Digital Camera News and Reviews

Olympus has updated the firmware for 3 lenses; the new pancake lens Zukio Digital ED 25mm F2.8, Zukio Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 and Zukio Digital ED 40-150mm F4.0-5.6. The update improves the focusing system when used with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10 DSLR camera.

Information about the firmware update from Olympus:
“-Improved the precision of focusing by using the IMAGER AF in combination with the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.fs Lumix DMC-L10.”

Nikon D3 DSLR

Nikon has updated the firmware for their professional DSLR, the Nikon D3, to version 1.10. Among all the updates are:
-New vignette control for most G and D type lenses
-Faster minimum shutter speeds to trigger Auto ISO


What Nikon had to say about the firmware update:
The following improvements have been made in version 1.10:
– A Vignette control item has been added to the shooting menu. For information regarding supported lenses, see the supplemental manual.
– A Focus point brightness item has been added to the a6: Focus point illumination setting in the Autofocus category of Custom Settings.
– The Highlights playback display option has been moved from Display mode>Basic photo info>Highlights in the playback menu to Display mode>Detailed photo info>Highlights.
– When shutter speed and/or aperture are locked with shooting in live view mode, using the “L” (command lock) button, an “L” icon is now displayed in the camera monitor.
– The size and colour of “Demo” displayed in the monitor with playback, when No memory card? in the Custom Settings is 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 1/250–1 s to 1/4000–1 s.
– When a compatible Speedlight or Wireless Speedlight Commander is used, the AF assist illuminator now lights regardless of the focal length.
– When shooting in hand-held live view mode and the frame is magnified prior to autofocusing, the display now returns to the magnified display rather than full-frame display.
– In some rare cases, the image area visible through the viewfinder and the image area actually recorded differed when Image area>Choose image area in the shooting menu was set to DX format (24×16). This issue has been resolved.
– In some rare cases, white balance was not accurately calculated for images captured at a shutter speed of around 1/4 s in P and A exposure modes. This issue has been resolved.
– When attempting to crop images at an aspect ratio of 4:3 using the Trim option in the retouch menu, the cropped image did not have an accurate 4:3 aspect ratio. This issue has been resolved.

Please visit the links below to access the firmware updates:
PC users can download here.
Mac users can download here.

Canon EOS 40D DSLR

Canon has updated the firmware for the Canon EOS 40D DSLR camera. The firmware include among other updates, these fixes:
1. Fixes a phenomenon in which Image Stabilization operation emits a sound when certain buttons are pressed, with the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS lens attached to the camera.
2. Fixes a phenomenon in which the Image Stabilization operation emits a sound from the lens when IS lenses are attached to the camera.
3. Fixes a phenomenon in which a part of the image looks unnatural when reviewed on the LCD.
4. Corrects errors in the Spanish and Norwegian menu screens.

Read more about it here on Canon’s website.

Sigma SD14 DSLR

Sigma has released a firmware update for their DSLR camera, the SD14. The firmware update includes an extended bulb mode from 30 seconds to 2 mintues and improved accuracy on the evaluative metering.
The firmware can be downloaded here.


Press release:
Sigma releases firmware update for SD14 DSLR

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce that firmware Ver.1.07 for the SD14 is now available for download.

SIGMA SD14 firmware [Ver.1.07]

Benefits of the firmware update:

* Exposure time of Bulb Mode is increased from 30 seconds to 2 minutes (It is only available when the camera is set for Extended Mode).
* Accuracy of the Evaluative Metering has been improved.

SD14 firmware Ver.1.07 is available for download at the following site:
Sigma SD14 firmware download page