Sony releases the new Sony A9II firmware update 2.0

You can now download the new firmware update at Sony’s website.

Benefits and Improvements from the latest update

  • Adds the Hi Frequency flicker function, which allows you to reduce the impact of flickering of artificial light sources (e.g. digital signage, electronic signboards, LED lights, etc.), by more finely adjusting the shutter speed
    NOTE: The Imaging Edge Remote, Imaging Edge Mobile, and Remote Camera Tool software will not be supported after April 9th, 2020
  • Improves the Face/Eye Priority in the AF function:
    • When set to a custom key, the Face/Eye Priority in the AF function can be activated or deactivated each time the custom key is pressed
    • If Face/Eye Priority is already set to custom key, this improvement will be available after the camera is updated
  • Improves the Remote Camera Tool function by adding support for displaying Focus Frame for almost all scenes
    NOTE: Version 2.00 (or later) of the Remote Camera Tool is required. Please update to the latest version.
  • Improves the FTP transfer function
  • Allows the camera’s MAC address to be displayed as a QR code
  • Adds a function to close the shutter when you turn off the camera to prevent dust or debris from adhering to the image sensor when you change lenses
  • Allows you to save or load the customized camera settings to My MENU
  • Improves the overall stability of the camera

Press text: Timelapse+ VIEW 1.8 update adds more camera support and includes a brand new USB Camera driver

Press text:

Timelapse+ VIEW 1.8 update adds more camera support and includes a brand new USB Camera driver

Minneapolis, MN — Friday March 13th 2020– ​ Timelapse+ today announced two exciting news: Timelapse+ VIEW v.1.8 and Timelapse+ CORE.

VIEW 1.8 is a firmware update to their popular intervalometer and Timelapse+ CORE is their new USB Camera driver.

The last couple of years has seen a major trend toward mirrorless from pretty much all camera manufacturers. From the perspective of time-lapse, this has been good news since you now have the option of electronic shutter (time-lapse no longer needs to wear out the camera) and many of the new cameras can be powered over USB as well, extending the battery life (and making up for the tiny batteries in most mirrorless).

New Camera Driver: Timelapse+ CORE
Over the last year and a half, we built a 100% new camera driver from the ground up, we’re calling ​Timelapse+ CORE​. It’s designed to work optimally for time-lapse, giving us more flexibility and making it much easier to quickly support new cameras. It’s more reliable, faster (allowing shorter intervals) and is also much easier on the development side to maintain and keep up with new cameras.
While the new driver was written first for use in VIEW, Timelapse+ is packaging it and licensing it as a separate product. The CORE driver is a perfect solution in other applications where high-performance USB camera control across a broad range of cameras is needed. It’s free for personal use and paid for commercial use. Contact Timelapse+ if you’re interested in learning more.

Timelapse+ VIEW New Camera Support

● Canon EOS and EOS R
● Nikon DSLR and Nikon Z
● Fuji X and Fuji GFX
● Olympus
● Panasonic.

Sony Updates
Sony cameras have been supported since the beginning of the VIEW, but it’s better than ever now with the CORE driver. 1st and 2nd generation Sony cameras don’t allow saving to the camera’s SD card while connected via USB. This requires that the images be copied to the VIEW’s SD card, which takes a little time. With the CORE driver, however, it now takes less than half the time it did before, so the 1st and 2nd generation Sony cameras can support much shorter intervals and become a great option.

Timelapse+ VIEW Additional Improvements

Besides the new camera driver, there are hundreds of minor improvements and bugfixes. Here are a few of the more noteworthy:

● Live adjustments: change time-lapse parameters across a series of frames while it’s running● Long-term time-lapse: Weekly schedule can be configured with daily start/stop times.
● The auto ramping ​starting exposure is now decoupled from the post-transition exposure​. Now if there are lots of blown highlights due to a backlit scene at sunset, the night exposure won’t also be blown out. Instead, the post-transition exposure is based on an absolute luminance preset and can be adjusted in Ramping Options. This handles a wide variety of scenes much better with fewer “surprises”.
● Support for the ​eMotimo ST4​ using a USB data adaptor cable, but we’re also working on a simple solution that will allow full control over just the AUX2 TRS interface, so the USB can stay open for the camera without a hub.

