New FW update: List of newly supported lenses on the A99
As I told you last week we should expect soon a new firmware announcement for the A57/A77/A99 cameras.
Today an anonymous source just told me that the new firmware update for the A99 will bring support for the following lenses: SAL24F20Z, SAL85F14Z, SAL135F18Z, SAL70300G, SAL70200G, SAL35F14G, SAL1635Z, SAL100M28, SAL50M28, SAL85F28, SAL300F28.
I may ask the source if he can tell me if there is more improvements/fixes to come with the Firmware update?
Thanks!
redfern
4 months ago |Does anyone know if the firmware will also work for earlier Minolta counterparts to some of these lenses? Has anyone tested the a99 with a Minolta 50/1.4, for example?
Kenk
4 months ago |+1
Same goes for the Mino 100/2.8.
gano
4 months ago |No, it will not work.
Vlad Lapadatescu
4 months ago |Just to clarify, the lenses themselves will work, just the Lens correction and AF-D won’t work for any Minolta lenses…
Fire1
4 months ago |Umm, just sounds like lens update only. Bummer.
Le Star
4 months ago |+1
This is of no use to me. Very disappointing,Sony. Look at what other manufacturers provide in firmware updates, and learn from them.
With each virtually useless FW update, it becomes less and less likely that my next camera will be a Sony.
Freddo
4 months ago |Sure, knock your socks off! Buy yourself a CaNikon and enjoy the feature-oozing firmware updates they provide. LOL
Scott
4 months ago |Well I’ve had the A200, then the A33, and now the A77. I’m really hoping they have tethering in this firmware release. Perhaps that wasn’t in the firmware updates for Canon / Nikon, because they already have it on most if not all their models. It’s a pretty basic thing, and while I know it’s not for everyone, they should at least have the same standard capabilities as Canon / Nikon.
Le Star
4 months ago |So you are prejudiced against Nikon and Canon. Interesting… I never mentioned a make of camera.
sonypro
4 months ago |Well unlike you, I am as pleased as can be… A lot more of my lenses now included..
Almazar80
4 months ago |Why don’t you all wait for the actual release notes and UPGRADED firmware before having a fully formed opinion? The NEX firmware upgrades and A77 updates all fixed a bug or two in the respective cameras. To say that Sony firmware upgrades don’t improve anything is blatant hyperbole.
mick232
4 months ago |Only the A99 has AF-D and needs lens upgrades. Why would Sony create updates for other bodies then? I think there must be something else in those updates, too.
Joe
4 months ago |yawnfest
Kancho
4 months ago |This is not any news.we now from 3 months the update is coming to add support for 6 lenses.
admin
4 months ago |Can you count? That is a the full list which contains eleven lenses. That said what I hope to achieve through this post is that he sends me the rest of the firmware info too
fotowolf61
4 months ago |…and where is the rest.
Brian
4 months ago |Ahh….that old familiar sinking feeling – yet another useless update for your expensive yet forgotten Sony gear. More lens profiles that are useful for JPG-only on a camera with a pathetic JPG engine (a77). I sincerely hope there’s more in store for this round of updates than lense profiles and ability to disable a button, but I’m not holding my breath
Michele
4 months ago |Maybe you miss the fact that it’s mostly about the “AF range” option and not for the JPG engine?
Kancho
4 months ago |Sam motor lens for video dslr to be used with af-d.may be useful to track my grand-pa.for wedding it’s 2 much audio noise and 2 slow.that is my opinion.
chenfei
4 months ago |Majority of Trolls just dont have Sony cameras
alphabart
4 months ago |Good to read more lensens are being supported! Also the SAL85F28, that’s nice! Will they ever support 3rd party lenses?
gano
4 months ago |Of course they will…
so they can take away the incentive of buying their’s Sony lenses and instead people will buy competitors lenses.
Frank
4 months ago |People who have lost faith in Sony already are, they are buying Canon and Nikon lenses.
GeminiRx
4 months ago |The sal85f2.8 is not in the currunt list. Its the 85 1.4 zeiss
GeminiRx
4 months ago |My bad, i just can’t read. 85f28 is in the list
gano
4 months ago |Cool!
All my lenses are now supported.
Since everybody is bitching…
I did not upgrade from a900 to a99 or even thought of buying the a99 to keep next to my a900, because the AF sensors area is still to concentrated to the center.
Hopefully the next model will solve this problem.
Raph
4 months ago |It will solve the AF area problem, but will also open a new problem that was never here before, just to cripple something down. Crazy
Alex
4 months ago |What next model?
Kancho
4 months ago |Chenfei if the comment is about me I have 4 Sony cameras.a77,a99,vg20,nex5n.just to be more clear.and I do lots I filming.
Kancho
4 months ago |Ops.plus a330 witch I give to my parents.
brahimcha
4 months ago |What about a new firmware for SEL-35f18 and SEL-50f18 to support PDAF ? Any hope ?
fotowolf61
4 months ago |Any news about A77 FW update? Or will this come with the new A78 model in autumn?
