p.14 #1 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
schlotz wrote:
Maybe there is another solution. Modify the firmware to be tolerant to the older chipset if detected. Point here is both wifi & BT worked using 1.32.
Honestly depends on why the update fails. Could be the flash chip that accepts a firmware update is failing and can't take the write for some reason. Could be it's just in general bad(bad solder, bad nand/wifi/bt card, or bad something). Sadly without Sony telling us or someone who knows electrical engineering taking a bad and a good one apart and comparing them we probably won't know the true cause. This reminds me of the Pacifica van uconnect problem where the wifi/gps(air card) would fail quietly due to a firmware bug and the sign would be the navigation would show you sometimes in a different state. If you attempted to update the firmware of the radio which updated the air card it would fail taking the whole radio down with it. Chrysler could of gotten around this by writing code to detect if the air card's positioning was wrong and to ignore the card on boot then tell the end user to take it in for service or just simply air card needed to be replaced. But nope instead bricked the whole radio and hundreds of $ replacement costs.
p.14 #2 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
LBJ2 wrote:
Interesting facts as opposed to some of the forum or Facebook comments speculation. Also, interesting Sony feels the need to include this particular detection mechanism in v2.01.
"The new firmware introduces a detection mechanism for the Wi-Fi chipset. Should a user encounter a chipset failure on a version prior to this mechanism's implementation, the camera may fail to boot, become inoperable, display a System Error, or enter a boot loop."
In other words, for those that care, even if you never plan to use either might be wise to check your BT Wifi asap particularly if your camera is under warranty so it can be repaired under warranty.
For those realizing they were affected after the firmware update, I don't think/or I hope this is not the end of the story from Sony. But probably going to take some time for this multinational conglomerate and their supplier partners and their legal department(s) to sort and communicate a potential remedy.
In the mean time and as others has posted--to include those the never plan to use BT/Wifi, if there is a BT/Wifi chipset failure the camera is otherwise functional and in some cases e.g., a USBC cable can be used to transfer files directly from the camera instead of Wifi. ...Show more →
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k-h.a.w wrote:
WOW! What a wild story.
I updated my A1 to Firmware version 2.01 and can shoot pictures without issues.
So far I have not tried Wi-Fi or BT yet, as I have never used it before.
Tempted to try. What could go wrong?
Famous last words.
As I understand the above discussion my A1 should not turn into a paper weight trying to use Wi-Fi or BT as it still works correctly otherwise now that it is on 2.01.
Right?
K-H.
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ChrisMak wrote:
So to summarize, if I understand it correctly: the latest firmware 2.01, as was v2.0, is incompatible with the network chipset in early A1 cameras (quite a few), but it contains code to detect the chipset incompatibility and gives the user a warning that the network functionality does not work due to hardware (and so there is no use trying to configure the camera differently or bother Sony customer service with it).
On top of that, the A1 owner is expected to pay him/herself for the hardware upgrade to a compatible network chipset, meaning a whole new motherboard has to be installed.
That is the only way to restore full network functionality.
Side effect is likely to be, that a wave of cheap A1's are coming to the used market that are 1.000,-/1500,- below normal used prices due to missing networking capabilities.
These bodies are fine however for users that have no need for the network functionality, and offer a way to get into the A1 really cheap.
Possible other side effect could be, that the appetite for a Sony A1mkII may turn out less than expected due to users feeling ripped off by Sony.
Sony however prefers taking this risk, over having to take in a large quantity of A1's and replace their motherboards under warranty.
They may feel that the A1 is primarily a camera for proffesional photographers, that will have mostly worn out their A1's by now anyhow, have mostly upgraded to the A9III, and will all upgrade to the A1mkII when it comes to market early next year.
Am I missing or misinterpreting anything? ...Show more →
I now see my earlier reported problem of not being able to switch my A1 temporarily back on and some folks noting faster battery drainage in a new light due to the chip set issues discussed above. Maybe these are all connected problems.
I also wonder now if I try Wi-Fi or BT functionality I won’t get the error message some have reported that was installed with 2.01?
p.14 #3 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
k-h.a.w wrote:
I updated A1 firmware from version 1.32 -> 1.35 -> 2.01 and currently am working on regenerating “My Menu” settings. In doing so I am constantly scrolling through the main menu and I also have been switching the camera on and off a lot.
The problem I encountered now several times is that the A1 would not switch back on, sometimes not even after pulling out the 2 batteries out off the Sony battery grip and reinserting them. When replacing the batteries with fresh and fully loaded ones I noticed that the batteries I just pulled out felt warm to the touch. Waiting awhile before trying to switch the A1 camera back on so far has always been eventually successful. Before this firmware update I never ran into this problem before when building up “My Menu”.
I find this problem pretty bizarre.
Has anyone else ran into this issue?
