Sony released a new firmware update for the Sony A1 – sonyalpharumors
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Sony A1 new firmware update
- Thread starter Venkatesh VT
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arbitrage
Well-known member
Finally they fixed the bug I've been reporting to Pro Support since March and another bug my friend noticed just a few weeks ago. Neither are listed in the notes so both must fall under the stability improvements.
1) If in M mode (no Auto-ISO) and one sets a Recall Custom Hold Custom Shoot Set that has Auto-ISO selected then before FW 1.20 the camera would not honour/recognize the top dial EC setting so you lost control over your final exposure. All previous Sony bodies didn't do this. Now it is fixed. This drove me nuts as I use my AEL button to bring up a set that is for perched birds using 1/320s, Auto ISO and Tracking:Expand Flex Spot. Now when held down I can adjust exposure with the EC dial.
2) My friend pointed out recently that when using a Recall Custom Hold button you couldn't change a variable (say SS on the front dial) at the same time. I've never really needed to do this but he was missing this from how he used his Canon cameras. That is now fixed. You can be holding down a Registered Shoot Set and while still holding down change other variables if you need to (if you can operate the wheel you need which you can't really do if it is a back wheel unless the Custom Key is the lens button)
I'm sure there are more hidden bug features. Sony doesn't list these...they only list new features, not bug fixes.
1) If in M mode (no Auto-ISO) and one sets a Recall Custom Hold Custom Shoot Set that has Auto-ISO selected then before FW 1.20 the camera would not honour/recognize the top dial EC setting so you lost control over your final exposure. All previous Sony bodies didn't do this. Now it is fixed. This drove me nuts as I use my AEL button to bring up a set that is for perched birds using 1/320s, Auto ISO and Tracking:Expand Flex Spot. Now when held down I can adjust exposure with the EC dial.
2) My friend pointed out recently that when using a Recall Custom Hold button you couldn't change a variable (say SS on the front dial) at the same time. I've never really needed to do this but he was missing this from how he used his Canon cameras. That is now fixed. You can be holding down a Registered Shoot Set and while still holding down change other variables if you need to (if you can operate the wheel you need which you can't really do if it is a back wheel unless the Custom Key is the lens button)
I'm sure there are more hidden bug features. Sony doesn't list these...they only list new features, not bug fixes.
LTK
Well-known member
Be interesting to see if there's anything else we notice , I did see exposure compensation added onto my FN menu
FB101
Well-known member
I was going to skip the update altogether but those two are things I was hoping for - I wonder why Sony doesn't spell them out. That second one especially will be very useful to me.
While I am at it, maybe you found a fix to a problem I have:
I also use a recall custom hold on the AEL button for perched birds. I just use 1/640s as my default (that's why I'd like to be able to drop that with the wheel once I have secured the shot at a faster SS). My issue is that I use the small flexible spot (instead of the expand spot like you do) and when my main AF mode is Zone or Wide, the small spot doesn't show in the viewfinder until after I press the AEL button (so I have to guess as to where that spot is and then it shows up after I press)- and if I did not exactly put the "invisible" small square where I wanted the camera may grab focus in the wrong spot.
Is there a way to have the small spot (or a center spot) show in the EVF at all time like in a canon, even when wide or zone is used? I haven't found one but that would make my life a lot easier.
arbitrage
Well-known member
I don’t think there is a way to know where your spot is. I just always leave mine centered so I know it will appear centered. Now if you use the long press of Fn button to register an AF area (you could register small spot) then that does flash its position while you are using you regular AF mode (like Wide or Zone etc). But I can’t recall if that registered position has a relation to where the Recall Custom Hold will show up. I know there is a long-standing glitch that if you toggle into the Registered AF point and then move it it messes up the registration.
if the position of the registered spot which is flashing corresponds to the position the Recalled spot will show up that may help. If you leave both in the center then it will certainly help.
FB101
Well-known member
Thanks! I will try that - all I need is for that box to show up in the middle, even flashing on and off and if registering it does that, then that will solve my issue. I will let you know.