Frank
4 months ago |Other than lens updates, you guess it! A78 is the next update, been saying it for a year now.
blackscorp
4 months ago |what about the a65 update?
Frank
4 months ago |It’ll be a A65/A77 update, always has been up to now.
extra|ordinary
4 months ago |Very happy to see the 85/2.8 and 35/1.4 on the list! That leaves the (discontinued) Sony 28/2.8 as my only unsupported prime lens…not that there is much need for the AF-D function on that lens.
RVN
4 months ago |i suspect sony will remake SAL 28mm/2.8 with new one
that’s lens is to old like SAL 35mm/1.4 
Ronnbot
4 months ago |Sony needs to see reality for what it is. Most local shops around the world, NOT BH online, but most local shops who are the bread and buter of the camer business, and even big box stores, DO NOT stock alot of Sony Dslt produts, let alone lenses. They dont move off the shelf like the fanboys believe. Any camera dealer will tell you that, and if Sony is to last they cant keep burying their heads in the sand and keep wishing for success. Their camera products are way too expensive and too niche to be any threat to Canon or nikon. Sony needs to stick to one or two god damned systems and forget the stpuid rx1 this and FF enx that stuff. Either that or drop to two systems, as all theyre doing is annoying their own customers…they sure as hell aint making new ones.
Frank
4 months ago |They have already indicated that they are dropping A-mount by concentrating on E-mount lenses and the rumoured E-mount full frame. They don’t appear to be in any hurry releasing any A-mount lenses and SAR reckon they are not producing a new A-mount full frame.
The A-mount is going to be consigned to having to use an adapter. Mirrorless E-mount is the obvious direction for Sony to take, anybody thinking not is just naive.
If I was earning money and *needed* to replace my A900, it wouldn’t be a Sony. No I am not a CaNikon fanboy, I was shooting Minolta gear years before my Sony stuff.
Archer66
4 months ago |What ??? You don’t make any money trolling ?
sonypro
4 months ago |Frank, I’m sorry to say but you are speaking absolute drivel! Sony is NOT dropping A-mount.. They will not release another FF model in 2013 but will in 2014. Along with this they are working on a FF E-mount.. I am also not naive, but quite the opposite.. well informed… take that as you like.
MM
4 months ago |Nice…
Frank
4 months ago |The evidence says otherwise.
swainer
4 months ago |sonypro, when you say “FF E-mount”, is that an adapter that allows you to adapt Canon glass to the A-mount? you think that is around the corner?
sonypro
4 months ago |swainer…. no, nothing to do with Canon. I was referring to a full frame sensor in the E mount cameras… the NEX
Frank
4 months ago |So an opinion that you don’t agree with is trolling?
Archer66
4 months ago |Make up your mind, is it your opinion or evidence ?
Andrew
4 months ago |I can only speak for the UK but independent camera shops are a tiny fraction of the market – the overwhelming majority of sales over here are online and sony is very well represented in both mounts
Frank
4 months ago |Another bunch of lens profile updates, useful on a camera with a poor jpeg implementation.
I haven’t applied the last firmware update yet!
www.martingamper.com
4 months ago |Actually we don’t know yet if there are only lens profiles or other features too … maybe the JPEG engine enhaces too … I am hoping for the best!
Alex
4 months ago |The flash issue on A99 needs to be fixed!
xspider
4 months ago |Does that mean lens correction only or do they also support the A99′s AF-D Autofocus mode?
Carl
4 months ago |Well that brings my number of supported lenses up to three (50/1.4, 85/2.8 and 300/2.8), certainly an improvement over just one.
It would be nice if Sony could at least see it to supporting the Minolta lenses which they have no intension of releasing a replacement to eg. 28/2, 35/2, 3x-1x Macro, 85/1.4 Limited, 100/2, 100 Soft, 135/2.8, 200 Macro, 400/4.5, 600/4.
Joe
4 months ago |Agree + 200mm f/2.8 APO G (HS or non-HS)
Michele
4 months ago |I will never understand why people keep trolling around and complain on a rumor that (as also written by the Admin) it might not even be complete. New lenses support might be only a part (for many the most important, maybe) of the update: let’s wait and see.
On top of that, having new lenses supported means not only a more complete collection of datas for the correction applied in JPG, it will give support to AF-D and “AF range” options as well.
C’mon people…
Alan Ting
4 months ago |i believe he update is not only for lenses, there will be some fixing or improvement on a99. So no need think till so negatively about only lens update, and last time complain about so less lenses supported. Why human all so stubborn and never satisfy one, even some good also let ppl say till it’s bad thing=.=
release20+megapix camera, ppl complain why not 16 only for better low light, or 30+ megapix like d800
put mirror on camera giving u brilliant autofocus u cant find in other camera, complain it spoil the image
clean hdmi?silent knob?change setting during recording video? and many many more? alot ppl hard to praise for a thing but only keep turning the point.
always never can full fill everyone’s hope.
