Sony Electronics has officially announced the release of its much-anticipated firmware updates for the Alpha 1 (Ver. 2.00), Alpha 7S III (Ver. 3.00), Alpha 7 IV (Ver. 3.00), and the Alpha 9 III (Ver.2.00). Headlined by Sony’s Camera Authenticity Solution, the proprietary in-camera digital signature, and C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) format support, these updates are to help news agencies ensure authenticity of images, and therefore, protect the society from fake imagery. Talk about the stated new features on a slightly deeper level, we begin from Sony’s in-camera digital signature technology that signs images in real-time. The idea behind doing so is to certify image’s authenticity right at the point of capture so to create a ‘digital birth certificate’, which is then retained throughout revisions. This digital signature, in essence, packs together metadata, including 3D-depth information captured through the proprietary image sensor technology developed by Sony. More on the signature’s 3D-depth information would reveal that it can also show us how the image captured was of an actual 3D object, versus photograph of an image or video. Such a set up should go a long way to deliver that extra level of protection.
Complimenting the same is Sony’s bid to bring out an Image Validation Site. This Image Validation Site is a component capable of verifying the image even after edits have been made by the C2PA-compliant editing software. Another detail worth a mention here is rooted in the tech giant’s plan to make its cameras C2PA compliant. In case you weren’t aware, C2PA is basically a Joint Development Foundation which aims to develop an end-to-end open technical standard for publishers, creators, and consumers, along with opt-in flexible ways to better understand the authenticity and provenance of different media types.
Beyond that, Sony has also confirmed the release of various file transfer and network connectivity updates. This covers improvement introduced across its File Transfer Protocol (FTP) transfer operability, cloud upload capabilities, and several other facets. In FTP’s case, users now have a “Protected Images Only” option for the Auto FTP Transfer and a “Protect Image in FTP Transfer” option for the FTP Transfer function. These options are available on the Alpha 1, Alpha 7S III, and Alpha 9 III. Moving on to Sony’s improved set of cloud upload capabilities, they will now allows users to upload images directly to the Sony’s Creators’ Cloud. As a of way making the process all the more seamless, the tech giant has also launched several complimentary features like simplified camera software updates, direct camera registration to the Creators’ Cloud, and a flexible system for uploading, storing, and sharing content. Furthermore, users can come expecting the necessary infrastructure to manage video and LUT files via mobile apps, along with the transfer of RAW files to smartphones.
Hold on, there is more, considering we still haven’t discussed how Sony has also conceived a Secure File Transfer Protocol on the Alpha 1, Alpha 7S III, and Alpha 9 III. This it has done in conjunction with a decision to support WPA3-SAE for wireless LAN on the Alpha 1 and Alpha 7S III. Among other details, there is the prospect of an expanded app support to cover Creators’ App and Monitor & Control app across Alpha 1 and Alpha 7S III. The update even fetches for you a network streaming facility which enables direct live streaming from the Alpha 7 IV to a streaming site.