more…]
Canon has released a firmware update for the EOS 7D. The new version 1.0.9 incorporates the following fixes:
1. Improves AF accuracy during Live View shooting.
2. Corrects a phenomenon where in rare instances, movie images shot by the camera may exhibit abnormal colors.
3. Corrects a phenomenon that at certain timings, the shutter cannot be released when the camera’s built-in flash or an external Speedlite is used for shooting.
To learn more about it or to download the update, see Canon’s website.
Canon has released a firmware update for the Rebel XS / 1000D.
Firmware Version 1.0.6 incorporates the following changes.
1. Some cameras may exhibit a phenomenon in which the LCD monitor does not display, the shutter does not release, and the busy indication remains lit in the viewfinder.
2. The message, “Err 99 Shooting is not possible. Turn the power switch to <OFF> and <ON> again or re-install the battery”, appears on the camera’s LCD monitor, and after the above operation is carried out, the LCD monitor displays in a language that is different from the actual language setting.
To learn more and download Firmware Version 1.0.6, visit Canon’s website.
Ricoh has released updated firmware for the Ricoh CX2 camera. The new firmware addresses following issues:
1 With the step zoom ON, there may be rare occasions that the camera power will be off in zoom lever operation.
2 In Manual focus, if you enlarge the center part of the image in the screen, the enlarged part may become black-out rarely.
To get more details and download firmware version 1.13, see Ricoh’s website.
Ricoh has updated the firmware of the GR Digital III to version 1.21. The new firmware addresses the following issues:
1 With the combination of the following conditions, it will not properly appear the image in the position display window that is shown when you playback with enlarged.
– [Auto Rotate] ON
– Rotate the camera to the lengthwise direction
– Playback the picture that was captured in the lengthwise direction and with [3:2] or [1:1] in the image size
2 Set the focus to [MF] (Manual focus) and turn the power off, and then turn the power on again, the focus distance will become infinity.
3 In Manual focus, if you enlarge the center part of the image in the screen, the enlarged part may become black-out rarely.
4 With attaching the GW-2 (wide conversion lens), there may be rare occasions that information on the focus distance in Exif will not be recorded correctly (Correctly, which should be recorded as 21mm; 35 mm filmcameras equivalent).
5 In taking pictures by switching between macro mode and normal mode, the resolution in surrounding parts (four corners) may change.
To get more details and download the firmware, visit Ricoh’s website.
Panasonic has released firmware updates for the GH1 and G1 cameras.
1. Improved Auto Focus performance for the subject in low contrast.
2. Decreased the operation noise of Auto Focus in Motion Picture recording for H-H020 lens.
(In order to minimize the operation noise of Auto Focus, the Auto Focus operation speed is reduced in Motion Picture recording.)
3. Improved the stability of AE(Auto Exposure) control for H-ES045 lens(to be introduced in Oct., 2009).
1. Improved Auto Focus performance for the subject in low contrast.
2. Improved the stability of AE(Auto Exposure) control for H-ES045 lens(to be introduced in Oct., 2009).
You can download the updates via the following links: