Bug fixes in V1.11 for Sony FS5

A few days ago Sony released firmware version 1.11 for its FS5 camera, which fixes two bugs related to image noise.

Users of this camera have made their dissatisfaction known due to two problems; the first has to do with the performance of the XAVC codec in certain areas, the second with artifacts obtained on moving objects due to noise reduction.

The company has explained that there are times when you have to make a choice, either sacrifice some quality to achieve a more affordable price, or have better but more expensive means. In the case of the FS5, a UHD (Ultra HD) image occupies very little space at the cost of a rate of 100Mbps, a very low bitrate that makes these problems more noticeable.

The v1.10 image shows blocks (8×8 pixels) that are much more compressed than those around them, resulting in a loss of detail in the sky. In v1.11 the detail is maintained, although it consists of a level of noise equivalent to that of the rest of the pixels that does not make this change so noticeable.

The second factor to consider for this update has been noise reduction techniques, as it appears that the FS5 was generating ragged edges in the moving parts of the image. Although this is a common artifact in temporal noise reduction, Sony noticed this happening when the camera had 9dB of gain and now the problem is fixed.

This firmware update can be downloaded through this link.