Firmware Friday: 13 Panasonic cameras and 2 Sony lenses get updates
posted Friday, July 22, 2016 at 6:45 PM EDT
After last week's massive roundup, Firmware Friday returns to a more manageable size this week with news of updates to 13 cameras from Panasonic, and two lenses from Sony. We'll start off this week with the camera updates.
Without any further ado, here's Panasonic's news:
Panasonic FZ300, FZ330, G7, G70, GX8, TZ80, TZ81, TZ100, TZ101, TZ110, ZS60, ZS100 and ZS110
It's quite a long list of cameras that the company is updating, but many of these models are in fact closely related to each other, with some slight differences to account for the requirements of specific markets worldwide. In all, there are five basic updates here, each of which applies to a few near-identical models.
Starting with the interchangeable-lens cameras, the Panasonic G7, G70 and GX8 are all now on firmware version 2.2. All three cameras now get the ability to assign wireless flash setup to the function button in record mode, and either Wi-Fi or viewfinder / display switching to the same button in playback mode. For the GX8 only, a bug that could cause the camera to freeze when using tracking autofocus has also been resolved.
Next up, we have the Panasonic FZ300 and FZ330, which also stand at firmware version 2.2. Both of these cameras also get the same function button tweaks as did the G-series models, along with one other change. Movies shot in low light with the image stabilizer enabled should now be less blurry, according to the company.
Continuing down the list, we have the Panasonic TZ100, as well as the closely-related TZ101, TZ110, ZS100 and ZS110. All of these cameras are now on firmware version 1.1, and there's only one change made in this new release. You can now change which direction to rotate the dial when adjusting aperture and shutter speed, to change the chosen exposure variable in a certain direction. No other changes are noted in this release.
And finally, we come to the Panasonic TZ80, TZ81 and ZS60. The new firmware version 1.1 release for these three models includes both the low-light movie fix from the FZ-series cameras, and the dial direction feature from the aforementioned TZ-series cameras. In addition, there's one change unique to the TZ80, TZ81 and ZS60: A problem that could cause USB charging to fail to start has been resolved.
You can get Panasonic's updates at the links below:
Sony Distagon T* FE 35 mm F1.4 ZA and Sonnar T FE 35mm F2.8 ZA
Sony's new firmware this week is for two specific lens models, both 35mm primes. The Sony Distagon T* FE 35 mm F1.4 ZA (model number SEL35F14Z) and Sonnar T FE 35mm F2.8 ZA (model number SEL35F28Z) lenses both get the same single change: Improved focus accuracy when the camera is used for lengthy periods in manual focus mode. No other changes are made. The new firmware version numbers are 02 for the Distagon 35mm, and 03 for the Sonnar 35mm. You can get the firmware at the links below; note that the Distagon firmware isn't available in the US market yet, so we've linked to Sony Asia's site instead.
(Camera parts image courtesy of Kelly Hofer / Flickr; used under a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license. Image has been modified from the original.)