Nikon have released firmware version 5.02 for the SB-900 Speedlight. The upgrade addresses the following issues and fixes:

“Modifications enabled with Ver. 5.02:

• With uninterrupted shooting with the SB-900 set to i-TTL mode, images captured just before the flash ceased firing were sometimes overexposed.
  This issue has been resolved. By resolving this issue, metering precision has been further increased and the number of times the flash fires has also been increased.

• When the SB-900, set to TTL auto flash mode, is used with a camera supporting the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS), flash mode automatically changes to A mode according to camera communication status.
  That flash mode was previously maintained, but it has been modified so that TTL auto flash mode is restored once the SB-900 again recognizes the camera as a CLS-compatible camera.”

Download the updates from here: Win l Mac

Olympus has released new firmware upgrades for 5 of their compact digital cameras and 5 of their Zuiko Digital lenses. The upgrade resolves issues using the direct print function with some photo printers with the compact digital cameras. The models are: SP-565UZ, Mju 1060, Mju 1050SW, Mju 1040 and FE-370.

The new firmware for the Zuiko Digital lenses ensures full compatibility with the new Panasonic G1. The models are: 25mm F2.8, 35mm F3.5 Macro, 14-42mm F3.5-5.6, 35-100mm F2.0, and 40-150mm F4.0-5.6.

You can download the new firmware here:
http://www.olympus.co.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/download/software/

The Highlights playback option has been moved from Display Mode > Basic photo info > Highlights in the playback menu to Display mode > Detailed photo info > Highlights.

The size and color of “Demo” displayed in the monitor with playback when No memory card? in the Custom Settings has been set to Enable Release have been modified.

The range of settings available for ISO sensitivity settings > ISO sensitivity auto control > Minimum shutter speed in the shooting menu has been increased from 1/250 - 1s to 1/4000 - 1s.

When shooting in hand-held live view mode and the frame is magnified prior to autofocusing, operation has been modified so that display returns to the magnified display rather then the full frame display.

Images captured with Rotate tall, in the playback menu, set to On, are not automatically rotated for display immediately after capture (image review).

A Copyright information has been added to the setup menu. When Copyright information is enabled, the copyright symbol ( © ) is shown in the shooting info display.

Recent settings can now be displayed in the place of My Menu.

Custom Setting e3 Flash cntrl for built in flash ( e3 Optional flash when an optional Speedlight is mounted on the camera) can now be added to My Menu using the Add items > Custom setting menu > Bracketing/ flash.

The degree of the High ISO NR setting can now be confirmed in the shooting info display while the High ISO NR setting item, in the shooting menu, is being applied.

Ankara, Riyadh, Kuwait, and Manama have been added to the Time zone options for the World time item in the setup menu.

When a GPS device is used and no heading information is available, –.–° is now displayed for the Position / Heading option in the GPS item in the setup menu.

When shooting in live view mode using Camera Control Pro 2 (ver. 2.2.0 or later) with a PC-E lens, the aperture setting can now be adjusted from the computer.

Focus acquisition performance in dynamic-area AF mode has been improved.

Focus acquisition performance with contrast-detect AF has been improved.

Auto white balance performance has been improved.

The fourth digit in seconds display for GPS latitude and longitude information is now rounded off rather than omitted.

The current MB-D10 battery type setting can now be confirmed in the shooting menu display when R6/AA- size batteries are used with the Multi-Power Battery pack MB-D10.

An issue that caused an increase in noise when shooting in [M] exposure mode at a shutter speed setting of bulb with the shutter held open for less than 8 seconds and Long exp. NR enabled has been resolved.

An issue that prevented shutter release at the specified shutter speed when no operations were performed for 30 seconds in mirror up mode has been resolved.

An issue that caused abnormal image display when Image review was set to On and the playback zoom in button was pressed immediately after shooting at the following settings has been resolved.

• Image quality: NEF (RAW) + JPEG
• NEF (RAW) recording: Lossless compressed or Compressed
• Image size: S or M

When the Speedlight SB-800 was mounted on the camera with flash mode set to distance-priority manual (GN) mode, and the camera recovered from standby mode triggered by the auto meter off function, the distance information in the SB-800 changed. This issue has been resolved.

