Posts Tagged ‘firmware’

Olympus E-P1 Gets Firmware Update

March 3rd, 2010 by Derek
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Olympus has issued a firmware update for it’s E-P1 M43 shooter. According to their site:

E-P1 Firmware Ver1.3 has incorporated the following upgrade.

[Modification]

  • Resolved issue in firmware version 1.2 where LEVEL GAUGE display did not move when using MF (manual focus).

If you’ve never updated an Olympus before, you’ll need to dig up the USB cable that shipped with your camera, plug it into your computer, then fire up either Olympus Studio or Master. The firmware updates will be in the menus of either of those programs, be sure to follow all the on-screen instructions and leave your camera turned on and plugged in until clearly told it’s OK to do otherwise.



Canon Pre-Announces Better Video Firmware for 5D Mk II

March 3rd, 2010 by Derek
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Seriously Canon? How do you pre-announce something? It was weird enough when Olympus did this for the E-3. Teases.

Anyway, Canon yesterday mentioned it’s going to grace your 5D Mark II’s with even better controls for video, such as adding 24fps (well, 23.976 fps) and 25fps options, changing the 30fps to the NTSC-standard 29.97fps, adding levels on the screen, sound sampling is being bumped from 44.1KHz to 48KHz, new histograms, and more.

So, “mid-March” seems to be the drop-date, nice and specific. I don’t own a 5D Mark II, nor do I shoot video, but I still think this is a very solid set of promises, and well worth spending the next couple weeks eagerly awaiting.

More as it comes…



Nikon D3s firmware now v1.01

February 23rd, 2010 by Nick
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From Nikon’s Firmware update page:

The following improvements have been made in A and B firmware Ver. 1.01

  • Movie recording specifications have been modified as follows and an issue that, in some rare cases, caused movie playback to appear to have stopped has been resolved.
  • When exposure preview is enabled in live view tripod mode, information + histogram display is possible, but the histogram is no longer displayed while movies are recorded.
  • When the live view button is pressed with the Audio Video Cable EG-D2 connected, the image is displayed in both the television and camera monitor, but the camera monitor now turns off during movie recording. The camera monitor turns on again when the Audio Video Cable EG-D2 is disconnected from the camera.
  • Some simplified Chinese menus and help displays have been revised.
  • When some memory cards were inserted in the camera, “CHA” was displayed in the top control panel and images could not be captured. This issue has been resolved.

Woo hoo. As always, check your current firmware version prior to downloading and installing the update because if it ain’t broke…



P100, other Coolpix point and shoots announced

February 4th, 2010 by Nick
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Today Nikon announced their refresh for the Coolpix line by adding the P100, L110, L22, and S3000, S4000, S6000, S8000 compacts. The P90 is to cede to the P100, and it looks like it’ll be a doozie of an upgrade. The Nikon Coolpix P100 will have a 10.3 megapixel back-lit CMOS sensor and a 26x optical zoom (26mm-678mm equivalent) Nikkor ED lens. It’ll also be able to churn out 10fps at 10MP, and near 120fps at 1.1MP. No idea how the 3200 ISO setting will perform yet, but maybe you won’t need to use it given the sensor-shift VR system. There’s a host of other software functions to make “minimal user intervention shooting” produce good looking pics. It’s also got a macro focusing distance of .4″, though no word on what the maximum reproduction ratio. Oh right, 1080p HD video is also on the menu.

If you’ve got to use AA batteries and don’t trust this new-fangled back-lit CMOS business, then step down to the L110 and take your pick between black and red. Your glass is 15x optical from 28-420mm (equivalent), supported by sensor-shift VR image stabilization and a max ISO of 6400. It also has the first ‘cyanotype’ color setting I’ve seen a manufacturer brag over. Ta da. It takes 12.1MP stills and 720p HD video (at 30fps).

The other AA offering is the L22, weighing in at 12MP with a modest 37-134mm equivalent focal range. The L22 has a ‘Big, Bright 3.0-inch LCD’ with an anti-glare coating and a maximum ISO of 1600.

The 000 (Tri-aught?) range of Coolpix this time around are the S3000, S4000, S6000, and S8000. The S3000 (for Style yeah) wields 12.0MP, a 27-108 equivalent focal range, a 2.7″ LCD, some firmware functions to correct for red-eye, florid, staggering friends who neither smile nor cease blinking, and a maximum ISO of 3200.

Next up is the S4000, which looks to succeed the S230 and put a 3.0″ touch screen in your hot, little hands for things like touch-shutter (which sounds like an alt-rock band who should be opening for Toad the Wet Sprocket) and touch-AF. Beyond that it records 720pHD movies, and sidles on up to 3200 ISO. It also has a cyanotype color mode.

