FS7: New 2.1 firmware

Thinking it was a lack of a system reset after the update, I did one, but now I lost my monitor S-Log3 MLUT. I used to have an S-Log3 MLUT that would work under Looks and give me a proper picture in the VF. Now all there is is S-Log2 and it's too dark and lacks color saturation. What happened to the S-Log3 MLUT??
 
Don't worry guys! Sony has an large and dedicated engineering team that is listening to all of your problems, and I'm sure you'll be delighted to know that they will all be fixed with the hardware replacement Sony FS7R, available for the low low price of $6,995 - shipping NAB 2016.
 
Thinking it was a lack of a system reset after the update, I did one, but now I lost my monitor S-Log3 MLUT. I used to have an S-Log3 MLUT that would work under Looks and give me a proper picture in the VF. Now all there is is S-Log2 and it's too dark and lacks color saturation. What happened to the S-Log3 MLUT??

As for the 'bug' with the Thumbnail feature, unlike the Shogun, after a FW update, Sony doesn't delete the .bin file. Apparently, when you press Thumbnail, the FS7 not only looks at the XQD card, but must be reading the SD card too, seeing the .bin file and locking up. I manually deleted it using a PC and found that Thumbnail works again.. but all this resetting lost my S-Log3 monitor LUT and I can't get it back!
 
Guys, please, I am begging you :( Post all your frustration on Sony forum, biggest chance to be heard. Here we can talk for ages and not be heard at all :(
 
is there any reason to actually upgrade to this?
i also can't find a link at the sony usa site
 
Last edited:
starcentral said:
I wrote a huge rant on the Sony forums, the firmware needs a complete overhaul built right from the ground straight up but that will never happen. If Sony put out a DEV KIT for the firmware
Click to expand...

If you ever get to see the system log on the F5/55, and read the system summary in the service manual, you can see a lot of how the camera works.

It's not one central processor doing all the work. It's one small ARM chip that runs a Linux-based kernel that tells a pile of other chips what to do. Sensor data is put together by a custom ASIC called Rosetta and that's where the various LUT/monitoring outputs are created too. From there uncompressed video raster data goes to various hardware codec chips, and then to a controller that writes to SxS or routes to a FPGA that packages the data for the R5 recorder. The ARM/Linux just runs the menus and tells the other chips what to do. You can't write software for Rosetta, it's all machine code. It's not general purpose.

My point is, half of why the camera can't walk and chew gum at the same time is because at the end of the day, too much relies on this poor little Rosetta chip, and the rest is helped by chips that only exist to do one task and that's it.

There is no SDK to write, cuz there's no operating system manipulating the video. It's all in hardware ASIC in Rosetta, and the XAVC chip, and the SR chip...you get the idea.

But yes. It all needs an overhaul, that's for sure.
 
I think I must own a different camera than the rest of you. Mine is a joy to use with almost no meaningful hassles or hurdles that impede my use of it. Mine is making money almost on a daily basis, and it already paid for itself a few months ago. It offers more bang for the buck than any camera in history. Does it have rough edges? Sure, every camera and software program I've ever owned does, but I don't let those rough edges get in my way. Geez, at $8K the camera can be paid for in just a few days of shooting. I guess I'd rather shoot and make money than gripe about it's minor shortcomings. And I don't need Juan Matinez or anyone else at Sony holding my hand while I do it. Shoot more, whine less -- The key to success.
 
Last edited:
Doug Jensen said:
I think I must own a different camera than the rest of you. Mine is a joy to use with almost no meaningful hassles or hurdles that impede my use of it. Mine is making money almost on a daily basis, and it already paid for itself a few months ago. It offers more bang for the buck than any camera in history. Does it have rough edges? Sure, every camera and software program I've ever owned does, but I don't let those rough edges get in my way. Geez, at $8K the camera can be paid for in just a few days of shooting. I guess I'd rather shoot and make money than gripe about it's minor shortcomings. And I don't need Juan Matinez or anyone else at Sony holding my hand while I do it. Shoot more, whine less -- The key to success.
Click to expand...
you are of course absolutely right.....and my experience with the camera is probably different from most people's here as well....i don't even know what the shutter bug is, i don't have an issue with menu lag or switching resolution....i don't need the center crop either....
but when a new firmware comes out and i still have to choose between waveforms or LUTs in my finder while my HDMI out can magically handle both at the same time it drives me crazy.....because that is the one thing i look at every time i use my camera....i pretty much never change my resolution or take the camera out of cine-I so really i would be ok if nothing ever changed about it....but i would really like to have waveform or histogram....if it wasn't there for everybody else to see via the HDMI out it wouldn't be so bad either....at least then i could tell myself that it just isn't possible and i could move on....and in general i am ok with it.....until a firmware upgrade comes out and it still isn't there.....and i just really wonder if i am the only person looking at that finder wondering if sony is just messing with me because it seems to easy and obvious....
and i am with you: other then that, best camera ever, especially for the money....crazy....
 
