$500 discount

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1333228-REG/sony_ilce_9_b_alpha_a9_mirrorless_digital.html

Sony can make even $2000 discount and still get lot of profit.

It was confirmed that some products that updated to Ver.3.00 may not operate properly in some cases. Distribution will be suspended until we can inform you of modified version.

Too much issues with firmwares lately.

Firmware v4.0

1. New features have been added to the Image transfer function via FTP
   • You can record and play back still images even during transfer operations
   • You can narrow down the transfer target, such as protected images or non-transferred images, and transfer the applicable images together as a batch
   • You can transfer a played back picture by pressing an assigned custom key
   • You can automatically transfer images while recording
   • You can select the transfer target file formats when transferring images recorded in RAW+JPEG format to an FTP server
   • Up to nine FTP servers can be registered
   • New options to configure the destination folder on the FTP server in a more flexible way:
   • Images can be transferred to a specific folder.
2. Others
   Improves the overall stability of the camera

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/e-mount-body-ilce-9-series/ilce-9#downloads

Firmware update coming

Sony Electronics Inc. today announced a major upgrade to its α9 mirrorless camera that will be available via a firmware updates.

Sony’s revolutionary α9 camera will receive several major enhancements to its award-winning autofocus (AF) performance and image quality, as well as receive a variety of new features that are designed to improve the overall workflow for professional photographers. In addition, new firmware updates for α7R III and α7 III will be available that update these cameras with the latest enhancements including Real-time Eye AF performance and add interval recording capacities.

“These new firmware upgrades demonstrate the strong commitment that Sony has to our customers,” said Neal Manowitz, vice president of Imaging Solutions at Sony Electronics. “Their voice is critical to everything we do, and being able to provide our customers with new capabilities is a source of great pride for Sony.”

Firmware Ver. 5.0 and Ver. 6.0 for α9

The upcoming firmware version 5.0 for α9 adds Sony’s newly developed Real-time Tracking mode for object tracking. This mode utilizes Sony’s latest algorithm—including Artificial Intelligence-based object recognition—and processes color, subject distance (depth), pattern (brightness) as well as spatial (distance) information to ensure that all subjects can be captured with extreme accuracy and precision. When photographing or videographing humans or animals, face and eye position information is recognized by AI and the subject’s eye is monitored in real time with extremely high tracking precision. In addition, “Tracking On” helps initiate real-time tracking at any time by simply pressing a custom-assigned button and “Touch Tracking,” which quickly activates through the touch screen.

With this new firmware version 5.0, Sony’s acclaimed α9 camera will receive advanced “Real-time Eye AF,” the latest version of Sony’s acclaimed Eye AF technology. This exciting new capability employs AI-based object recognition to detect and process eye location data in real time, resulting in improved accuracy, speed and tracking performance of Eye AF. In all autofocus modes, the camera can automatically detect the eyes of the subject and activate Eye AF with a half press of the shutter button, and the camera will seamlessly track the eyes at all times when in AF-C mode. The new firmware will also enable photographers to select the preferred eye (left or right) of their subject as the focus point.

Other focusing capabilities that will be available with the new firmware include Touch Pad, Touch Tracking, an extended phase-detection AF aperture range that has been increased from F11 to F16, and Fast Hybrid AF for movie shooting that provides smooth, automated focusing for movies.

Image quality will also be enhanced with the new α9 firmware version 5.0, specifically in the areas of color reproduction. The camera will more accurately account for subtle changes in light for smoother, more natural tonal gradations in elements like the sky. There is a new auto white balance algorithm that gets added as well, which produces more consistently balanced images while burst shooting. Other new functions for efficient controls and data management include My Dial and Dual Slot media menu improvement, rating and protect functions.

In addition to the several new capabilities, the firmware also adds compatibility with Sony’s new Imaging Edge Mobile application - the successor to the PlayMemories Mobile™ application. The new Imaging Edge Mobile application features a ‘Transfer & Tagging add-on’ function to assist professional workflow. This allows photographers to transfer images from their camera to their smartphone during capture using the FTP transfer functionality,and adds support for including IPTC metadata on transferred images.

Version 6.0 firmware for the α9 camera will add Eye AF for animal eyes, an exciting new feature for wildlife photographers that will enable interval shooting functionality for creating time-lapse movies.

The new system firmware update version 5.0 is scheduled for launch in March 2019, and version 6.0 is scheduled for Summer 2019.

About new coming firmware

Sony PR

Sony's industry-leading a9 camera has received a significant software update that brings AI-driven autofocus capabilities to its award-winning autofocus (AF) system, improves image quality, and introduces a range of customer-requested workflow improvements.

Autofocus Advances

Firmware version 5.0 for the Sony a9 adds Sony's newly-developed, AI-driven Real-time Tracking mode for precise and robust subject tracking. Real-time Tracking uses Sony's latest AF algorithm---which includes Artificial Intelligence-based object recognition---to detect and follow subjects with unprecedented accuracy.

Real-time Tracking AF works in conjunction with Real-time Eye AF, also added with Firmware version 5.0. The latest iteration of Sony's best-in-class Eye AF technology, Real-time Eye AF also uses AI-based object recognition, resulting in an unprecedented level of speed and performance for locking on and holding focus on a subject's eyes. Additionally, with Real-time Eye AF, users can now activate eye detection via a half-press of the shutter release, and can enjoy focus tracking accuracy even if a subject's eyes are temporarily obscured during shooting.

Also added with firmware 5.0 is Fast Hybrid AF for video, which now provides smoother, more accurate focus during video shooting, even if/when objects move in front of the subject.

Image Quality

Firmware version 5.0 offers notably improved image processing, which maximizes the capabilities of the full-frame sensor. The camera now more accurately reproduces subtle changes in light for smoother, more natural tonal gradations and improved auto white balance results.

Improved Usability And Workflow

With Firmware version 5.0, the Sony a9 adds several customer-requested features:

• New My Dial menu
• Revised Custom Key menu
• Improved touchpad capability,
• Enhanced dual-card functionality
• Enhanced tagging

Imaging Edge

Sony is also announcing the release of Imaging Edge™ mobile applications, plus updates to the 'Remote,' 'Viewer' and 'Edit' desktop applications that brings exciting new features to all Sony imaging customers.

For professional photographers, Sony is also releasing a new mobile application 'Transfer & Tagging add-on' that supports instant delivery workflow by allowing users to transfer content to their mobile devices via the camera's FTP background transfer functionality. It also enables voice input for text captioning to streamline overall workflow between photographers and other team members.

"It is now also possible to select the Focus Frame Colour allowing users to choose between red, grey or the standard green."

Lipstick on a pig! (or is this an example of improved colour science...)?

No 10bit color, no 4K 60P or higher. No RAW, no ProRes. But those cat videos will be sharply focused.