Hi, I can join Lamboran in the question he has about a firmare update to the A580.

Regards
Lennart

So there's not going to be an update for the firmware on the A580 !!!

This is not good at all. It seems that Sony are very quick to sale us there cameras with no help or backup when there is a problem, i am wanting to do more with macro, like reverse my lens, you should be able to remove the lens and keep the aperture open like you can do on the Canon and Nikon cameras. it seems you can do so much more with Nikon & Canon cameras, they also keep you up to date with new firmware!!!!!

It looks like to me that i have made one big mistake in going with Sony, not a happy bunny at all, been told by Sony that this is not possible with there lenses, but this is not a lens thing, it is to do with the software in camera. After doing much reading on the net and other forums, i have found out this is a software problem and that Sony are aware of this, and yet no solution from Sony.

I am not waiting for Canon or Nikon to release firmware, i'm just saying there are things you should be able to do with the 580 like you can with other makes. Iike remove your lens and keep the shutter open, this is just one thing i have found you cant do, and yet sony tell me that it cant be done with there lenses, as i said this is not a lens problem, if i'm not mistaken, the camera tells the lens to stay open when you hold the DOF button in and remove the lens.

Hi there,

I would love to see a FW update for A580/560 that provides focus peaking when contrast AF is used in Focus Check LV mode, wider bracketing steps and additional picture effects (like on the SLT and NEX models).

This should be possible via FW update. Apart from that I think that those models do not need much impovement.

Let's wait and hope for the best...

Jules

Hi kevie000,

a FW update would not help using a reverse adapter. The lens is attached with the filter thread to the A-mount via adapter, leaving the aperture lever on the front with no contact to the camera body. This is exactly the same with current Nikon cameras and lenses and similar to Canon as well, because they all do not feature an aperture ring on the lens.

That means that the aperture cannot be selected or changed during shooting without applying some tricks or using an old lens that features an aperture ring. But you can use reverse adapters with any Alpha or NEX camera, because the operation is purely manual.

Here are the options:

1. Medium costs: Try to find an old manual focus Minolta lens (or other lens), which has a filter thread that matches your reverse adapter for A-mount and is suited for this purpose. Old Minolta lenses have an aperture ring on the lens. By turning the aperture ring you can open and close it to match your subject and shooting situation.

2. Low costs: Some reverse adapters include a second ring/adapter that you can attach to the normal lens mount (the side with the contacts and the aperture lever). This ring/adapter grabs the aperture lever and by turning it, you can open and close the aperture.

3. Budget DIY solution: Just attach the lens with the reverse adapter. Now the aperture is closed to max position. To open and close the aperture you can use your fingernail or a match stick or whatever is slim enough to fit into to gap and move the aperture lever. The you can fix it with tape, blue tack... and you are ready for shooting.

One important thing to be able to release the camera when you do not have an A-mount lens attached: Go to the menu and set: "Release w/o lens" to "Enable". Now you can shoot with any lens attached in A and M mode, but of course without AF. But this should not be an issue as MF in focus check LV will be better suited for macro shots anyway, because of the extremely shallow depth of field.

I found this interesting blog, which might be helpful as well...

http://photo.blogoverflow.com/2011/07/take-macro-shots-like-this-for-less-than-the-cost-of-a-pizza/

Good luck with the macros!

Jules

@gimp69.

A bit harsh bearing in mind that Sony have released camera bodies with inherrent issues such as the A700 that didn't allow for noise reduction to be turned off for example which was finally addressed with v4 firmware.  I'm sure there are numerous tweaks to the A580 that firmware would help enhance the camera's functionality and useabilty (Lord knows A700 owners have been asking for v5 for years without success and naming what would be required) which could've been forthcoming by Sony, but as new models and types (now SLT) have hit the streets, the discontinued bodies have become redundant and been left behind in terms of firmware updates including their full frame A850/A900 pro body models which doesn't bode well for the future as it seems Sony are going the same way as Panasonic . . . . forget the firmware, knock-out another model with any improvement to earlier model issues addressed.

One area that firmware is an absolute 'must' is the ability to have the option to turn off settings such as DRO and in-body NR, notwithstanding better NR algorithms which Sony are still struggling with as it cannot seem to get high ISO and low noise to work anywhere as good as Nikon.

As for SLT, well that may be th way Sony are going, but personally it's not for me as I prefer OVF, so as a former A700 owner and now an A580 and A850 owner, I can live with the limitations, though improvements can be made by firmware, and as it's technically a free upgrade, but at the same time certain menu and functionality should've been already sorted before releasing onto the High Street for retail sale, though the ability to offer improvemnts and enhancements are much appreciated (another example was the A850/A900 exposure bracketing increased from +/- 2 to +/- 3 EV so came as a welcome enhancement for those that utilise such a feature in PP, so in conclusion, it would be like saying if it was OK when released, it should be OK now, but that isn't always the case as I'm sure Sony will attest to,  The bottom lin is don't wait for a firmware release, send Sony emails or post on their blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc and tell them what is needed for whatever models and get them to respond.  Also, don't think that th latest model will be any better than your previous model, so don't be fooled into the upgrade path without first waiting to see what those who 'must have the latest model' have to say about it after 12 months or so, and see how many are being sold on the used market after a short while, which are both indicators as to how well it's been received and if it has known performance issues (as in the case of th A65/A77 JPEG output quality - THE most basic of any camera requiremnt), so please don't say firmware won't sort that out, but it shouldn't have been an issue to start with.

Stick with the models that work, and if you're still not happy, jump ship for another brand.

Message was edited by: pirate77

Text amendments and spelling corrections.