You can download this firmware update here.

This firmware update (Version 1.0.3) incorporates the following fixes.

1. Corrects a phenomenon in which an image becomes overexposed when C.Fn.II-3 Highlight tone priority is set to “1″ together with other camera settings. (This correction has already been incorporated in the Version 1.0.2 and later firmware.
2. Corrects a rare phenomenon in which “busy” blinks on the camera’s display panel and the shutter cannot be released due to the timing of battery installation.
3. Corrects a rare phenomenon in which “Err 99″ appears on the camera’s display panel and LCD monitor and the shutter cannot be released due to the timing of pressing the shutter button.

You can download the new firmware at:
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eos50d/firmware.html

Sony have updated the Alpha A700 Digital SLR’s firmware to ver. 4. The upgrade adds the following fixes and improvements:

1. Add the choice of “2 steps/ 3 shots” to auto exposure bracketing (single and continuous)
2. Add the choice of Off to the High ISO NR feature
3. Improvement of the image quality in high ISO setting
4. Improvement of the performance of the auto white balance and the D-Range Optimizer
5. Improvement of reliability for communication between camera body and vertical grip when attaching the vertical grip

IMPORTANT: This firmware update is only for a DSLR-A700 camera that has Ver.1, Ver.2 or Ver.3 of the firmware installed.

Click here for the download and instructions

Ricoh have released a new firmware update - ver. 1.14 - for the GX200 digital camera. The upgrade addresses the following fixes:

1. In the Auto shooting mode, and with the Grid Guide displayed in the LCD, and if you turn off the camera power and then turn on in the My Setting mode, a lacked grid guide will be displayed.
2. With using AAA batteries, and in the shooting mode, if you click the Playback button to switch to the playback mode, and after the lens is retracted automatically, if you press the shutter release to return to the shooting mode, any key will not work.
   

Click here to download the update from Ricoh.

Canon have released firmware upgrade v1.0.9 for their popular 450D D-SLR. The upgrade addresses the following issues and fixes:

1. Fixes a phenomenon in which AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) shooting does not operate normally under specific conditions.
2. Fixes a phenomenon in which the Live View exposure simulation warning indication does not properly display during Live View shooting.
3. Fixes a phenomenon in which images cannot be played back after continuous shooting when a printer is connected to the camera or a video output terminal is used.

Version 1.0.9 firmware is for cameras with firmware up to Version 1.0.4. If the camera’s firmware is already Version 1.0.9, it is not necessary to update the firmware.

Download the upgrade here

Ricoh has announced a firmware update to it’s GR Digital II compact digital camera.

The 2.10 firmware addresses the following:

Added the following features:
• [Correcting the White Balance in Shooting Mode]
You can set the white balance correction manually in the shooting mode.

• [Correcting the White Balance in Playback Mode]
You can compensate the white balance in a captured image manually.

• [WB Correct] for [ADJ Lever Set. 1/2/3/4] and [Function Button]
You can register the [WB Correct] in an ADJ lever setting and the Fn button.

• [Detailed Information Display in Playback Mode]
You can see the WB comp. value and the image setting value in the display.

• [Auto Aper. Shift] in Aperture Priority Mode
You can have the Auto Aperture shift feature in the A mode.

• [Reduction Image Noise]
You can choose a noise reduction option depending on the ISO sensitivity.

• [ISO Sensitivity Display]
The ISO sensitivity is displayed at your half-pressing the shutter release button, when you set [AUTO] or [AUTO-Hi] in the ISO sensitivity.

Modified the following phenomenon:
• With the [AutoRotate] is enabled (ON), if a playback image is rotated and make it enlarged, a histogram in the display may not appear properly.

Click here for firmware details & download.

Olympus have released updated firmware for it’s super-zoom digital camera the SP-570 UZ. Ver 1.1 improves the responsiveness of zooming as well as a Swedish language update.

Download the update from Olympus here

Sigma has released yet another firmware upgrade for their debut compact digital camera the Sigma DP1.  The new firmware (version 1.04) adds the following:

1. A customizing function has been added to the Digital Zoom button.
2. The ft (feet) indicator has been added to the scale bar in MF mode.

Download V1.04 firmware here.