Firmware Friday: Pentax updates Q-series, Fujifilm delays X-Pro1 update

 

 

Friday: It's the day 9-to-5ers look forward to all week long, as they long for another weekend's fun. It's also the day your camera looks forward to, eager in anticipation of updated firmware that makes it better, and sometimes even gives it new features. Well, Friday's here, and so too is our regular Firmware Friday roundup. This week, we have new updates for three mirrorless cameras from Pentax, and news of a firmware delay from Fujifilm.

We'll start with Pentax, which has updated its tiny little mirrorless cameras, the Pentax Q, Q10, and Q7. All three cameras now support the new Pentax-08 Wide Zoom lens, which was announced a month ago today, and is slated to start shipping some time in the next few weeks. For the Pentax Q and Q10, that's it for the specified changes, although as always Pentax says that its firmware "[improves] stability for general performance".

 

 

For the newest of the trio, the Pentax Q7, though, there are more changes. It's now possible to check the firmware version of an attached lens in the fourth page of the Set-up Menu. Pentax also says that it has improved green button performance in Manual exposure mode. And of course, there's that improved stability claim, as well.

Pentax Q owners will want to make note of something specific to their model. By updating the firmware, they'll also wipe all settings in the camera, restoring it to default setup. Pentax recommends that if the setup is important to you, you take the time to note down all relevant settings by hand before applying the new firmware.

You can get Pentax's updates at the links below:

• Pentax Q firmware version 1.14

• Pentax Q10 firmware version 1.03

• Pentax Q7 firmware version 1.01

 

 

Fujifilm's firmware news, meanwhile, relates to an update the company announced a little over a week ago. At the time, the company pledged an update for its X-Pro1 mirrorless camera would ship yesterday, ahead of related firmware updates for the X-E1, X-E2, and X100S models. That deadline has clearly slipped by, and now Fuji has made a statement. Alongside a sincere apology to its customers, Fujifilm has delayed the firmware to December 19th at midnight Eastern time -- the very same day its other models are slated to receive their own updates. No reason was provided for the delay.

In case you missed our earlier coverage, changes in the new Fujifilm X-Pro1 firmware version 3.10 is going to bring seven changes for your X-Pro1 camera. These include:

1. Improve the cover range and accuracy of the bright frame in the OVF
   The cover range of the bright frame displaying the shooting area in the optical viewfinder has been improved so that a field of view closer to the actual image can be checked. By maintaining the position of the bright frame with parallax compensation during AF lock, the shooting area can be checked even when letting go of the shutter release.

2. See the exposure setting in live-view and histogram
   The images and histogram will reflect current exposure levels (with the shutter speed and aperture set during manual exposure also displayed on the image). In scenarios where the live view and the final shot will appear differently, eg: when using flash, this setting can be turned off.

3. Aperture and shutter speed can be changed once AE lock is selected
   The aperture or shutter speed can be changed while maintaining exposure (EV value) with the AE lock button. The photographer has the ability to tweak settings down to the very last moment before shooting.

4. The default and maximum sensitivity and minimum shutter speed can be set when ISO AUTO is selected
   When selecting “AUTO” in the ISO setting, users can also set standard ISO, Maximum ISO and a low-speed shutter limit. The Low-speed shutter limit has been extended to 1/500 seconds.

5. New fuctionality allowing you to edit image filenames
   An image filename (DSCF***) is automatically allocated to each picture when shooting, this can now be changed to your filename of choice.* This added functionality is useful when organising the images after shooting, and sorting the images into groups.
   * It can be changed to a 4-letter filename when selecting “sRGB” and a 3-letter filename when selecting “Adobe RGB” for the color space.

6. Change of numbering for images shot using continuous shooting
   When shooting using continuous shooting, only the first image is currently displayed in full screen and subsequent frames are displayed in small on the bottom right, and the file number was set as “S+7-digit number”. With the new firmware, all frames in continuous shooting are displayed as full screen shots in playback. The file number has also been altered to follow numerically as per standard single shots, thereby allowing uniform management of images after shooting.

7. Improvement of RAW file conversion function
   When developing RAF images in-camera using the built-in RAW file converter, the firmware upgrade improves the flow by taking you back to the original RAF image once the conversion has been done, whereas before it left you with the converted JPG file on screen and the user had to go back to the next RAF file manually.

More details on the Fujifilm website.