a9 firmware 5.0 is available

[LiveShots]

Link: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/e-mount-body-ilce-9-series/ilce-9

Notes: due to the large number of function updates all memory settings are lost so write down anything important. This includes memory settings stored on SD cards. They won’t work with v5.

After allowing Sony Corporation software in the Security Settings (Mac), the SystemSoftwareUpdater did not start automatically. I found the app in the resources folder on the .dmg folder.

It takes a while.

[LiveShots]

Updated Help Guide: https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/1830/v1/en/index.html

[Chrissie]

Hi LiveShots, it seems like you have already installed the new firmware.  I assume, you also have already "played" with your "new" camera for a while now.

Can you give a brief report on the one most obvious flaw and/or improvement? Would you recommend the update to other a9 owners?

Thanks a lot.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Chrissie

[LiveShots]

• Write down all your menu settings first, everything gets wiped out.
• The online manual has been updated and was very useful in figuring out some of the newer settings.
• The number of different focusing modes is impressive, the list can be reduced by using the Focus Limit option to reduce the number of options. 
• I’m sure I’ll be tweaking the settings as I play around some more.
• I tried the tracking on some birds, the light was not good and I only have a 70-200 but it seemed to latch on an track amazingly well. 
• Focus tracking had issues when the background changed, ie tracking a bird in the sky was flawless, when the birds approached a lake it sometimes lost the track, but a quick release and partial shutter press got it back again. I need to test this with various tracking sensitivity options.
• Love the Rating button, I set it on C3.

I would recommend the update, note that there is no way to go back to 4.1 once 5.0 is installed. I’m hoping to do some more testing this weekend.

[Chrissie]

Thanks a lot, LiveShots. This is really more than I had asked for. I've gone through the release notes already, so I am aware that all old settings will be lost.

This update seems like a good opportunity to treat the camera as brand new, getting rid of any old "stale" settings which somehow got set without really knowing what the were good for,  and start setting only those settings you really need. I'll probably take that approach. Thanks again for your help.

[LiveShots]

The update a9 Instruction Guide has been published, this is the .pdf version.

Link: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/d830/9e418e206969550a21e784c254221119/d8301001M.pdf