EDIT - I just did it and it works! I should have asked sooner. Thanks man.
lablover27
Well-known member
I’m debating doing the update as I’ve never done one on any camera and now I own a new a1 and would be terrified to brick it. I use a m1 MacBook Pro. I’d love to see how some set up the a1 for birds and wildlife. I’m using mark ballers action set up and works pretty well but i think I’d like to shoot manual as opposed to aperture priority.
anyone know any links to a1 set ups? I know Steve has something in the works that I’m looking forward too
Joe
anyone know any links to a1 set ups? I know Steve has something in the works that I’m looking forward too
Joe
Hi Joe
I tend to update my firmware, though most of the time I wait a bit (depending on the equipment, a week or so for phone or camera, longer for a computer) so bugs can be reported and if necessary the software recalled. I never had a problem with "bricking" a device but I follow instructions fairly carefully - fully charge battery, give the device plenty of time update the firm before I power off, ...
lablover27
Well-known member
Thank you sir. Update went fine and without issue. I will say that was the most stressful 20 min of my day. LOL.
FB101
Well-known member
Steve hasn’t published his settings yet. I use a blend of Mark Baller’s with a blend of Mark Smith A9 and A1 settings. Happy to share what I do as a starting point if you’d like, just let me know what kind of bird photography you do (in flight, static, both) as I have a couple different setups I use and you can experiment from there. I do shoot back button ficus though so I won’t be much help if you want to use the trigger to focus.
I have been there
lablover27
Well-known member
would absolutely love to see what you do. I’m actually very interested in back button focus and used it a lot with my a6400. Very kind for you to offer sir. And I look forward to Steve’s settings. I’ve already mentioned to him “take my money”.
almost forgot. Both BIF and still perched
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FB101
Well-known member
Happy to help, it was (and still is) a steep learning curve. Let me try to describe how mine is set up and I can dive more deeply if you have questions
As mentioned my camera is set up for BBF with the AF on button activating primary AF. I have eye AF active at all times as I have yet to find a downside to it. I often set up the main mode for BIF so 1/3200s and manual iso (I’ll get to that later) in addition to zone AF with tracking.
i have C2 set up to circle through the AF modes I have selected. Those are wide with tracking, zone with tracking, large spot with tracking and small spot with tracking. I also have zone without tracking and small spot without tracking. So pressing c2 circles through 6 choices and that’s pretty quick.
in addition I have c1 set up to deactivate tracking if I am on a tracking AF mode and I see an issue (usually with shimmering water in foreground or background). That’s my emergency button if I see the tracking moving off subject.
AEL button is set up as a recall custom hold for stationary birds. So 1/500th second, auto iso and alternate registered focusing mode With AF on. That way I can go from BIF to stationary bird with just the press of one button and the AEL button acts as another AF on button, just with completely different settings. When I let go of it, everything reverts back to my BIF settings instantly.
My alternate registered mode is small spot with tracking.
‘That way, if I use zone with tracking for my main AF mode, the small zone (alternate) flashes in the center so I know where it is even if I don’t use it. So when I press AEL I know exactly where that focusing square will be located.
i love to have as many options on the back wheel as I can but that’s not to everybody‘s liking
i have the wheel up set to toggle between screen info layouts (default)
i have wheel left set to toggle between Evf and back lcd (I don’t like the evf sensor and I don’t like the back screen to turn on every time I pull away from the evf so that way I control which is active)
i have wheel down set to change the evf refresh rate. I use 120hz most of the time but for very fast action I like to bump it to 240hz
i have wheel right set to change eye AF (circles through bird, animal, human)
i have the wheel scroll itself set to change Iso manually but I like the fact that if you scroll past iso 100 it activates auto iso so it’s very easy to go from auto to manual and back. Best implementation of auto iso i have used.
i have the trash can set to turn touch control on and off, most of the time it’s off for me but if I shoot from the lcd I turn it on to control the AF.
i have c3 set to switch to mechanical shutter if I need that for some weird reason (default is electronic).
my custom menu has a few more options I use less often. Mainly file quality (lossy or lossless compressed raw), turning off eye AF if I ever felt the need, sound / silent shooting (I have a low level sound active for the shutter normally but I can turn it off that way), AF “stickiness” if I wanted to tweak that.
that’s it, not perfect and I might tweak it a bit yet but it covers a lot of situations by just pressing one button which was my primary goal. I wanted to minimize the need to press and scroll or press 2 buttons together and this allows me to make radical changes with a single press.
i almost forgot, I love displaying zebras with a custom threshold of 109 (or 107 if you like to be a bit safer) - I have not blown a single exposure since I have been using that trick.
