Nex-7 firmware update

[fudini]

This one is simple. When will the nex-7 firmware update be released?

[Gedankencoax]

Hello Everyone

Thanks for letting me know about the firmware update.

After realising that there must be a God I downloaded the firmware 1.01 with no problems

Using my trusty right up to date Mac Book I did all the twiddly bits exactly according to the blurb

Then suddenly realised that God had left the room as absolutely nothing happened except a message that stated to do what I had just done and do it all over again. I was in the proverbial vicious circle now. In the end broke out my old old very old PC XP laptop (after digging it out from the shed) downloaded the .exe version and within seconds I had version v1.01 installed. Not much to report except the video button bit now comes up with a message saying the button is disabled. Still needs an "OK" button push to cancel the message which in all honesty is about the same as it was before.

It really does appear that there has not been an awful lot of logical thought gone into this operating system from the onset.

I feel sure there must have been some other improvements apart from the extra bracketing parameters integrated in the upgarde but I have not found any obvious ones yet -  Well it is a small step forward if nothing else.

The benefit that I have found to owning a Nex7 in comparison to the Nex6 is the fact that the body is a magnesium alloy metal casing and not plastic and has twin navigation knobs with a much greater picture resolution. The Nex6 has reverted to the retrograde single rotary function dial apparently.

However the Nex7 is still a very good camera and with the original metal lenses both camera and lenses are of exceptional build quality and probably not to be repeated with the newer latest versions.

All the best

John

Message was edited by: Gedankencoax

[Gedankencoax]

Hiya

Noticed your message re the latest upgrade and timer controlled bracketing

Checked my upgraded camera for the bracketing feature and it looks as though they have only added some more parameters to broaded the range. It does not look as though you can set the timer and bracket facility at the same time. You can however have 3 or 5 closely spaced exposures of the same thing on a 10 second timer. All these snaps have exactly the same exposure value and thats not going to be much help.

Sorry to be the bearer of not such good news

All the best

John

[scon4061]

Thanks for the info. Just what I thought, a half hearted upgrade. Honestly, it makes me wonder if these guys ever take pictures.

Oh well, It looks like I'm still going to be holding on to my DSLR for a while - shame.

Regards

Steve.

[Peter_McC]

Thanks for raising this Steve.

HDR photography is generally done with a tripod and the ability to use the remote or the self-timer is important.

Currently this can't be done because they are different options on the menu and are therefore mutually exclusive.

This is really important to photographers, and with the price tag on the NEX7 if must be aimed at serious amateurs. Come on Sony this is a serious oversight!

Peter (looking forward to Firmware 1.02 in the near future)  :smileygrin:

[Fender67]

Hi guys,

Please do yourself a favor and purchase a EOS 5D MKIII, as I did, or something similar, and offer the NEX-7 to your neighbors!!

All the best,

[Peter_McC]

H ha very funny. I do, in fact have a Canon 7D, not quite the 5D Mk III but the problem there is the sheer weight and bulk. The NEX 7 is a second camera for portability and convenience, but I would still like to do some advanced stuff with it.

[Fender67]

Hi,

You are correct, 7D is not quite the 5D MKIII, actually it's much worse in terms of sharpness and color richness, not to mention the full frame feature and many others.

The only Sony camera that approaches the quality of the 5D MKIII is A-900. (I did try it, as a friend of mine has it and it takes really quality pics).

NEX-7 is not even a DSLR, even if many reviews on the web, say that it is one.

However, I full agree that the weight and bulk are a good point. (but of no importance to me) 

Kindest regards,

Message was edited by: Fender67

Message was edited by: Fender67

[Peter_McC]

Anyway .. back to the point about NEX 7 firmware. I don't want the importance of an update to allow bracketing with self-timer and remote to get lost in all this off-topic talk of DSLRs.

If anyone from Sony is listening can we please have this.

An option to shoot RAW at less than the full 24 MP would also be good. I know you can do it in Jpeg but the option for RAW would be handy.

Peter

[hrossm]

I agree absolutely. I am just in the process of selling off my EOS400D and lenses to concentrate on my NEX-7. I find it does everything I want EXCEPT for the bracketing for HDR. You can change the exposure manually if the camera is on a firm tripod but there is always the risk of movement and HDR software can only cope with so much. My memory after a few bracketed shots also starts to struggle - now which exposure did I start with?

My preference would be for 5 shots at 0.5 or 1 EV intervals (selectable) in M or A mode (exposure compensation possible in A) with the remote release please, PLEASE!

It would be nice to justify a Canon 6D but I can't at the moment and I want to keep my kit light for lugging across Dartmoor & the SW coast path (or what is left of it) so getting the most out of a good quality lightweight camera like the NEX-7 is important for me and , I guess, a good many other folk.

Ross

[cmosse]

Hi Ross

FW update 1.01 has improved the bracketing capabilities:

"Addition of exposure settings of bracket shooting (three frames /1.0EV,2.0EV, 3.0EV)"

So it you do a bracket with 3EV setting you get an expansion of 6EV in total. If you additionally shoot in RAW format there should be more than enough latitude to create even the richest HDR images.

When using a strurdy tripod you can easily expand to 12 EV gain by doing two bursts.

Michael