Sony A7Siii Firmware V3.0 - BETTER than expected!! Hooray for TIMECODE!!

Not sure why so many people are complaining about this update. It's a nearly four year old camera that now shares the same interface and menus as the current models. In addition, they added TIMECODE!! There is a lot to love in this FREE firmware upgrade.

[@hasenmyer]

I thought I had a lot of cameras!

[@RandumbTech]

🤣 Just sold a bunch to MPB so some funds became available. Video coming soon about what I did, and more importantly did not, make the cut.

[@hasenmyer]

@@RandumbTech interested

[@BrianCatalano]

Yeah, I think this is a very welcome update and hopefully a shift in Sony's strategy with firmware updates going forward in the future! I'm ok with less camera releases and more updates... That being said, I'd also happily preorder the A7S4 tomorrow if I could, sight unseen!

[@RandumbTech]

I do think it's a shift in Sony's strategy. The competition (namely Nikon and Panasonic) have been updating their cameras with awesome new features via firmware. It's good that other brands are basically forcing them to do it just to stay competitive.

[@BrianCatalano]

@@RandumbTech fully agree!

[@CharlieVN]

Fx3 still has it, had it for ages, more features and came out only a few months after. Dji action 4 has timecode, but hardly any of the Sony’s 😂

[@RandumbTech]

True, but this is one of the RARE cameras that have an EVF which I use often. I use tentacle sync to jam the timecode into the Action 4 and Pocket 3 all the time. Their internal clocks are sooooo much more accurate than Sony. Sony's drift like 10 frames an hour so you have to keep the TC generator attached to it at all times. 🤣

[@CharlieVN]

@@RandumbTech all this time i thought that Sony was the accurate one, dji inaccurate 😏

[@RandumbTech]

It may be camera dependent. My A7Siii is more accurate than the FX3. The FX3 can't keep TC to save it's life.

[@sidvicious3129]

I like what Sony did with the update, but I also understand the arguments as well. Yes the camera is four years old, but it hasn’t been discontinued and Sony hasn’t dropped the price of the A7SIII at all. So they are still obligated to support their current product and they should have come out with the update sooner. If this was a discontinued product at two years or so old, then I wouldn’t have expected a massive update, only a bug fix, but they still haven’t fixed or added support for animal eye autofocus for video. The fx3 is supposed to get shutter angle in the fall. This is what happens unfortunately when you are at the top, you get fat, dumb and happy, by not thinking that you have to do more because you feel you have no competition. Nikon is pumping out updates because they are doing what Fuji use to do, they are trying to catch up. Canon’s update for the R5 was lackluster as well and Canon has been pulling the same thing, only worst with the third party lens support. Nikon learned from Fuji about doing the firmware updates. When Nikon felt it was on top with DSLRs, they played games with the firmware updates. It’s okay to say it’s a four year old camera, but don’t charge brand new money, $3500 for it and not offer the firmware support that customers expect. There is no physical reason that the A7SIII shouldn’t have every feature that the fx3 has, except the physical make up and the fan, along with shutter angle as well, they are the same camera and processor. When you discontinue, the A7SIII, then I would understand the lack of support, because at some point you have to cut it off. The Sony A1 firmware was even worst in features, (and pulled due to issues)especially for stills and yes I understand about the processor in the A1 not having the AI chip, but for $6500, it should have every firmware feature that the processor is capable of or at least reduce the price. An A7IV should not at $2499 have more features than a current $6500 camera. Look at how competitive the Nikon Z8 is up against the Z9, they are practically the same camera, except the size and battery with a couple very minor firmware differences and a greater tolerance in the Z9 to not over heat. Even Nikon is having constant sales on the Z8. We can’t make excuses for Sony, we must call them to task when they need to be called out. Canon reduced their price of the R5 and R3, through constant sales but with Sony….no. You can’t ask for top dollar for your product if you are not going to provide top dollar in support, especially for your flag ship camera or at least tell people why you can’t, maybe due to the limitations of the processor. These are the reasons that people are upset with Sony right now and don’t like the updates, it feels unfinished.

[@RandumbTech]

I appreciate your perspective. I used to shoot Fuji and had gotten used to the meaty firmware updates. Now I just accept that my gear is what it is, and if it gets an update, I'm happy about it. There is still no camera out there that can compete with the A7Siii/FX3 in terms of price to performance so it's no wonder they are still selling at, or near, full pop. I got my A7Siii used (mint) for $2,100 so no complaints here.

[@sidvicious3129]

@@RandumbTech I can think of only one camera company that would beat both of them in terms of price to performance. I own the A7SIII and my business partner owns the FX3. They have all of the features that the Sony's lack until you get up to the FX6 line, again except great autofocus. That camera and company, if you don't need autofocus or you are great at focus pulling (sometimes can/will shoot one man) and have camera ops, would be the Blackmagic series, either the Pocket 4k, 6k, 6K pro, full frame Leica or a used Ursa. The 4k-at $1295, 6k at $1595 and the 6K-Pro model at $2595, far exceed Sony's price points of the A7SIII and FX3. The dynamic range and what you can do with the image in post is amazing, especially in Davinchi Resolve and the 6Kpros with the nd filter's are great, considering the price. The ability to record to a hard drive and have almost all of the features of a professional cine camera with B-raw codec that is highly maliable. We own 4 Black Magics and they are mostly used for interview stuff or shooting performances, especially when we have camera ops and a switcher, but for run and gun stuff it's Sony all the way!!!