The S6000 appears with 14.2MP, a 28-196 equivalent Nikkor ED glass lens, and spits 4fps for up to 45 frames in Sports Continuous mode. It also features the “make your friends look good without trying” firmware functions.

The S8000 crowns the Tri-Aught sorority with a 14.2MP sensor, 10x optical zoom with Nikkor ED glass (starts at 30mm equivalent), a 3.0″ VGA display at 921,000 dots, and Optical VR Image Stabilization and a close focus distance of .4″ in Macro mode.



Canon EOS 1D Mark IV firmware update available

January 28th, 2010 by Nick
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Canon’s firmware update for the

EOS 1D Mark IV is available for download from Canon immediately.

What’s the update do you ask?

This firmware update (Version 1.0.6) incorporates the
following enhancement:
Firmware Version 1.0.6 enhances the AF tracking performance.*
*AF performance has been enhances[sic] for receding subjects and for subjects that are approaching at a low speed.

Right on, Canon.



Canon Rebel XT: Tougher Than Gravity?

December 16th, 2009 by Derek
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© Calin Leucuta

© Calin Leucuta

So, who’s willing to exercise their credulity muscles this morning in favor of a change from the usual? I know I get tired of the usual stream of product recalls, firmware upgrades, and general nay-saying you’ll find about any camera made ever on your average online forum. So, I’m willing to shoot this story the benefit of belief until proven otherwise because I want to.

FM member Calin Leucuta has a story posted about his skydiver friend who’s helmet mounted video camera and Rebel XT came loose during a dive and plummeted to the earthy-face of ol’ Gaia in their own freefall. From approximately 3,000 feet. The video camera is apparently scrap, but reportedly the Canon, banged up and ugly, still, well, works.

Video evidence might be coming. Or this might be a hoax. But right now, let’s just give it the benefit of a doubt and declare that Rebel XT the proven toughest camera in the world.

Via Engadget via Canon Rumors via Fred Miranda.



Canon Days: Hands On Review: PowerShot S90

November 17th, 2009 by Carel Struycken
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carel struyckenDuring the ’70s, a producer/director friend of mine used to roam the LA punk scene with an amazing little 35mm camera, the Minox 35 GL. It was the smallest 35mm camera ever produced. Its sharp Minotar lens shot beautiful pictures and thanks to the high ISO films that were being perfected in those days, one could shoot in very low light. There has never been any digital equivalent in size and low light capabilities until now, with Canon’s introduction of the S90. With the G11 and S90 cameras, Canon has finally reversed the maddening pixel race. Pixel density on the G11 has been reduced from its predecessor’s 34MP/cm² down to 23MP/cm² and low light performance has greatly improved. The S90 uses the same sensor and its f-2 maximum aperture helps to make this the best p&s for available light shooting.

The Canon S90 is slightly larger than Canon’s Elph (3.5 x 2.2 x 0.8″ for the Canon SD940IS vs. 3.9 x 2.3 x 1.2″ for the Canon S90), but it still easily slips into the average pocket. A bit too slippery sometimes and it almost fell out of my hands before I made it a rule to use the wrist strap. Much has been made of the programmable function control ring around the lens and it is indeed wonderful…

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Hit the jump to read the rest of Carel's review and to view his large gallery of sample shots]

[UPDATED]

(more…)



Sony Alphas A230, A330, A380 All Get New Firmware

November 5th, 2009 by Derek
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a230-330-380-frimwaresSony’s consumer triplets–the A230, A330, and A380–all received notice of a new firmware today. It purportedly (that’s a good word, isn’t it? Purportedly. Makes me feel fancy.) fixes exposure lock on the focuses subject in center-weighted and spot metering modes. If that just made sense to you, you’ll appreciate this firmware.

For Windows here

For Mac here



Canon EOS 7D Firmware – Once More, With Feeling!

November 5th, 2009 by Nick
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7D-CAN-HAZ-FIRMWAREZ-1.1.0

Available for download here: is the release of Canon’s second firmware update for the EOS 7D, which started shipping in September. This update, 1.1.0, corrects the issue where fragments of the preceding frame would appear in a given frame during continuous shooting. Canon’s release indicates this only happened during incorrect exposures and was imperceptible until levels were adjusted in post-processing.

Two updates in the first 90 days of the camera’s life. Some people might say this is an issue -I figure they’re coding the updates and releasing them in a timely way and that kind of responsiveness is not bad at all.



5D Mark II expecting firmware update first half of 2010

October 21st, 2009 by Nick
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In case you’ve been craving support for 24 and 25 FPS full HD video on your EOS 5D Mark II -Canon is on it. Anticipated in the first half of 2010, it seems the update will allow Mark II users options similar to the 7D’s video settings.