Sony’s newest software update isn’t flashy, but it’s the kind of change that matters to people who notice things — the photographers who track motion frame by frame, or those who care about the authenticity of what they shoot. The free update for the Alpha 1 II and Alpha 9 III, rolling out from 30 October 2025, pushes both cameras further into territory once reserved for full hardware refreshes.
The highlight is what Sony calls Real-time Recognition AF+ (Plus), which sounds like typical marketing shorthand until you try to follow two footballers crossing paths at speed. The upgraded autofocus uses refined human pose estimation, allowing the camera to keep a lock even when subjects overlap or pivot unexpectedly. It’s a technical adjustment that signals Sony’s understanding that reliability, not raw megapixel count, is what defines a pro body in the field.
Another update is quieter but arguably more consequential: the ability to embed authenticity data in video files. Until now, digital signatures were limited to stills — a nod to the growing conversation around content verification and provenance. In a landscape where deepfakes and manipulated footage are increasingly common, this move suggests Sony wants its imaging tools to have a credible stake in verifying what’s real. The feature won’t stay exclusive for long; Sony says it will extend to other Alpha models in future updates, including the Alpha 7R V, Alpha 7 IV, and Alpha 1.
There’s also a practical tweak that feels long overdue: preset focus for non-power zoom lenses. It’s the kind of subtle feature that saves time on set and reminds you that firmware updates aren’t just bug fixes — they can genuinely reshape how you work with familiar gear.
Owners of the Alpha 9 III get a little extra in this round, including a new Auto Recognition Target mode that can automatically decide what subject type the camera should track. It’s not perfect — Sony admits it can misjudge in complex scenes — but it’s a step toward cameras that make fewer assumptions about their users. There’s also vertical orientation support for on-screen shooting information, which is minor but practical, especially for portrait or social-first content.
It’s interesting that Sony continues to ship meaningful firmware upgrades when many other brands treat updates as a delivery mechanism for paid add-ons or delayed fixes. In a sense, this strategy extends the lifespan of the company’s flagship cameras — a quiet challenge to the hardware churn of the wider industry.
For a company that has always blurred the line between consumer and professional imaging, this software update underscores something subtle: that longevity and performance are now as much about code as glass and sensors. And for photographers in South Africa, where gear availability and service cycles can lag global timelines, that’s not a small detail.
Those looking for the specifics can dive into the full firmware notes for the Alpha 1 II (ILCE-1M2) and Alpha 9 III (ILCE-9M3). It’s a rare kind of update — free, meaningful, and the sort that might make you fall a little more in sync with a camera you already own.
It’s the same design logic we’ve seen elsewhere in Sony’s line-up — from imaging to audio. When the company rolled out its ULT POWER SOUND range, the focus wasn’t reinvention but refinement: making the familiar sharper, more deliberate.