Roberts Raw!
Like Us on Facebook
Follow Us On Twitter
Join Us On Flickr
Watch Us On YouTube

› posts tagged ‘firmware’

PocketWizard Updates Firmware for MultiMaxes

Well, it’s not every day I get to announce a firmware update for things that aren’t cameras, so this is a bit exciting. But, there’s a pretty massive new firmware update for PocketWizard MultiMaxes (the ones with the USB sync port, anyway).

From the press release:

PocketWizard today launched a major firmware upgrade for USB-enabled MultiMAX Transceivers.  Firmware Version 7.5 for both FCC and CE MultiMAX radios is packed with new features and capabilities for serious pro shooters including Long Range Mode for remote camera triggering, Custom ID Move, Signal Strength Indicator and Radio Relay Mode.

Now, I don’t use PocketWizards, so I’m not going to insult you PW shooters by pretending to tell you what awesome things that all means for you, and will suggest you give the documentation about the changes a looking through over on PocketWizard’s site (link at the bottom, here). It’s available for download and install through the PocketWizard Utility, which you can also finda link for from the documentation if you need it. So, yeah. Happy updating, all you kooky PW shooters!



Panasonic To Update All Its M43 Cameras, Too

So, remember last week when we said Olympus was updating its entire Micro Four Thirds line-up? Well, Panasonic announced today that it would, too.  Just, next month. What’s it going to offer? Glad you asked, gives me a good rhetorical foil to post the following:

Firmware ver.1.2 for DMC-GF1

  • Improved operation menu for image stabilizer ([OFF] will be added under [STABILIZER] only when LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS014042) is attached)
  • Improved AF (auto focus) performance with lenses of other manufacturer

Firmware ver.1.3 for DMC-GH1

  • Improved operation menu for image stabilizer ([OFF] will be added under [STABILIZER] only when LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS014042) is attached)
  • Availability of AF performance in FHD (full HD) movie recording mode with Four Thirds lenses that are compatible with contrast AF
  • Improved AF performance in movie recording with LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm / F2.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-ES045)
  • Improved modulation accuracy of flash
  • Improved AF (auto focus) performance with lenses of other manufacturer

Firmware ver.1.5 for DMC-G1

  • Improved operation menu for image stabilizer ([OFF] will be added under [STABILIZER] only when LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS014042) is attached)
  • Improved modulation accuracy of flash
  • Improved AF (auto focus) performance with lenses of other manufacturer

Again, keep your peepers peeled for that next month.



Canon EOS 7D Gets New Firmware (Not a Pre-Announcement)

This is how we like it, actual firmware, actually available at announcement. Handy, that. Announced last night is version 1.2.1 firmware for the Canon EOS 7D. What’s it got to offer, you ask? Canon, want to field this one?

Firmware Version 1.2.1 incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

  1. Extends the timing at which the high temperature warning indicator is displayed and the timing of automatic shut down of the camera due to a rise in internal temperature during Live View or EOS Movie functions.
  2. Optimizes program shift when the ISO setting of the camera is set to AUTO.
  3. Corrects a misspelling in the French-language menu.
  4. Corrects a phenomenon in which vertical magenta-colored banding appears in still images taken in movie-shooting mode.
    (This only occurs when in Manual exposure mode and when the ISO speed is set to “H”. Note that this phenomenon only affects units with Firmware Version 1.2.0)

Firmware Version 1.2.1 is for cameras with firmware up to version 1.2.0. If the camera’s firmware is already version 1.2.1, it is not necessary to update the firmware.
Note that cameras with firmware Version 1.2.1, 1.2.0 cannot be downgraded to a previous firmware version (such as Version 1.1.0).

If you can’t wait any longer to load it up into your camera’s silicon, hit the external link below (view full post if not showing).



Olympus Pen System Gets Firmware Update

Olympus has pre-announced (seriously, guys, what’s up with pre-announcing firmware these days? How’s that even work) new firmware for the entire Pen system due out one hot week from today (that’d be April 22, don’t say I ever made you do math on a weekday).

From the press release:

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., April 15, 2010 – Olympus today announces the release of new firmware that improves auto focus performance for still images and high-definition (HD) video recording for the Olympus PEN E-P1, E-P2 and E-PL1 cameras. The firmware update will also enable the menu and recorded image to be displayed on the E-P2 and E-PL1 LCD while the VF-2 electronic viewfinder is in use.

The firmware update improves the autofocus speed for the E-P1, E-P2 and E-PL1’s still image capture with all Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds lenses. In addition, the update improves auto focus tracking in continuous auto focus (C-AF) mode when shooting movies and using the new M. Zuiko Digital™ ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 and M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 lenses. These lenses are Olympus’ first movie and still [picture] compatible (MSC) lenses and are optimized to achieve accurate and silent auto focus while shooting HD videos.

“This firmware update makes the popular PEN series cameras even more functional for photo enthusiasts and movie-makers alike,” said John Knaur, senior marketing manager, PEN & E-System, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “The improved auto focus speed will make it even easier to capture outstanding, high-quality images and HD videos.”

The new firmware will be available on Olympus’ Web site starting on April 22, 2010. Click on the following link to learn more about the update and gain access to the firmware updater application:http://www.getolympus.com/penupdate.

The M. Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 lens will be available in May 2010, and the M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 lens will be available in June 2010.

Journalists interested in more information, review units and high-resolution images of the Olympus PEN series cameras, M. Zuiko Digital lenses and E-System accessories should contact Jeff Hluchyj, Mullen Public Relations, (617) 226-9939 or jeff.hluchyj@mullen.com, or Jennifer Colucci, Olympus Imaging America Inc., 3500 Corporate Parkway, Center Valley, PA 18034, ph: (484) 896-5719 / (800) 622-6372 orjennifer.colucci@olympus.com, or visit the Olympus website: www.getolympus.com.



Canon EOS 5D Mk II’s New Firmware Might Have Problems

So, that last firmware update for the Canon EOS 5D Mk II, the one that gave us Christmas in March and brought better video options to everyone on the ‘nice’ list? Well, turns out there might be a fly in the milk. Er, ew.

Quoth Canon:

Recently we have discovered a malfunction that occurs with Firmware Version 2.0.3, in which the manual recording levels for C1/C2/C3 are changed and the camera becomes unable to record audio if the power is turned off (or if Auto power off takes effect) after registering “Sound Recording: Manual” in the camera user settings.
We apologize very sincerely for the inconvenience, but we are going to stop making this firmware available for download. For customers who have already updated to the new firmware, when using the camera with the mode dial set to C1/C2/C3, please either set the sound recording settings to Auto.
We are currently preparing firmware that will correct this malfunction. As soon as those preparations have been completed, we will let you know on this Web site. In the meantime, we apologize for the inconvenience this represents, but please wait until the fixed firmware is ready.

So, well. We’ll keep you posted on when the fixed one makes it’s way out. If you don’t use C1/C2/C3 while setting manual levels ever, well, you probably won’t notice anything wrong and can keep happily shooting away, since nothing seems to be wrong with using it as a camera.



Canon EOS 5D mark II Gets Video-Rocking Firmware

OK, so, this was actually posted yesterday, which means most of you 5D mark II shooters probably already have it, but, if you haven’t heard yet there’s a new firmware in town. This one is for the video shooters, adding new frame rates (including real NTSC instead of the machine-perfect 30fps), new audio sampling quality, and an on-screen levels mixer for the audio.

Anyway, the firmware is up on Canon’s site. So, hit the external link below if you want to grab that.



Olympus E-P1 Gets Firmware Update

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

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

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

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.