Firmware Friday: It’s huge! 16 cameras and more updated by Canon, Nikon, Ricoh and Olympus

 

 

We've had some big Firmware Friday posts in the last couple of years, but this week takes the cake. We have no less than 19 updates to report on today from Canon, Nikon, Ricoh and Olympus, including 16 cameras -- the majority of them interchangeable-lens -- plus two camcorders and an accessory. With so much to cover, we'll try to keep it brief.

We'll start with Nikon, who just missed last week's roundup by a smidgen with their updated firmware for the Nikon D800 and D800E digital SLRs. As you'd expect, both cameras receive exactly the same changes in their new firmware -- and boy, are there ever a lot of changes. See the full list on the download pages for the Nikon D800 firmware A: 1.10 / B:1.10 and Nikon D800E firmware A: 1.10 / B:1.10, as well as in the PDR-format addendum to the user manual. Particular key changes include fixes for autofocus issues, support for CompactFlash capacities over 128GB, and a new HTTP server mode for use with the UT-1 Communications Unit. This last feature also requires a firmware update for the communications unit, Nikon UT-1 firmware 2.0.

And that's not all from Nikon, which has clearly been on a firmware-coding roll this week. There are also updates for a further 11 Nikon cameras, including every single pre-2014 Nikon 1-series mirrorless model, and four fixed-lens Coolpix cameras. All of the 1-series cameras get support for the Full / Limit focus switch on the 1 NIKKOR VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens that was announced last March. The Nikon AW1 also gets new support for the just-launched SB-N10 Underwater Speedlight flash. A variety of bugs related to .MOV playback, PictBridge printing, wireless shooting, manual focus enlargement, Lexar UHS-I Secure Digital cards and the FT1 Mount Adapter have also been resolved. (Not all of these glitches occurred on every 1-series model.) Get the updates at the links below:

• Nikon AW1 firmware A:1.10 / B:1.10
• Nikon J1 firmware A:1.40 / B:1.40
• Nikon J2 firmware A:1.20 / B:1.20
• Nikon J3 firmware A:1.20 / B:1.20
• Nikon S1 firmware A:1.20 / B:1.20
• Nikon V1 firmware A:1.40 / B:1.40
• Nikon V2 firmware A:1.20 / B:1.20

Finally, there are four Coolpix updates. The Nikon Coolpix S205 firmware v1.2 and Nikon Coolpix S3000 firmware v1.3 both correct issues with the cameras' batteries failing to charge in some circumstances. The Nikon Coolpix S5200 firmware v1.2 fixes problems with sound distortion when wind noise reduction was enabled, and the Nikon Coolpix AW110 firmware v1.1 resolves issues with poor audio sync for movies, incorrect geolocation information display, and occasional lockups during GPS location acquisition.

For Olympus, there are two new updates, both available through the company's Olympus Digital Camera Updater software. The Olympus PEN E-P5 firmware v1.4 and Olympus Stylus 1 firmware v1.1 both improve Wi-Fi remote control, adding support for zoom control with power-zoom lenses, the digital tele-converter function, cable remote release mode, custom self timer, and Art Filter mode. The Olympus P5 also gets a zero-second Anti Shock mode setting which uses an electronic first-curtain shutter to reduce vibration at 1/320 second shutter speeds or below, a function previously introduced on the E-M1.

Ricoh, meanwhile, has updated just one camera. The Ricoh G700SE now accepts version 1.34 firmware, which fixes two problems. The camera will no longer lock up if a Wi-Fi access point disconnects during link negotiation, and the Auto Delete setting won't be ignored when transferring files by Bluetooth with Quick Send Mode set to Auto.

And that leaves only Canon. The company has released firmware version 1.0.6.0 for the XF300 and XF305 camcorders, which makes three changes. Support for the RC-V100 Remote Controller and GP-E2 GPS receiver is now available, and new 3x / 6x digital tele-converter settings have been added. Get the firmware and manual updates here.

(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.)