TIA for a reply.
p.14 #4 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
ChrisMak wrote:
So to summarize, if I understand it correctly: the latest firmware 2.01, as was v2.0, is incompatible with the network chipset in early A1 cameras (quite a few), but it contains code to detect the chipset incompatibility and gives the user a warning that the network functionality does not work due to hardware (and so there is no use trying to configure the camera differently or bother Sony customer service with it).
On top of that, the A1 owner is expected to pay him/herself for the hardware upgrade to a compatible network chipset, meaning a whole new motherboard has to be installed.
That is the only way to restore full network functionality.
Side effect is likely to be, that a wave of cheap A1's are coming to the used market that are 1.000,-/1500,- below normal used prices due to missing networking capabilities.
These bodies are fine however for users that have no need for the network functionality, and offer a way to get into the A1 really cheap.
Possible other side effect could be, that the appetite for a Sony A1mkII may turn out less than expected due to users feeling ripped off by Sony.
Sony however prefers taking this risk, over having to take in a large quantity of A1's and replace their motherboards under warranty.
They may feel that the A1 is primarily a camera for proffesional photographers, that will have mostly worn out their A1's by now anyhow, have mostly upgraded to the A9III, and will all upgrade to the A1mkII when it comes to market early next year.
Am I missing or misinterpreting anything? ...Show more →
I don't know of any evidence that it's related to "early cameras." Both of my A1's are launch-date cameras and I have had no problems at all with either 2.0 or 2.01. I know of at least one other person here as well with a launch-day camera with no issues. There's a lot of assumptions in this thread and a lot of people jumping to even bigger conclusions based on those assumptions.
p.14 #5 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
Non-stop rain last 3 days, bored, did the 2.01 update.
Smooth sailing in the two step process to get to 2.01 and
A1 running fine post.
Nothing noted about battery drain/but I still remember the 'forever'
battery of the A9.
p.14 #6 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
jhapeman wrote:
I don't know of any evidence that it's related to "early cameras." Both of my A1's are launch-date cameras and I have had no problems at all with either 2.0 or 2.01. I know of at least one other person here as well with a launch-day camera with no issues. There's a lot of assumptions in this thread and a lot of people jumping to even bigger conclusions based on those assumptions.
Im not with a A1 these days but certainly been keeping up with this. I wonder wonder if there is a certain setting that maybe turned off or on in your system that others with issues are not set on/off. Not pointing you but others as well that its working fine
p.14 #7 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
jhapeman wrote:
I don't know of any evidence that it's related to "early cameras." Both of my A1's are launch-date cameras and I have had no problems at all with either 2.0 or 2.01. I know of at least one other person here as well with a launch-day camera with no issues. There's a lot of assumptions in this thread and a lot of people jumping to even bigger conclusions based on those assumptions.
Ok thanks, then it is not a fact that early network chipsets are incompatible with the latest firmware, at least not all early chipsets used.
That even muddles the situation further, as it becomes even more mysterious why some network chipsets simply stop working after the firmware update.
p.14 #9 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
GMPhotography wrote:
I wonder if there is a certain setting that maybe turned off or on in your system that others with issues are not set on/off. Not pointing you but others as well that its working fine
Which is why I suggested a while back that those with the problem post their CAMSET files, those without the problem can upload that file and see if their camera network still functions.
p.14 #10 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
LiveShots wrote:
Which is why I suggested a while back that those with the problem post their CAMSET files, those without the problem can upload that file and see if their camera network still functions.
Great idea. Thanks.
I would like to access such a CAMSET file and see if Network works on my A1 under 2.01.
p.14 #12 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
I have another problem in combination with CamRanger 2. I just recently bought an A1 and directly updated to 2.01. I use a CamRanger 2 for real estate photography. The CamRanger 2 does not trigger the capture. I press the capture button in the app but nothing happens. Everthing else works fine.
My A7Rv that I sold worked fine and my other Sony cameras (A7iv and A7Cii) work fine too.
CamRanger support could not help, because Sony does not provide any error logs. And they say no other A1 users reported issues. But maybe most are still an firmware 1.32?
Is here someone on 2.01 and uses an CamRanger 2?
Any issues?
I compared my relevant menu settings to my other cameras, seems similar.
The only difference I can see is the display symbol when I connect the CamRanger 2 to my A1. My other cameras show a "-PC-" on the display wether the A1 shows some kind of square icon with something like a PC screen inside.
On the other hand when I connect the A1 to my MacBook via USB-C I can capture from Sony Imaging Edge Desktop I can remote capture without any issues and the same icon appears on the display.
p.14 #13 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
Adl999 wrote:
I have another problem in combination with CamRanger 2. I just recently bought an A1 and directly updated to 2.01. I use a CamRanger 2 for real estate photography. The CamRanger 2 does not trigger the capture. I press the capture button in the app but nothing happens. Everthing else works fine.
