D800/D800E new firmware v1.10 now available

[arthurking83]

See here.

Updates:

Custom Setting f13 has been changed to Assign Movie Record Button.
With Custom Setting f13 changed to Assign Movie Record Button, Assign MB-D12 AF-ON is now Custom Setting f14.
Custom Setting f15: Assign Remote Fn Button has been added.
The following functions have been added or renamed when the D800 is used with the Communication Unit UT-1 running firmware Ver. 2.0. A Network (UT-1) option has been added to, and Wireless transmitter has been renamed Wireless transmitter (WT-4) in, the setup menu.

Function that has been added:

HTTP server mode - Use to view the pictures on the camera memory card, or to take photographs, from the web browser on a computer or iPhone.

Functions that have been renamed:

FTP upload mode (previously Transfer mode (FTP)) - Use to upload photos and movies from camera memory cards, or to upload photos as they are taken, to an ftp server.
Image transfer mode (previously Transfer mode (PC)) - Use to upload photos and movies from camera memory cards, or to upload photos as they are taken, to a computer.
Camera control mode (previously PC mode) - Use to control the camera from a computer running Camera Control Pro 2 (available separately) and save photos and movies directly to the computer.
Support for the updated version of Communication Unit UT-1 firmware has been added.



IMPORTANT NOTE: To enable support for these functions, Communication Unit UT-1 firmware must be updated to Ver. 2.0 or later, and the Wireless Transmitter Utility must be updated to Ver. 1.5.0 or later. When camera firmware is updated, network profiles specified with earlier firmware versions cannot be used. Network profiles must be created again.



Support for CompactFlash memory cards with capacities greater than 128 GB has been added.
When AF-ON only was selected for Custom Setting a4 (AF activation) and the AF-ON button was pressed to initiate autofocus during viewfinder photography, focus remained locked even after the user took their finger off the button, and the shutter could be released at any time. However, specifications have been modified so that the shutter cannot be released under the following conditions if the camera fails to focus.
Autofocus mode is set to AF-S (single-servo AF)
AF-area mode is set to Single-point AF
Custom Setting a2 (AF-S priority selection) is set to Focus
When values for 12 or 18 lenses were stored with AF fine-tune > Saved value in the setup menu, only some of the lenses for which values had been stored were displayed under List saved values. This issue has been resolved.
When the live view selector was set to live view photography with Custom Setting g4 (Assign shutter button) set to Record movies, a value for preset manual white balance could not be measured. This issue has been resolved.
When the built-in flash was set to Commander mode, remote Speedlights sometimes did not fire. This issue has been resolved.
In some rare cases, the memory card access lamp remained lit for longer than usual, and some time was required before any operations could be performed. This issue has been resolved.


I've seen that last issue where the card light stays on for a lot longer than you'd expect it too.
I haven't yet come across any of the other issues listed.

[Cage]

Artie, I've read this several times and can't seem to find any compelling reason to download the update.

I don't do videos, don't have the UT-1 (don't even want to know what it does at this stage) and I'm quite happy with the way the camera is operating.

I'm still trying to get my head around this bit though which is basically my set-up.

When AF-ON only was selected for Custom Setting a4 (AF activation) and the AF-ON button was pressed to initiate autofocus during viewfinder photography, focus remained locked even after the user took their finger off the button, and the shutter could be released at any time. However, specifications have been modified so that the shutter cannot be released under the following conditions if the camera fails to focus.
Autofocus mode is set to AF-S (single-servo AF)
AF-area mode is set to Single-point AF

At this point I'm thinking I'll go with the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

[arthurking83]

My immediate thought was that it'll fix that annoying green light problem.

What woudl sometimes happen, is that the green light would stay on for a lot longer than you'd expect.
The problem was random in the sense that no particular event triggered it.
Sometimes it may have been a lens being mounted, or an image being reviewed, or a new image captured or whatever... the green light would come on and stay on .. maybe 30 or more seconds!

Haven't yet checked, but I'm also hoping that it may fix my Nikon battery issue .. where my Nikon battery(from brand new) has shown a life expectancy of about 3 hours since I first got it and then replaced the original battery with another Nikon battery.


There have been a few more tweaks than just the 'video' or UT-1 enhancements.

That useless video button is now a bit less useless.

Can be configured to change three other variables.

