I should have have this post 3 months ago when this (awesome) new firmware was released.

There are several great new features and the kerning on the menu font is slightly more condensed which makes everything easier to read, but the main thing is the new focus tracking which is world class.

Here we go…

NOTE: Updated for Sony a9ii (v2)

CAMERA 1 (RED CAMERA)

1/14 QUALITY / IMAGE SIZE 1

File Format RAW & JPEG

RAW and JPEG - I shoot both at sporting events as I need to be able to transmit JPEG images to the social media managers throughout the course of the game and the embedded JPEG in the RAW file is too small.

RAW File Type Compressed
JPEG Quality Fine
Image Size L: 24M
Aspect Ratio 3:2
APC-C / Super 35mm Off

2/14 QUALITY / IMAGE SIZE 2

High ISO NR Normal
Color Space sRGB
Lens Comp Auto, Auto, Off

3/14 SHOOT MODE / DRIVE

Self-timer Type Self-timer (Single) - 10 seconds
Bracket Settings Cont. Bracket, Off, ->0>+
1/2 Recall n/a, only for 1, 2, or 3 on the mode dial
1/2 Memory n/a
Select Media Slot 1 (a9ii), Slot 2 (a9)

The slot you select here is what you will send to your SmartPhone as well as what card slot will lock images.

5/14 AF 1

Priority Set in AF-S AF
Priority Set in AF-C Balanced Emphasis
Focus Area Tracking: Flexible Spot S
Focus Area Limit Uncheck anything you don’t want to use
Swt. V/H AF Area AF Point Only

6/14 AF 2

AF Illuminator Off
Face/Eye AF Set On, Human, Auto, On, On
AF Track Sens Typically 3 or 4
Aperture Drive in AF Standard
AF w/shutter Off

This is Sony-speak for back button focusing. If you back button focus, turn this off, if you don’t leave it on. If you’re not sure what BBF is, you’re putting the action of grabbing focus and opening the shutter on two different controls. Almost all of the proper photogs I know do this, but I do know a few who don’t so this is going to be a personal preference.

Pre-AF Off

7/14 AF 3

AF Area Registration Off
Focus Frame Color White
AF Area Auto Clear Off
Disp cont AF area On

8/14 AF 4

Phase Detect Arts Off
Circ of Focus Point Does Not Circulate
AF Micro Adj

9/14 EXPOSURE 1

Reset EV Comp Reset
ISO Setting (Range Limit) Depends on the venue, but usually 50-12,800
Metering Mode usually Multi
Face Priority in Multi On
Spot Metering Point Focus Point Link

10/14 EXPOSURE 2

Exposure step 0.3 EV
AEL w/shutter Off
Exposure Std Adjust leave this alone unless you know what it is

11/14 FLASH

Flash Mode Flash Off
Flash Comp 0.0
Exp comp set Ambient & Flash
Wireless Flash On
Red Eye Reduction Off

12/14 COLOR / WB / IMG PROCESSING

White Balance Usually Auto, but varies, check out underwater!
Priority Set in AWB Standard
DRO / Audo HDR Off
Creative Style Standard
Picture Effect Off, n/a in RAW
Shutter AWB Loct Cont. Shooting

13/14 FOCUS ASSIST

Focus Magnifier Time No Limit
Initial Focus Mag x4.7
AF in Focus Mag On
MF Assist Off, but this is interesting…

If you throw the switch on your lens into MF (manual focus), as soon as you twist the focus ring, it zooms in to assist in grabbing focus. More of a video thing, but really great as I don’t know of any Canon or Nikon cameras which do this.

Peaking Level Off

14/14 SHOOTING ASSIST

Anti-Flicker Shoot Off (unless you need it)

CAMERA 2 (PURPLE CAMERA)

1/11 MOVIE 1

File Format XAVC S HD / 4k or HD
Record Setting 24p 50 or 60p 50 (HD), 24p 60 or 24p 100 (4k)

- in 4k you have 24p or 30p (and 30 should NEVER be an option!)

- in HD you have 24p, 30p, 60p, and 120p (30 fps also sucks in HD)

S&Q Settings 24, 120 fps
Proxy Recording Off

2/11 MOVIE 2

AF Drive Speed Normal
AF Track Sens Standard (responsive can be too jumpy)
Auto Slow Shut On
Initial Focus Mag x1.0
Audio Recording On

3/11 MOVIE 3

Audio Level Display On
Audio Out Timing Live
Wind Noise Reduct Off
Marker Display Off
Marker Settings Off
Video Light Mode Power Link

4/11 MOVIE 4

Movie w/ shutter Off

5/11 SHUTTER / STEADY SHOT

Shutter Type Mechanical / Electronic

Mechanical for using strobes

Electronic for everything else - you’ll need to be in this to get the 20 fps

e-Front Curtain Shut On
Release w/o Lens Disable
Release w/o Card Disable

This should NEVER be turned on!!! Never, ever, never! Leave this on and at some point, you’re going to shoot a game or a session only to discover you have zero images. Then you’ll get sacked. DISABLE this now!

