Sony A7 IV Firmware Update 6.01 - Precautions & Common Mistakes
Sony A7 IV Firmware Update 6.01
When Sony released firmware version 6.0 for the Sony A7 IV, it was supposed
to be a major system update. However, shortly after release, serious problems
began to surface within the user community. These were not minor bugs or
preference issues. Some users reported that their cameras bricked during or after the update, while
others experienced severe power-related behaviour changes that made the camera
unreliable. Because of these reports, Sony eventually suspended the firmware 6.0 rollout, which already tells
us that the issues were significant.
One of the most widely reported problems with
firmware 6.0 was related to power
management and sleep behaviour. Many users noticed that when the LCD
screen was closed, the camera would immediately enter Power Save mode, even
when it should not. In practical use, this meant that the camera felt dead when
raised to the eye. The electronic viewfinder would not wake up naturally,
forcing users to press the shutter button just to bring the camera back to
life. This was not normal behaviour for the A7 IV and created confusion,
especially for photographers who rely on quick wake-up shooting.
Alongside this, battery drain complaints
became common. On firmware 6.0, the camera often felt like it was either never fully sleeping or sleeping too aggressively at the wrong time.
Some users reported unusually fast battery loss during idle time, while others
reported unpredictable wake-up behaviour. In more serious cases, a small number
of users reported complete camera failure during the update process, which is
why firmware 6.0 gained a reputation for being risky.
I personally updated to firmware 6.0
successfully and did not experience a brick, but I did experience the power and battery issues described
above. Battery drainage during idle time was noticeably faster than before,
especially when Power Save Mode was set to “Both Linked.” The camera’s behaviour
when closing the LCD also felt wrong, as the EVF would often not wake properly.
Because of these issues and the growing number of reports online, I was
cautious and closely followed Sony’s response.
Sony later released firmware 6.01 as a corrective update. This
version was clearly intended to stabilize the system after the problems caused
by 6.0. Before installing 6.01, I made sure to follow the safest possible
update procedure. I used a fully charged original Sony battery, formatted my
CFexpress Type A 160GB card inside the camera, downloaded the official firmware
file (BodyDATA.DAT) from Sony’s website, and performed the update through the
camera’s Version menu without touching the camera during the process. The
update completed normally.
After installing firmware 6.01, the most important
improvement I noticed was battery behaviour.
Compared to firmware 6.0, idle battery drain is much better controlled. The
camera no longer loses power as aggressively when left unused, which suggests
that Sony did address part of the power management problem that existed in 6.0.
However, not everything introduced in firmware
6.0 has been fully resolved. The behaviour related to Power Save Mode still
exists. When Power Save Mode is set to “Both Linked,” the camera behaves the
same way as it did on firmware 6.0. If the LCD screen is closed, the electronic
viewfinder does not wake up properly and only becomes active after pressing the
shutter button. This makes the EVF feel unavailable when raising the camera to
the eye. When Power Save Mode is set to “Not Linked,” the camera works
normally, and the EVF activates correctly as soon as the LCD is closed.
In summary, firmware 6.0 was not just a
“normal update with bugs.” It caused serious concern within the Sony A7 IV
community, including reports of bricked cameras and broken power behaviour,
which led Sony to suspend the update. Firmware 6.01 improves stability and
battery performance and is clearly safer than 6.0, but it does not fully fix
all power-related behaviour introduced earlier.
Based on everything observed, firmware 6.0 became dangerous
not because every camera would brick, but because it exposed weaknesses in the
update process when users ignored basic precautions. Low battery levels,
unstable USB connections, third-party batteries, incorrect file placement, and
interrupting the update were the most common reasons cameras failed. Firmware
6.01 is clearly safer, but the same rules still apply.
If you skipped firmware 6.0 and are
considering 6.01, the update is safer when done correctly. If you are already
on 6.0 and experiencing battery drain or power issues, 6.01 is an improvement,
but you should still carefully configure your Power Save settings.
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