Firmware Friday: New features, bug-fixes for GoPro Hero5, Olympus E-M10, Panasonic GX85/G85 & YI-M1

 

 

With the weekend beckoning, it's time once more for Firmware Friday, our weekly roundup of all that's new in the world of camera gear updates! This week, we have news to report from action cam manufacturer GoPro, as well as from Micro Four Thirds mirrorless partners Olympus, Panasonic and YI Technology.

GoPro Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session

We'll start off with GoPro, whose new firmware version 01.57 release is now available for the Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session cameras. In both cases, the only change listed in the company's official release notes is an improvement in SD card stability. You can download the new Hero5 Black firmware here, and the Hero5 Session firmware here.

Olympus E-M10

Moving along to Olympus, the new firmware version 1.3 release for the Olympus E-M10 brings with it two changes. Firstly, the E-M10 now supports Olympus lenses with built-in image stabilization. Although it doesn't provide Five-Axis Sync IS capability, it does allow the body's built-in rotational stabilization to be used in concert with the attached lens' stabilization on other axes. This new update also brings with it support for the Windows 10 operating system. You can download Olympus E-M10 firmware version 1.3 using the company's Digital Camera Updater application for Windows and Mac OS.

Panasonic G80, G81, G85, GX80 and GX85

Next up we have Panasonic, which has updates both for the closely-related DMC-G80, G81 and G85 models, as well as for the DMC-GX80 and GX85. For the G80, G81 and G85, firmware version 1.2 adds support for the Dual I.S.2 function when shooting with the Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 Asph. Power O.I.S. (H-RS100400) lens. The GX80 and GX85 version 1.2 updates, meanwhile, solve an issue where the cameras would fail to the company's Japanese-language PicMate image sharing service. And for all five cameras, these new firmware updates also reduce ambient noise levels when the camera is recording a movie or in standby mode.

You can download the Panasonic G80, G81 and G85 firmware version 1.2 updates here, and the Panasonic GX80 and GX85 version 1.2 updates here.

YI Technology YI-M1

Finally, we come to YI Technology, whose YI-M1 mirrorless camera was actually updated to firmware version 1.2-int a couple of weeks back, although news of the update has only just appeared on the company's website in the last few days. Note that this firmware is specifically for the international version of the YI-M1, and that Android users will simultaneously need to upgrade their YI Mirrorless App to version 1.1.8 or higher.

Firmware version 1.2-int for the YI-M1 brings quite a lengthy list of changes as follows:

1. Added sleep mode.

2. Added displayed grid.

3. Supports ISO AUTO in M mode.

4. Supports AF when choosing a focal point manually.

5. Improved C-AF speed.

6. Improved 4K video quality.

7. Improved color pattern effect when in vivid color mode.

8. Supports WB settings manually before video shooting.

9. Improved display logic after image editing and enhance Easy-Use.

10. Improved the compatibility with M 4/3 lenses.

11. Supports French, Italian and Spanish languages.

The company also notes that it has "fixed some known bugs, and improved the overall stability", although it hasn't disclosed precisely what these changes entail. And note that the firmware update procedure has changed in this release, with the firmware.bin file now required to be copied to the root directory of the installed SD card. You can download this new firmware here.

And that's it for this week! Be sure to check back next time for more firmware news...

(Camera parts image courtesy of Kelly Hofer / Flickr; used under a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license. Image has been modified from the original.)