SteadyShot On
SteadyShot Settings Auto

6/11 ZOOM

7/11 DISPLAY / AUTO REVIEW 1

DISP Button Lots of option here for both the MONITOR and FINDER

MONITOR - No Disp Info, Histogram, Level, For Viewfinder

FINDER - No Disp Info, Histogram, Level

FINDER / MONITOR Auto (usually)

This is really great until you get into a dark room at which time the lack of light makes the camera believe you are looking through the viewfinder and thus blocking the light sensor which determines whether to use the viewfinder or monitor. I have C1 set to toggle this when necessary.

Finder Frame Rate High
Zebra Off
Grid Line Off
Exposure Set Guide Off

8/11 DISPLAY / AUTO REVIEW 2

Live View Display Setting Effect ON (Off for strobes)
Shoot Start Disp Off
Shoot Timing Disp On: Type 4
Cont Shoot Length Always Displayed
Auto Review Off

9/11 CUSTOM OPERATION 1

PICTURE Custom Key

Rear 1

1 Control Wheel Not set

2 AFL Button Eye AF

3 AF-ON Button AF On

4 C3 Not set

5 C4 Not set

Rear 2

1 Multi-Slc Center Btn Focus Standard

2 Center Button Focus Magnifier (only works in AF-S mode)

3 Left Button White Balance

4 Right Button ISO

5 Down Button Not Set

Top

1 C2 Finder/Monitor Sel

2 C2 Focus Area

Lens Focus Hold Button Not set (button on G Master lenses)

MOVIE Custom Key
PLAYBACK Custom Key

Rear 1 C3 FTP Transfer

2 Fn Send to Smartphone

Top 1 C1 Finder / Monotor Sel

2 C2 Protect

Function Menu Set

Upper 1 Picture File Format

Upper 2 Focus Area

Upper 3 Not Set

Upper 4 ISO

Upper 5 Metering Mode

Upper 6 White Balance

Lower 1 Shutter Type

Lower 2 Live View Display

Lower 3 Audio signals

Lower 4 Prioritize Rec. Media

Lower 5 Not Set

Lower 6 Not Set

My Dial Settings Front Dial Tv (Shutter), Rear Dial Av (Aperture)
Dial Setup SS (Front), F (Rear)

10/11 CUSTOM OPERATION 2

Av/Tv Remote Normal
MOVIE Button Movie Mode Only
Lock Operation Parts Off

11/11 CUSTOM OPERATION 3

Audio signals On: e-shutter only

This is where you can go completely silent. I always have the shutter “ticking” sound unless the situation warrants complete silence. Golf, tennis, video interviews, live TV, movie sets, wedding services, and soon, press conferences.

NETWORK (GREEN WORLD)

1/3 NETWORK 1

2/3 NETWORK 2

3/3 NETWORK 3

PLAYBACK (BLUE PLAY BUTTON)

1/4 PLAYBACK 1

2/4 PLAYBACK 2

Enlarge Init Mag Standard Mag
Enlarge Initial Pos Focused Position

3/4 PLAYBACK 3

Enlarge Initial Position Focused Position

Select PB Media Slot 1 (JPEG-1 top, RAW-2 bottom, a9ii)

It doesn’t really matter which slot you send JPEGs an RAW to. I have it for JPEG going to the top on the a9ii because that’s how I have it on my older a9 so I wanted the JPEG slot to be the same for both - and by the same I mean the top slot as they changed the names of the slots between the two models. Over on SETUP 5 5/7 is Select Rec Media. Whichever slot you select here will get JPEG and the other will get RAW.

When you go to this Select PB Media under PLAYBACK 1 3/4, regardless of what you select, it always defaults back to the settings of the “Select Rec Media” as soon as you take a picture. Here’s the problem: whatever slot you have selected for “Select PB Media” that is the only slot which will lock an image.

4/4 PLAYBACK 4

Display as Group Off

Display Rotation Off

Image Jump Setting Front Dial, Protect Only

This is a REALLY COOL feature!!!

During a game or a shoot, I’m marking/locking my favorite images on the fly. When it’s time to either send them to your phone or show a client your or their favorite images (which you’ve locked), rotating the front dial shows only those protected images.

If you’re sending these to your Smartphone and you want to send multiple images, the same thing happens here - you are only rotating through the locked images which you just check off one by one to send. Really great, well done Sony!!!