Sony A7II Updated Auto focus / Uncompressed raw support

[tcmatthews]

I do not know the validity of this but it looks like B&H let a Sony A7II software update announcement slip out early.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/news/sony%E2%80%99s-a7-ii-receives-uncompressed-raw-improved-af-support-firmware-update

It appears that the A7II will get raw file format and phase detection enabled for converted lens and uncompressed Raw support. Personally I hope this happens because I have been sitting on the fence trying to decide if I just get the A7rII. If my A7II can autofocus adequately with Canon Lense I can save my money for a Canon 5dr or Canon 6D II. It will also make my future lens purchases much clearer.

I bought the A7II to shoot primarily old manual lenses. So I would not see any real benefit going to the A7rII with those lense. But I sometimes like auto focus and the current A7II is about as good as my Canon XS stuck in Liveview. I also do not want to duplicate my Canon lenses unless I have to.

I will update when and if the update is available.
Update 1
Firmware update coming Nov 18
http://www.sony.com/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras/ilce-7m2-body-kit
http://briansmith.com/sony-a7ii-uncompressed-raw-firmware-update-coming-nov-18/

 

[tcmatthews]

The update is out. It works better than expected. Most of my Canon lens are now usable for auto focus. All of them except the 85mm and Tamron 28-75f2.8, focus much better than EOS M. (I have found the Tamron 28-75f2.8 focuses faster on the M than the 22mm pancake but does not work on the metabones adapter.) Only slightly slower than a DSLR. There is one issue that I noticed. Unlike native E mount lens it limits you to inside the phase detection focus area when selecting a focus area.

The focus area is still larger than a 6D. I will probably put up a more detailed review after Thanksgiving.
All testing done with the Metabones III. I do not have a Metabones IV but given the performance gain I have seen I might have to get one.

Initial impressions.

• Canon 24f2.8 IS USM auto focus works very well
• Canon 40f2.8 STM pancake auto focus works extremely well
• Canon 50f1.8 STM auto focus works extremely well
• Canon 85f1.8 auto focus hunts all over the place not quite usable, need to test in better lighting.
• Canon 100f2.8L auto focus works very well
• Canon 70-200f4L auto focus works
• Tamron 70-300 4-5.6 VC auto focus works not very well hunts a sometimes makes a bunch of noise that does not sound all that good but I think that is just the VC kicking in.

I did not test my APC-s lenses or lenses that don't seem to work on the metabones adapter such as the Tamron 150-600 and 28-75f2.8. The Metabones adapter or camera does not seem to have enough power for the Tamron 150-600.

I am getting a 7DII I think that a comparison between the Sony A7II and Canon 7DII liveview is also in order. The STM lenses seem to work almost as well as native lenses.

 

[wockawocka]

Totally usable now with Canon glass.

So happy with this, all my primes are now image stabilised.