My A7Rv that I sold worked fine and my other Sony cameras (A7iv and A7Cii) work fine too.
CamRanger support could not help, because Sony does not provide any error logs. And they say no other A1 users reported issues. But maybe most are still an firmware 1.32?
Is here someone on 2.01 and uses an CamRanger 2?
Any issues?
I compared my relevant menu settings to my other cameras, seems similar.
The only difference I can see is the display symbol when I connect the CamRanger 2 to my A1. My other cameras show a "-PC-" on the display wether the A1 shows some kind of square icon with something like a PC screen inside.
On the other hand when I connect the A1 to my MacBook via USB-C I can capture from Sony Imaging Edge Desktop I can remote capture without any issues and the same icon appears on the display....Show more →
p.14 #14 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
Hmmmm... the poll was interesting. I don't do video so it doesn't seem like a super compelling upgrade but I do like the new menu after using it on the A7RV. I also like the Creators App vs Imaging Edge.
It seems that our small sample size of 57 upgraders with 8 reporting issues is a little higher than I'd like but I think I'm going to jump in some time this week just for fun.
Thank you very much LiveShots.
I have downloaded your file LVSTEST.DAT to my Mac computer and copied it to my memory card that also has my settings file with default name on it.
I then have successfully loaded either your or my settings file into my A1.
In both cases my A1 has rebooted successfully and the different settings have taken effect.
I see your “My Menu” settings with 2 pages of settings in addition to the last page of commands to modify/add/delete/etc. the My Menu pages in my A1.
Also when your settings file LVSTEST.DAT is loaded the LCD screen is active and my A1 doesn’t switch to the EVF when I put my eye close to the EVF.
Currently my settings file is loaded.
I will load your settings file again and activate the eye sensor detector.
Then I will change the Airplane mode from ON to OFF and study your settings.
Next I will follow this advice:
1) Download and install the Creators app on your iphone
1a) Create or Login to your Sony account
2) Go through the process to add a camera.
2a) Select the camera icon at the bottom of the screen
2b) Select the camera icon with the "+" symbol at the top of the screen
2c) Choose your camera from the list of "Cameras that can connect to this app"
2d) Select the black button: "My camera meets the required version"
3) On the camera, (Cnct/Remote Sht. -> Smartphone Connection). This will tell you to "Install Creators' App"
4) Follow the prompts from there. You should quickly see a photorealistic image of your camera model, with control options for Remote Shooting, Import, Network Streaming, and Camera Settings.
If your camera has the WiFi/Bluetooth problem, you will see an error message like the one in the attached photo. I suspect that alot of people are assuming that their unit is ok by simply connecting to a WiFi access point.
Douglas L wrote:
OK, I was very brave. I just updated the new to me A1 from FW 1.31 to 2.01. This body was purchased new by the previous owner in March 2022, presumably it was manufactured in 2021 or early 2022.
I have never used the wifi features in any of my cameras, this is the first time ever for me to try. It was able to detect the wifi networks, I entered the password, and got this screen. Hope it means it's working. I have another A1 that I bought new few months ago. I also just updated it from 2.0 to 2.01. I will try the wifi thingy on that one tomorrow to see if it works.
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I’ll keep you posted and would appreciate additional guidance.
As I have age-related poor eye sight I really don’t want to use my iPhone for this purpose.
Instead I would prefer to wirelessly send image s from my A1 to my Wi-Fi network with an iPad and an M2 Mac computer attached.
p.14 #16 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
I wish that more information was available on exactly which A1 bodies are affected. I have two A1 bodies at the moment, one with serial number starting with 337 and the other with serial number starting with 338. With a big trip coming up and with the potential need for BT and/or WIFI, it is a big worry in terms of upgrading, and at this time, I have decided to forgo the upgrade to 2.01. The new Creator's App seems like it would be a nice tool, but if the wireless communications won't work, that app will be useless.
It is a real shame that these problems have occurred with the A1 (and other bodies apparently as well) and that Sony is not taking responsibility for it. It is their firmware that is not compatible with their bodies - to force users to pay for the repair is unbelievable. It is not like Sony is providing any information that says if you have bodies with these serial numbers, don't update.
p.14 #17 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
It’s shameful the way Sony has responded to this. Corporate stonewalling usually doesn’t end well. It certainly makes me reconsider my future with Sony
p.14 #18 · A1 Firmware v 2.01 is out now. On the fence about installing it though. :)
arbitrage wrote:
Yeah certainly not an early A1 specific problem. I have an A1 from the first week it was available and I had no BT/Wifi issues on 2.0 or 2.01.
I did have worse battery on 2.0 and haven't had a chance to test 2.01 as I've had my loaner A9III the past two weeks so haven't touched the A1.
Geoff - is the S/N 337XXX indicative of early A1's?
TIA
David
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