a700 users!! Let's celebrate!!

[Canuck935]

Sony should soon be releasing v4.0 firmware for the a700. It will have less "splotchy" high ISO noise reduction, including an off setting. Canon 40D and Nikon D300, eat your hearts out!! There's a new high ISO king in town!

v4.0 also expands auto-bracketing to +/- 2 ev. Don't know what else, possibility of allowing the 58/56 flash units being used on camera as master wireless controller instead of pop-up flash. This would make sense since the upcoming a900 would have to do this since it lacks a pop-up due to the giant prism..

[ddkb00]

What is v4.0 firmware for the A700? Is this something you would buy to go along with the camera?

[Canuck935]

No, firmware is a software program that's embedded in a hardware device. Depending when you bought your a700, it may have firmware version 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 on it.

To check your version, turn on the a700 and push the menu and display buttons at the same time. The screen will show you what version it is using. If your camera has v1 or 2 on it, you can upgrade to v3.0 now by going to Sony's support site and looking up drivers and software for the a700. There will be complete instructions on how to do the upgrade. It is free to download and upgrade the firmware.

v4.0 isn't available on the regular support site just yet, but some people found it on one of Sony's servers and that's how I know about it. It shouldn't be long before it is available on the support site.

[Anbesol]

awesome! Thanks for letting me know!

[Pink Dragonfly]

Yeah, thanks from me too for the explanation. I've just had my a700 for a week (my first DSLR) and I was completely clueless as to what firmware is!

Looking forward to being part of this forum :-)

Mette

[Canuck935]

Welcome to the forum! We are glad to have you here. Once you get familiar with your a700 don't forget to add a review.

DSLR-A700 User Reviews

[Pink Dragonfly]

Thanks :-) You seem like a friendly, cheerful, knowledgeable and talented bunch!

Any idea of how many regular a700 users are around?

Mette

[Canuck935]

Thanks :-) You seem like a friendly, cheerful, knowledgeable and talented bunch!

Any idea of how many regular a700 users are around?

Mette

You bet we are! As far as I can tell, we are the friendliest, most cheerful bunch of people to be found on the internet! Well, as far as photography forums go anyway. If that's what you are after, well, you've come to the right place my friend.

Not sure how many a700 users we have here, but there are at least a handful of us..

[ddkb00]

I do not have the A700 yet; but am planning on buying it soon. If I get this camera sometime in October or November will it come with this new firmware. And am I understanding this correctly that this is in the camera and reduces noise? Or have I completely misunderstood what the firmware is for and how it works?

Thanks so much for all of the info you have been sharing,

[Canuck935]

I do not have the A700 yet; but am planning on buying it soon. If I get this camera sometime in October or November will it come with this new firmware. And am I understanding this correctly that this is in the camera and reduces noise? Or have I completely misunderstood what the firmware is for and how it works?

Thanks so much for all of the info you have been sharing,

If you buy your camera in October or November it may or may not have the latest firmware. It depends on whether the camera you get has been sitting in a warehouse somewhere or is new stock. Either way it's easy to check and upgrade if you need to.

The firmware not only controls how the camera handles noise, but it controls absolutely everything the camera does. So when you spin a dial or push a button, the firmware is responsible for what the camera does in response to that dial movement or button press. Beyond that, it tells the camera how to handle data such as noise processing.

[Canuck935]

By the way, it sounds like Sony will have the 4.0 firmware available on their support site later this month. However, if any a700 users out there wants to upgrade now, the firmware is available in the link below. In that link there are also a couple sample images and instructions on how to perform the update. I've put it on my a700 already.

Alpha a700 v4.0 firmware

Happy shooting!