Updated even though I never had an issue with Eye AF. However the AF does seem quicker and when out shooting some BIF this morning it sure seemed my tracking was more accurate. It would lock on a subject and not let go. That was not my experience before the update.
I'm running into issues updating the FW with my 2022 MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip. Install process keeps failing, says I need to install Sony Camera Driver, which I did. Still no joy.
We've been through this before, but Sony as a consumer company should have much better software and user interfaces. This is a joke!
I've spent 20+ yrs in the software industry and incompetence and lack of customer focus/obsession like this from Sony make me want to sell all my Sony gear, including TVs, just to not ever have to deal with them again. I don't care about the financial loss.
patotts wrote:
I'm running into issues updating the FW with my 2022 MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip. Install process keeps failing, says I need to install Sony Camera Driver, which I did. Still no joy.
We've been through this before, but Sony as a consumer company should have much better software and user interfaces. This is a joke!
I've spent 20+ yrs in the software industry and incompetence and lack of customer focus/obsession like this from Sony make me want to sell all my Sony gear, including TVs, just to not ever have to deal with them again. I don't care about the financial loss. ...Show more →
Your choice to use a niche version of non-industry standard hardware. Expect issues like this. Grab a cheapo Windows tablet with a USB port to get the job done.
It is not niche in the creative industries, au contraire. And the reason Macs are more secure is that they don't allow devs to make kernel-level changes to install basic software. It is poorly engineered.
This is entirely on Sony. 37 steps to follow like, make sure you have a card in slot 1, your battery has to be this and that, etc, etc, etc. Just load the FW update on a card and do it quickly in-camera, like any other normal camera manufacturer. This is inexcusable.
Update: I think I managed to get it to work, update running, but there is zero reason for it to be this hard.
patotts wrote:
It is not niche in the creative industries, au contraire. And the reason Macs are more secure is that they don't allow devs to make kernel-level changes to install basic software. It is poorly engineered.
This is entirely on Sony. 37 steps to follow like, make sure you have a card in slot 1, your battery has to be this and that, etc, etc, etc. Just load the FW update on a card and do it quickly in-camera, like any other normal camera manufacturer. This is inexcusable.
Update: I think I managed to get it to work, update running, but there is zero reason for it to be this hard. ...Show more →
M1 just came out somewhat recently, so it's very niche, being a small part of a small market share (Windows = 73%, Apple = 15%). Completely different architecture that many brands have been rewriting their software to support. In every photo/graphic artist job I've had that had an office, there have been both Apple and Windows computers in use side by side for creative work.
The reasons Macs are so secure is because of the market share. Why spend time writing malware to affect a few people when the same malware, written for the most popular OS, can affect the entire world at all levels? Same reason Sony has such a large AF lens selection vs Canikon.
I know arguments about Windows security are rational and seem to make sense, but that is the response/story that you've been fed for many years. I spent a number of years working on Windows at a certain company in Seattle...
Final update: A7IV updated to 1.01 but main it was unnecessarily painful.
Every time that Sony issues a firmware update the same complaints are heard. Sony really does need to fix this issue, allowing FW updates via the SD card is the simplest and best solution.
Other companies can do it, so they have no excuse.
It took me almost 25 mins from start to finish. Insane.
Anyway hopefully the issue is resolved. Only seemed to be an issue for me when shooting wide open at MFD while subject was moving!
LiveShots wrote:
Every time that Sony issues a firmware update the same complaints are heard. Sony really does need to fix this issue, allowing FW updates via the SD card is the simplest and best solution.
Other companies can do it, so they have no excuse.
looks like it's possible, they do have an update software button in the menu, and they explicitly stated no sd card version.
seems like this firmware was rushed before that implementation could finish
patotts wrote:
It is not niche in the creative industries, au contraire. And the reason Macs are more secure is that they don't allow devs to make kernel-level changes to install basic software. It is poorly engineered.
