Sony A850/A900 firmware upgrade...

[jfirneno]

Sony has added some small but meaningful changes to the full-frame cameras they have.  They've improved the auto-focus speed as it relates to avoiding hunting, expanded the available exposure compensation limits, extended the bracketing range and provided for the use of unchipped lenses in aperture mode.  Haven't installed it myself yet (always avoid being the first) but looking forward to better AF with my macro lenses.  So far the results from others sound positive.  Has anyone downloaded it yet?

Regards
John

[pegelli]

I put it on my A850 and indeed AF with macro is greatly improved (less hunting)
I tested it with my Minolta 100/2.8 D (same as the newer Sony version) and it really works better.
What they claim here seems really true

Haven't felt much difference with other lenses yet, but I can only compare to "memory" since I only have one FF body.
Will test more going outside this weekend, everything sofar has been inside with tungsten light, so not optimal for real testing.

Biggest reason for installing it quickly are not these AF improvements though, but the ability to shoot M42 lenses in A-mode. Normally I'm not an "early adopter" with these kind of updates, but that was a big enough deal for me to move quickly. 

[jfirneno]

Pieter:

Thanks for the info.  I want to try it with the 200mm macro.  That one can hunt so I usually go manual.  It'll be interesting to see if it focuses easier in real life conditions.  I also am interested in non-A mount lenses too.  Only problem is my poor computer skills.  Hope I don't botch the download and upload.

Best regards
John

[pegelli]

John,

Download and installation is pretty straight forward, make sure you follow every little step to the letter and you'll be OK.
Are you on MAC or Windows? Later MAC versions seem to unpack the file automatically on your computer (which is not documented), so as soon as you see the file with the .app extension you've got the one that needs to be copied to the in camera formatted empty card. I'm on windows and didn't see this, but read about it on another forum.

Total installation after pressing the OK button takes about a minute, and the 10 sec. mentioned in the instruction is how fast the camera restarts after the firmware is transferred. I didn't read this right (thought the whole thing took 10 sec.  ) so I had high adrenaline and heartrate for about 40 seconds  with visions of a botched camera to be sent off to Sony.

Like you I use mostly MF with macro, but just posted the above as it's the most visible/testable AF system upgrade that I found inside in poor tungsten light. Maybe with this upgrade I'll use more AF in the future for macro, I'm certainly going to try and see how it works.

Btw, you're a lucky man, the minolta 200/4 macro is probably one of the very best macros ever made, certainly for A-mount (why don't we have a drooling emoticon on this site  )

[K.C.]

The update provides a significant AF improvement with every lens I've tested. The other features are nice, icing on the cake as they say.

[jfirneno]

Pieter:

I'm using Windows.  I'll follow it carefully.  I do like the 200mm macro a lot.  And even if the autofocus doesn't avoid the hunting altogether I'll still enjoy whatever improvement it provides the next time I'm chasing butterflies around my backyard next summer (if winter ever ends this year).

K.C.

Thanks for the feedback.

Regards
John