New firmware updates for the Sony HVL-F60RM2 and HVL-F46RM adds full Sony A9III support

New firmware update for two Sony flashes:

Sony HVL F60RM2 (firmware here) Benefits and Improvements:

  • Adds support for Global Shutter Sync photography in all shutter areas: By using an HVL-F60RM2 flash with a camera equipped with a global shutter image sensor, flash photography can be synchronized with the entire range of shutter speeds available on the camera and enable more effective flash exposures than conventional High-Speed Sync photography (HSS).
  • Adds Flash charge Priority setting: When CHG PRIORITY is set to STABLE on the MENU screen, although the charging time is longer compared to when it is set to NORMAL, it allows for more stable firing.

Sony HVL FF46RM (firmware here) Benefits and Improvements:

  • Adds support for Global Shutter Sync photography in all shutter areas: By using an HVL-F46RM flash with a camera equipped with a global shutter image sensor, flash photography can be synchronized with the entire range of shutter speeds available on the camera and enable more effective flash exposures than conventional High-Speed Sync photography (HSS).
  • Adds Flash charge Priority setting: When CHG PRIORITY is set to STABLE on the MENU screen, although the charging time is longer compared to when it is set to NORMAL, it allows for more stable firing.

We finally got the first of the much faster 4.0 Type A cards from Lexar with double the speed!

Current Type A cards have a read speed up to 900MB/s and a write speed up to 800MB/s. The just announced new Lexar CFexpress 4.0 Type A cards uses the new PCIe Gen 4 bus and features read speeds of up to 1800 MB/s and write speeds of up to 1650 MB/s. UPDATE: Theses cards are backwards compatible but will NOT work at full speed on current Sony cameras. You need extra hardware for this. So hopefully the A7sIV, A7V and A1II will have full support for them.

The new card is not available for preorder at BHphoto or Amazon. And we have no info about the price which I guess will be NOT low!

Reminder:
You save 15% on the fast and most affordable Pergear Type A card sold by Amazon US (Click here and click on the coupon button).
You save 20% on the same card sold in Europe by Amazon DE, Amazon UK.

–

via Explora

Curiosity: Back in 2018 Alin Popescu already found first hints of global shutter info inside the Sony A9

From Alin Popescu’s website:

Back in 2018 I’ve discovered a bug in the new firmware update of the original A9. It was firmware 3.0. Somehow it messed my settings on the FN button menu and showed the option Angle Setting. I’ve posted about it here.

A7s III was not yet released back then, and I assumed it will be a camera with global shutter. What did I know that we have to wait 5 more years to see it coming in the form of the A9 III.

Funny fact 1: maybe the programmer that released the firmware for the original A9 with this bug chose in the export instead of A9 firmware 3, he chose A9 version III 

Funny fact 2: back then, I was a Sony European Imaging Ambassador in Romania and after I’ve published the article on the blog, a contact directly from Sony Japan asked me kindly to take down the article (no explanations given, he said it’s just a bug quickly to be fixed). I did that, but didn’t delete it, just unpublished from WordPress. Today I found it again, after a long search since I didn’t remember exactly when it happened.

Scammer warning on Amazon Germany

A scammer is selling Sony gear for crazy low prices on Amazon Germany. Yesterday I quickly linked to the deal and than removed it after 10min because readers made me aware of the possible scam. A reader (Thanks Jose!) told me this:

the seller tried to get me to make a bank transfer directly to them. I’ve reported it to amazon and they are looking into it.

So please do NOT make any direct bank transfer. And Amazon Germany should refund you if you have any trouble. Thanks to all readers for the warning!