This is entirely on Sony. 37 steps to follow like, make sure you have a card in slot 1, your battery has to be this and that, etc, etc, etc. Just load the FW update on a card and do it quickly in-camera, like any other normal camera manufacturer. This is inexcusable.
Update: I think I managed to get it to work, update running, but there is zero reason for it to be this hard. ...Show more →
. Sure, there are other ways. But if that is hard for you, I don't know what to say. I do this since the A7ii for several years now for many many bodies and I never had a single problem. The rant is a bit exaggerated.
Does it just improve tracking or does it improve the hit rate on the iris vs. eyelash (on humans)?
I do not have time to update and test until later this week. Do not want to get my hopes up, hehe.
[Please, no one say, "there is not an issue with the camera locking on the eyelashes; it is a user error"... DPreview & a sony rep have already confirmed that it is a thing -- plus, the "why" it is happening is not my question -- just want to know if anyone saw an improvement in the update and were willing to share! ]
patotts wrote:
I'm running into issues updating the FW with my 2022 MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip. Install process keeps failing, says I need to install Sony Camera Driver, which I did. Still no joy.
We've been through this before, but Sony as a consumer company should have much better software and user interfaces. This is a joke!
I've spent 20+ yrs in the software industry and incompetence and lack of customer focus/obsession like this from Sony make me want to sell all my Sony gear, including TVs, just to not ever have to deal with them again. I don't care about the financial loss. ...Show more →
I'm part of Mark Galers Patron. I received and email from him that he was able to download the firmware on his Apple M1 Mac. Copied and pasted from the email.
Sony have released a new 1.01 firmware update for the camera. You can find the download by going to the Sony site, clicking on Support and then entering the product name ILCE-7M4 and then clicking on the 'Downloads' tab.
I am pleased to report that I was able to do the update my camera on my M1 Mac (not previously possible) after first installing the new Camera Updater App. I am also pleased to report that the update did not Initialize the camera so none of my settings needed to be reinstated. (no new CAMSET needed.
Sony list Eye AF as one of the features that has changed. Sony will undoubtedly have tried to push the focus back 1/4 inch from the eyelashes to the iris of the eye. This will not impact my own workflow as I usually photograph the person no closer than head and shoulders and my subjects, eyebrow, eyelashes and iris are all sharp - even at f/1.8.
I am sure some photographers, however, will be delighted that Sony have addressed this concern.
Holger wrote: . Sure, there are other ways. But if that is hard for you, I don't know what to say. I do this since the A7ii for several years now for many many bodies and I never had a single problem. The rant is a bit exaggerated.
We are not really ranting. And definatley not exaggerated. Our first firmware update for the A7III took us nearly all day long. Because of having to do so many steps, like was mentioned. More like one step forward 2 steps back. We are a bit nervous wanting to do this update for the A7IV. But I will follow Mark Galers suggestion to see if that's any help.
For what is worth, the bird eye AF seems to be improved with the new update. I've been shooting the same bird in my backyard for the past couple days and before the update, it would catch the eye sometimes, but not easily. It was a cool feature, but not something I would buy the camera for.
Now after the update it finds the eye immediately and works in much lower light. I shot this well past sunset around 9pm on a tripod with a 6 sec (yup, 6 seconds) and it had no problem picking up the eye in very little light.
. Sure, there are other ways. But if that is hard for you, I don't know what to say. I do this since the A7ii for several years now for many many bodies and I never had a single problem. The rant is a bit exaggerated.
Of course, it is a bit exaggerated but the fact remains that the Sony FW update is necessarily complicated and filled with potential missteps. Being that I have to go into the start-up disk and make kernel-level security changes to my laptop in order to update the firmware of my camera is evidence of extremely poor engineering decisions.
. Sure, there are other ways. But if that is hard for you, I don't know what to say. I do this since the A7ii for several years now for many many bodies and I never had a single problem. The rant is a bit exaggerated.
]