Should You Trust New Camera firmware?

In the world of mobile phones, when new software comes out, it often feels like an enshitified experience. I mean, Apple breaks things all the time. The same goes for Windows, Google, etc. New firmware just feels like the brands are working to make their products worse and worse so that we have to go buy a new one eventually. It even happens with Sony headphones. And over the years, I’ve started to see things happen even with cameras too.

What am I talking about? I’ve had a suspicion that for years, brands have been purposely making their products worse via firmware updates so that we have to buy a new one. And as it is, we’re the only publication that actively works to test firmware on new cameras as time progresses. So in general, here’s what I’ve thought about each brand over the years.

Sony: My big issue is with battery life. It’s one of the reasons why I never bought a new body. Other photographers tell me that they don’t see a noticeable difference but I tend to burn through Sony batteries often. What’s more, it sometimes feel like back in the day when you bought one camera, one lens, and five batteries.

Nikon: I’m concerned that new firmware will mess up the autofocus of Viltrox lenses. But generally speaking, their cameras don’t feel like they’re getting worse with new firmware.

Fujifilm: Fuji felt like they actually really improved their cameras over time. So they’re a rarity in this world.

Canon: Canon’s cameras often felt better after firmware. But the battery life sure got a lot worse. And it wasn’t a problem with the battery for sure. What I’ve really not liked is that Canon takes features out of cameras, like with multiple exposure RAW mode.

OM System: with these cameras I never found a noticeable difference that made things worse. If anything, the products really did feel better over time.

Leica: The Leica SL2s indeed does feel a lot slower after firmware updates. I even had mine repaired. It also depends on whether or not I’ve got a lens filter mounted. Generally speaking though, the improvements are very good; I just wish they did even more.

Panasonic: I can say with certainty that with a camera like the S5 II, everything actually felt like an upgrade in every single way. And that goes even for the company’s newer cameras too.

So overall, I think that new firmware generally does really make cameras better. But I also believe that in at least a few ways, things can get worse when it comes to both Sony and Canon. I wish that truly wasn’t the case but if there were any two brands that I’d feel want us to constantly upgrade our cameras, I’d say that it’s those two. And it makes sense since they make all their own sensors and optics for the most part. All the others mostly rely on Sony — but that’s been changing lately.

Still, you should keep this in mind for the future. Your camera may be getting a downgrade in ways you can’t even think of.