ISO if you wish
or
Choose image area
or
lock aperture/shutter value.

Handy to have the ability to use the record button as a Fn button now. Would have been nicer to allows more options than just those three.
I actually set mine to lock aperture and shutter value.

That is, press and hold the record button, if in A mode it set the aperture to a locked value of what it is currently set at. That is, a small indicator comes up and you can't adjust aperture. Press/hold and rotate the front dial and you unlock it.
Same deal with the rear dial when in S mode. locks the shutter from being inadvertently moved.
In M mode it does both, instead of the priority value only.

Strangely, a few weeks after my last shoot out at this tree on a hill, I only just noticed that the aperture value used for one set of images in the shoot were set to f/5.6.
I know I didn't deliberately set the camera to f/5.6, so I must have bumped it somehow. I had to climb over a fence, so I'm assuming that this is where the aperture knocking had occured.
I'd never shoot with this lens set to f/5.6 unless under duress. (hence why I now set the record button the way I have).

The other feature that will become handy in good time is the new working of the AF-On+AF-S+focus priority setting. It allows what's known as focus trap. Extremely handy for manually focusing, but it's severely limited in the implementation as it currently is. Nikon should have allowed this to work with compatible manual lenses. As it is, only CPU'ed lenses are compatible with the focus trap feature.(there are only two Nikon lenses that are both manual focus and CPU'ed .. ie. Ai-P .... that I know of).

Anyhow, what is focus trap?
It's a Manual AF system, if that makes sense.
You can try this at home if you like.
With any CPU lens connected and set to M/F .. set the camera up as described in Nikon's literature and press the shutter to confirm that the release won't work. This is set now to focus priority.
Press and hold the AF-On button, whilst at the same time pressing and holding the release.
I know it sounds strange to have the AF-On button AND manual focus, but this is the point.
Now manually focus the lens and as you get closer to the focus point and finally at the point of focus, the camera triggers automatically, and you get the shot.

Once I convert my manual lenses to CPU types, this allows a degree of accuracy in focusing these old manual lenses. No more to-in and fro-ing to get focus.
The system works on the principle that the rangefinder is the trigger point for the camera.

Before I mangled the Dandelion chip I mounted to the 500/8, I found that it works 99.9% perfectly(this focus trap).
This particular lens is about as hard as it gets to manually focus due to the extremely dark vf. F/11 and smaller lenses are probably impossible to manually focus tho.


Update to v1.10 .. highly recommended even if it 'ain't broke'

[I @ M]

At this point I'm thinking I'll go with the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

There are primarily two compelling reasons to update it Kev.

#1 When, not if, the green light issue hits you the however small amount of stress that hits you momentarily wil not be there.

#2 Nikon have a history of also "fixing" other problems through firmware updates that many may not be aware of without telling them. They might find a few isues that most people will never experience but rather than admit that there is an issue to start with and then apply a fix they simply don't tell the masses about the problem and simply apply the fix in the "background" of a firmware update that addresses "known" issues.

[Cage]

Thank you the 'A Team'.

You've both raised some salient points, so a re-think on my part is in order.

And Andrew, I don't think Nikon is the only organisation that slips patches into updates for issues that may, or may not, be well known. Good point though.

[Kym]

Pentax do the same, often they will say X Y Z new changed features + general stability improvements or similar.
The latest firmware is generally a good idea for all brands

[Cage]

I guess I was just being lazy in the respect that I'll now have to redo my settings.

[arthurking83]

The only caveat to concern yourself with Kev.

Nikon have been known to apply some non Nikon hack changes into new firmwares. I think the D5200 was the last one that I remember carried a change like this.

There was a fair bit of chatter around where D5200 users who had successfully used non Nikon batteries prior to the firmware update, suddenly found themseves in a situation where those same batteries no longer worked. The batteries are apparently chipped, so that the camera recognises specific brands.

My good battery is a no name brand that works perfectly, and my only concern was that with the change to the new firmware may kill that relationship.
Had to bite the bullet so to speak, but all went well .. no name battery still works.
But I did specifically look for a battery that claimed to be 'chipped' to work on current Nikon cameras too tho.

And FWIW: my Nikon battery is still cactus(with the new firmware). freshly charged and it still shows only 90% charge and 3 on the used scale. The battery is for all intents and purposes new!
From new it has never worked properly.