Experimental

● We’ve started work on supporting the DJI Ronin S and SC gimbals. The goal is getting it to provide keyframe motion control through the VIEW’s app. We have control and setup working but the resulting motion is not smooth — there’s likely more work to be done figuring out the commands for motor stiffness, etc. It’s a tedious process trying to decode a stream of numbers and finding patterns so we can’t say when this might be complete yet. If interested in being a beta tester, email: mail@Timelapseplus.com

Website:
https://www.Timelapseplus.com

Pricing, updates, and availability for the Timelapse+ VIEW Intervalometer
Retail Price: $399. ​Pricing may vary by country for non-USD purchases, and additional fees may apply, including tax and shipping costs.

This week SAR readers photos selection


Paul Tan‎
SupaflyKingfisher.
a9 + FE200-600mm/Handheld
#sonyalphagallery

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3) Like and comment the pictures from other readers here: instagram.com/sonyalphagallery, facebook.com/groups/sonyalphacamera and on SonyAlphaForum.
4) A selection of most liked pictures by the community and by me SAR admin will be posted weekly on SAR.

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Read more

Sony Tidbits…


Sigma 35mm F1.2 | Photoshoot + first impressions

Note: If you are interested in electric cars check out our new website Electric-fun.com
A Photographers Guide to Navigating The Pandemic (Colby Brown).
Introducing Lensbaby OMNI Creative Filter System Bundles (Explora).
X-T4 vs A7III vs Z6 – IBIS & Video Quality Comparison (MirrorlessRumors).
Collabo vs Sony Litigation Update (Image Sensor World).
Sony 20mm f/2.8 lens review with samples (Christopher Frost Photography)
Coronavirus: Whatever happens next, COVID-19 is already having an effect the photo industry (Dpreview).
SONY Alpha shutter/image counter (tools.science.si)

Personal photos and tests from SAR Admin Andrea on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and 500px.

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Sony Establishes $100 Million COVID-19 Global Relief Fund

Press text:

Sony Establishes $100 Million COVID-19 Global Relief Fund

Tokyo, Japan – Sony Corporation today announced the establishment of the “Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19,” a 100 million US dollar fund to support those around the world affected by the COVID-19 virus.

Through this fund, Sony will provide support in three areas: assistance for those individuals engaged in frontline medical and first responder efforts to fight the virus, support for children and educators who must now work remotely, and support for members of the creative community in the entertainment industry, which has been greatly impacted by the spread of the virus.

In terms of medical support, 10 million U.S. dollars of the fund will be devoted first to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO powered by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, as well as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to assist medical workers and others on the frontline of response efforts to the virus. Sony will also work with its external partners to explore ways that it can support activities that prevent the further spread and contribute to treatment of the COVID-19 virus.

In the area of education, where children, who represent the next generation, are losing education opportunities as a result of school closures, Sony will explore ways to leverage its technologies in support of education activities, and cooperate with educators to implement these measures.

Furthermore, in terms of the creative community such as music, pictures, games and animation, together with its group companies engaged in the entertainment industry, Sony will seek ways to support up-and-coming creators, artists and all those in professions supporting the industry, who have been impacted by the cancellation or postponement of concerts and live events, or the shutting down of film and television productions.

Sony also announced that employees will be able to provide their support through a matching gift program that is scheduled to be offered to its approximately 110,000 employees worldwide.

Kenichiro Yoshida, President and CEO, Sony Corporation, said, “Sony extends its condolences to the families of those who have passed away as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, and extends its sympathies to all those who have been impacted. In order to overcome the unprecedented challenges that as a society we now face around the world, we will do all we can as a global company to support the individuals on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19, the children who are our future, and those who have been impacted in the creative community.”

Going forward, Sony will work together with its partners and stakeholders to explore ways to further extend these initiatives.