ArnikFFM
4 months ago |Alan – 100% agree !!!
Somehow the Sony user must be a bunch of masochists.
If they cannot complain, they are unhappy.
There is always room for improvement (with any given brand), but no-one seems to be complaining as much as A-Mount Sony users, especially if they are old Minolta fans (like me).
I am happy with what I see and I hope, A-mount will go on for quite some time …. I am an optimist!
Michele
4 months ago |I agree with Alan and a little bit less with you Arnik; I’m optimistic as well and as an “old” Minolta user (started in 1993) and now Sony user, I must say that I’m really happy about what I had the chance to buy and use (but that’s me, and me only). As we well know Internet just reflects real world (or most of it at least) so those people complaining maybe they just do it all the time at home as well, or they do it here just for the fun of it (read trolling).
Rooru S.
4 months ago |Very pleased about AF-D feature while using SAL2470Z.. And this will become very useful on the 70200G. Lenses without physical AF-D select buttons like Zeiss lenses, this will become very handy. For G lenses with the feature already there, this becomes more useful than the switches themselves. More easy to use.
jay
4 months ago |one feature i’d like to have:
on peaking mode, when it gets focus it will automatically capture the image for me. It’s up to Sony on how they innovate this.
jay
The Lotus Eater
4 months ago |How would the camera know what you want to be in-focus?
Scott
4 months ago |Exactly what I was thinking
pacman
4 months ago |LOL this is lame! I only 18-70 kitlens! wtf!
pacman
4 months ago |LOL this is lame! I only own 1 SAL lens and its the 18-70 kitlens! wtf!
The Lotus Eater
4 months ago |Lame, how? You own an old kit lens that Sony doesn’t supply with their cameras anymore and one that is not ideal for the A99 (unless you want to use crop mode), and you say this is lame. There are so many odd people around here.
Mike
4 months ago |I have bought the A99 two days ago. I have been skeptical of the camera, but now that I have it I am pleasantly surprised. I even like the EVF
The AF is spot on with basically all lenses, even without AF-D. My Minolta 50/1.4 is unfortunately not supported, but at least the 85/2.8 will benefit from the upgrade.
realistgva
4 months ago |Great news, I will be able to use the new AF mode with my 70-200G, I was afraid they would support only the new version.
It is funny how people think that the other lenses won’t work. Old lenses work juts fine I have a few 20+ year old Minolta and they work great AF and all. But honestly hardly ever use them except from time to time the old minolta 35-105 kit lens, it is not the sharpest but super compact (no 3d tracking on there who cares
Scott
4 months ago |I’m a bit naive on this subject. Why would a company (Sony) release a camera (A99) without support for their own lenses? I could see 3rd party, but your own lenses? This just baffles me.
sonypro
4 months ago |Of course they support their lenses.. their is an extra feature in the focusing module of the A99 that applies extra focus points and this feature is lens specific… so they are increasing the amount of lenses that this feature will work with.
Carl
4 months ago |The AF-D mode is a brand new feature, so it’s natural to take some time to get the lineup covered.
Even with these extra 11 lenses, there’s still plenty more still left to support. 16/2.8, 20/2.8, 28/2.8, 50 Macro, 24-105, 75-300, 500/8, and all the DT lenses.
WTH
4 months ago |If this is only a lens update, I am not even going to bother with the risk of bricking the camera with an unnecessary flash.
iJAKE
4 months ago |I love my A99 but I haven’t been able to take advantage of the AF-D mode…so this is good news I guess since I have one of those lens on the list. It would be awesome to get some support for ALL the Sony FF lens including discontinued models.
Gregory Lemieux
4 months ago |Any rumor on a possible RX1 firmware update ETA?
kysham
4 months ago |Nice to know more lenses are getting supported. This is possibly only a portion of what the firmware update is going to bring along with. No doubt that the possibility of it being the ONLY thing in the firmware update is there, but… it was never stated so. Please don’t just draw conclusions based on this piece of rumor alone. I am ahppy (and fortunate) that most of my lenses will be supported with this update, although to be honest, life had been great with the a99, with or without this new update. I had not been using the AF-D feature are much as many of you guys do. So really, the lens database update doesn’t concern me much. I do wish Sony have other “goodies” in the bag other than just mere lens database update. If they have, great. If not, no big deal. The a99 had been serving me well to begin with. Cheer up people. Go out and shoot. Hah.
Grant
4 months ago |I have all Minolta AF lenses including 600/4.0 APO,300/2.8 APO,200/2.8 APO,80-200 APO.They’re all older generation.What is the compatibility going to be if I purchase the A99. Should I expect a lot of trade-offs or non-functions in the various still and video modes?
Grant
Carl
4 months ago |They’ll perform more or less the same as they do on the A900. In video mode lenses are limited to a maximum of f3.5 if you use AF.
Nice collection, by the way.