Announced in January, the first of two new firmware updates for the Sony A9 is now available. Sony A9 firmware v5.0 adds real-time Eye AF as well as specific eye preference detection, better low light autofocus performance, increased AF accuracy, and a whole host of other new and updated features.
One word of warning – Installing the new firmware update will erase all your current settings. So, be sure to make a note of anything important!
The Eye AF evolution has been enhanced so that it still operates while the shutter button is pressed halfway down or the AF-ON button is pressed. You can also tell the camera which eye to focus on, or have it automatically select an eye to lock onto.
The new Real-time Eye AF also uses AI-based object recognition resulting in what sony describes as “an unprecedented level of speed and performance for locking on and holding focus on a subject’s eyes”. They also say that tracking now holds well even when a subject’s eyes are temporarily closed or otherwise obscured. Sony says that the phase detection autofocus accuracy has also been improved during AF-C continuous shooting, with better performance in low light situations. The maximum value has been increased from f/11 to f/16, offering a whole extra stop of low light autofocus capability. Image quality updates also come with firmware 5.0, saying that now more accurately reproduces subtle changes in light for smoother and more natural tonal gradations. It also apparently improves the camera’s ability to auto white balance, too. Not so essential if you’re shooting raw stills, but potentially very handy for video shooters. Other features include…
New My Dial menuRevised Custom Key menuImproved touchpad capabilityEnhanced dual-card functionalityEnhanced tagging
If you want to see the complete list of changes, and there are quite a few, and download the firmware for your A9, then head on over to the Sony website. There’s no sign of the Animal Eye AF or built-in intervalometer features yet. Those will be coming in Sony A9 firmware v6.0 at some point this summer.
