After using my Sony A7iii for a good six months, it is now time to carry out the first firmware update. So far, I was spared software errors, such as a blinking pixel or incorrect writing of RAW data to the SD card.
So it wasn’t absolutely necessary for me to update directly to the latest firmware. However, since I have just finished all my photographic projects, I wanted to bring the camera up to date with the latest software. I have written down how this works in the following steps.
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Initial Situation
My Sony A7iii was in the delivery condition before the update. The firmware with version 2.10 was installed. The menu for checking the installed firmware can be found in the camera menu under setup 7. This is the seventh sheet in the menu with the tool case as the logo.
Before the Sony A7III Update:
Before updating the firmware, it is advisable to fully charge the camera’s battery.
Download Sony A7III Latest Firmware:
The next step is to download the latest firmware for the camera from the Sony homepage.
The link to the Mac version is here: Mac
The link to the Windows version is here: Windows
I did the installation with a Mac. Therefore, all of the following steps are documented from the perspective of a Mac user.
Note for Mac users: The download did not work for me with the Safari browser. The download button was grayed out here. I was able to successfully download the software with the current Firefox browser.
Sony A7III Settings:
In the Setup 4 menu, the camera’s USB connection must be set to mass storage.
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Firmware Update of the Sony A7III:
Now it comes to the actual firmware update. It is important that the camera is not connected to the computer for the time being.
1. Unzip the Software:
After downloading the software package, it must first be unpacked. After unzipping, there should be a Resources folder and the UpdateSettingTool in the unzipped folder.
2. Run Software:
The SystemSoftwareUpdater software is located in the Resources folder. Now start the software with a double click. Then read the safety notice and click on Open.
Now confirm the installation with a user having administrator rights.
The Sony software is now trying to load a system extension. Which is blocked by the macOS operating system by default. In order to allow loading, this must be approved in the system settings of the operating system. Change to the system settings of the operating system via the button Open System Settings “Security”.
Then switch to the General tab in the macOS security menu and approve the loading of the software.
The Mac must now be restarted. A restart of the operating system is confirmed with the Restart button.
After the restart, the SystemSoftwareUpdater software must be restarted. Loading of the Sony software is no longer blocked by the operating system.
The camera can now be connected to the Mac.
3. Connect the Sony A7iii to the Mac:
According to Sony, the camera should be connected to the computer using the USB cable provided. I performed the update with a standard USB-C cable. The reason why I used a USB-C cable is that the cover to the USB ports prevents the camera from resting properly on a table when using the normal USB port. The camera then rests on one side of the camera housing and on the other side on the opened USB connection cover. It is only a matter of time before the lid blesses the temporal. Here you can find the cable I used.
Then click on Next to establish the connection between the camera and the Mac.
After successfully connecting the camera to the Mac, the software will check the current version of the firmware on the camera. The current firmware version is displayed in the lower left of the window. In my case, it is version 2.10 Now the actual installation can be started with Next.
The next step is to reset the camera and start the update automatically. The camera display turns black. Only the red LED lights up on the back of the camera.
The installation progress is displayed in the software.
4. Sony A7III Firmware Update Completed
After the firmware has been fully loaded on the camera, the camera restarts.
Now you can check in the menu under setup 7 whether the current firmware has been installed.
If you have any questions or problems while performing the update, please leave them in a comment. 🙂
5. Benefits and Improvements of the Latest Update:
- Adds the External Flash Set
- Function: This function allows you to configure the settings of a connected flash unit or wireless remote control (both sold separately) directly from the camera.
- Compatible wireless remote control
- Improves the stability of the camera