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Sony has announced a pair of firmware updates for its a1 and a7S III mirrorless camera systems, bringing new and improved shooting modes to its two of its newest cameras.
Firmware version 1.3 for Sony a1
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Firmware version 1.3 for Sony’s a1 full-frame mirrorless camera brings 8K 4:2:2 10-bit video recording and Lossless Compressed Raw capture for stills. Up until now, the a1 had recorded its 8K video in up to 10-bit 4:2:0. The latest firmware boosts the color resolution that it retained by reducing the amount of chroma sub-sampling.
The new Lossless Compressed Raw capture will offer small, medium or large (S, M or L) file sizes available in Sony’s menu. The ‘L’ file corresponds to the camera’s existing Lossless Raw option, which retains full image quality in a smaller file size, which the smaller alternatives reduce the pixel count in the files. Until we get a chance to install the firmware, we won’t know how the resolution reduced or how much impact there is on detail retention.
Firmware version 2.1 for Sony a7S III
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Firmware version 2.1 for Sony’s a7S III camera adds the ability to record proxy footage while operating the cameras remotely via computer. The update also adds improvements to Eye AF performance, but Sony hasn’t specified what changes in particular have been made.
You can download firmware version 1.3 for the a1 (macOS, Windows) and firmware version 2.1 for the a7S III (macOS, Windows) on Sony’s website.
Press release:
New Alpha 1 Firmware Update Enables 8K 4:2:2 10bit Recording and Lossless RAW File Options
SAN DIEGO, CA – June 13, 2022 – Sony Electronics Inc. today announced the v1.3 firmware update for the flagship Alpha 1 full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, adding 8K 4:2:2 10bit recording and Lossless Compressed RAW for still images.
Using newly added 8K 4:2:2 10-bit capabilities, filmmakers and cinematographers can more precisely customize the vibrancy and color grading of their recordings. Combined with the Alpha 1’s 8.6K oversampling for extraordinary 8K resolution, the new addition of 4:2:2 10-bit recording lets filmmakers and content creators realize their creative vision with incredible realism and color.
The update also adds Lossless Compressed RAW files in S, M, and L (small, medium, or large) file sizes. Selecting L size preserves the same image quality as an uncompressed RAW format while significantly reducing the file size. The M and S sizes record fewer pixels than the L size, providing more manageable RAW files. With Alpha 1 v1.3, users can freely combine JPEG and their choice of Lossless Compressed RAW sizes based on their use case. This is especially beneficial with a user needs to deliver JPEG files immediately, but also needs RAW files for in-depth editing.
Updates to the Alpha 7S III
A new v2.1 firmware update for Sony’s acclaimed Alpha 7S III full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera is also available for immediate download. Most notably, this latest update includes the introduction of proxy recording during remote computer connect and improvements to Eye AF (autofocus) performance.
Availability
Alpha 1 v1.3 is available now and can be downloaded below:
Alpha 7S III v2.1 is available now and can be downloaded below:
Author:
Gannon Burgett
Source: Dpreview