Hope that helps as a starting point.
As mentioned my camera is set up for BBF with the AF on button activating primary AF. I have eye AF active at all times as I have yet to find a downside to it. I often set up the main mode for BIF so 1/3200s and manual iso (I’ll get to that later) in addition to zone AF with tracking.
i have C2 set up to circle through the AF modes I have selected. Those are wide with tracking, zone with tracking, large spot with tracking and small spot with tracking. I also have zone without tracking and small spot without tracking. So pressing c2 circles through 6 choices and that’s pretty quick.
in addition I have c1 set up to deactivate tracking if I am on a tracking AF mode and I see an issue (usually with shimmering water in foreground or background). That’s my emergency button if I see the tracking moving off subject.
AEL button is set up as a recall custom hold for stationary birds. So 1/500th second, auto iso and alternate registered focusing mode With AF on. That way I can go from BIF to stationary bird with just the press of one button and the AEL button acts as another AF on button, just with completely different settings. When I let go of it, everything reverts back to my BIF settings instantly.
My alternate registered mode is small spot with tracking.
‘That way, if I use zone with tracking for my main AF mode, the small zone (alternate) flashes in the center so I know where it is even if I don’t use it. So when I press AEL I know exactly where that focusing square will be located.
i love to have as many options on the back wheel as I can but that’s not to everybody‘s liking
i have the wheel up set to toggle between screen info layouts (default)
i have wheel left set to toggle between Evf and back lcd (I don’t like the evf sensor and I don’t like the back screen to turn on every time I pull away from the evf so that way I control which is active)
i have wheel down set to change the evf refresh rate. I use 120hz most of the time but for very fast action I like to bump it to 240hz
i have wheel right set to change eye AF (circles through bird, animal, human)
i have the wheel scroll itself set to change Iso manually but I like the fact that if you scroll past iso 100 it activates auto iso so it’s very easy to go from auto to manual and back. Best implementation of auto iso i have used.
i have the trash can set to turn touch control on and off, most of the time it’s off for me but if I shoot from the lcd I turn it on to control the AF.
i have c3 set to switch to mechanical shutter if I need that for some weird reason (default is electronic).
my custom menu has a few more options I use less often. Mainly file quality (lossy or lossless compressed raw), turning off eye AF if I ever felt the need, sound / silent shooting (I have a low level sound active for the shutter normally but I can turn it off that way), AF “stickiness” if I wanted to tweak that.
that’s it, not perfect and I might tweak it a bit yet but it covers a lot of situations by just pressing one button which was my primary goal. I wanted to minimize the need to press and scroll or press 2 buttons together and this allows me to make radical changes with a single press.
i almost forgot, I love displaying zebras with a custom threshold of 109 (or 107 if you like to be a bit safer) - I have not blown a single exposure since I have been using that trick.
Hope that helps as a starting point.
Thanks so much for sharing! New to the Sony world and I have watched too many You tubes already. I also learn how to think when I see what someones else does. Those of us who chase birds need all the help we can get...or at least I do. I will revisit my custom set up and see how some of this would work for me as well. Love the Zebras as well!
One more "take my money, please Steve" from me! He will tell us how certain settings prioritize and how that camera thinks.
Cheers!
lablover27
Well-known member
Wow
awesome info, I can see some similarities to Galer and smith. I’m going to pour over these on my next day off and see how it feels. For sure gives a great starting point. Can’t thank you enough.
Joe
FB101
Well-known member
Did you have to change the security settings on your M1 MBP? Everytime I have had to do that in the past 12 months it screwed something else up so I am very reluctant to do that. What was your experience?
lablover27
Well-known member
worked just fine. No issues at all. I also had my old MBP on standby just in case. Hindsight I should of just used the old one but I’m trying to migrate away from it.
now I’m curious what it screwed up?
FB101
Well-known member
‘it messed up a lot of the non M1 optimized softwares still running on my mac, they started causing all sorts of conflicts and error messages. All worked againas soon as I restored the default security settings.