I would say the 2.1 FW fixed none of the issues that affect me. The waveforms still only work in HD, and I cannot use a MLUT if the HDMI output is set to something higher than HD.

Other than, as Doug says, the camera is a great value, and in the right hands/market, can earn back its purchase price quickly. For the rest of us not in LA or NY, the 'bottom feeders' as we're called, we make it back more slowly and at the mercy of our clients.
 
Flogging a dead horse here but I don't know why there is a need to gloat and denigrate other people for having issues with the camera that could/should easily be sorted after all this time. These have been issues from day 1, and if they don't affect you - like none of the Metabones AF fiasco had any impact on the way I shoot - it doesn't make them any less genuine issues.

It's a long way from being the best camera ever (as opposed to being the best value), but I think people feel it really could be close to that with a little TLC from Sony and I don't think people should be discouraged from trying to make Sony pay attention.
 
Doug Jensen said:
I think I must own a different camera than the rest of you. Mine is a joy to use with almost no meaningful hassles or hurdles that impede my use of it. Mine is making money almost on a daily basis, and it already paid for itself a few months ago. It offers more bang for the buck than any camera in history. Does it have rough edges? Sure, every camera and software program I've ever owned does, but I don't let those rough edges get in my way. Geez, at $8K the camera can be paid for in just a few days of shooting. I guess I'd rather shoot and make money than gripe about it's minor shortcomings. And I don't need Juan Matinez or anyone else at Sony holding my hand while I do it. Shoot more, whine less -- The key to success.
Click to expand...

Maybe you have more straightforward shooting requirements. If you only shoot 4K in custom mode you won't be affected by these annoyances. My camera has over 300 hours on the clock, all in CineEI, trust me, the WFM is PITA, the LUT implementation is a PITA, and shutter bug is a major PITA. I knew all of this in October when I first picked up the camera, but thought it would be sorted by now. Some things have improved immensely, but we need these bugs sorted ASAP.
 
Doug Jensen said:
I think I must own a different camera than the rest of you. Mine is a joy to use with almost no meaningful hassles or hurdles that impede my use of it. Mine is making money almost on a daily basis, and it already paid for itself a few months ago. It offers more bang for the buck than any camera in history. Does it have rough edges? Sure, every camera and software program I've ever owned does, but I don't let those rough edges get in my way. Geez, at $8K the camera can be paid for in just a few days of shooting. I guess I'd rather shoot and make money than gripe about it's minor shortcomings. And I don't need Juan Matinez or anyone else at Sony holding my hand while I do it. Shoot more, whine less -- The key to success.
Click to expand...
I believe 99% of us think exactly the same as you Doug! But shhh... don't say it loud! ;) Only by bragging about some issues we can influence Sony to fix something that is the most annoying for us. That's why I keep repeating like a machine that everyone should go to sony forum and post his feelings about the firmware, what still should be fixed. I see NO POINT in moaning here, on dvxuser. Let's just report here what have we noticed, what is improved or impaired in comparison to 2.0, make it informative and helpful for others.

Side question: haven't got a chance to check this out, but is it possible to do "Version down" in camera? Does FS7 allows to do it if you load previous version on SD card?
 
Last edited:
Some of the things people call firmware bugs are actually limitations of the camera that are mentioned in the operation manual. So it is tilting at windmills and a total waste of time to expect a fix because Sony doesn't even acknowledge there is something that needs fixing. If it's the manual, there is almost no chance of it changing. Either way, I think it is always better to deal with reality and learn to work around the functions you wished worked differently. There is nothing about the camera right now that should be a big stumbling block or prevent someone from getting excellent results, but you may have to learn to adapt a little.
 
It's the thing that most people are angry about not being fixed in the last 9 months. Shutter speed randomly changes, whether you choose relative angle or actual speed - can be on startup, on changing to S&Q or simply adjusting some other setting. Happens randomly, about 6 times out of 10 for me.

Nice to hear you're accepting SOME of the things are genuine bugs people have a right to complain about ;)
 
Hmmm, that bug does not seem to exist on my camera. I can't recall the shutter speed ever randomly changing in all the months I've been using it. Not once. And I change codecs and frame rates quite often.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top