| Image: Sony |
Sony has released firmware updates for the a9 III, a1 II, FX30, FX3 and PXW-Z300 camcorder, bringing C2PA content credentials to video for the first time. Additionally, Ver. 4.00 for Sony’s two flagship mirrorless models promises to improve autofocus capabilities and add other upgrades.
Sony first teased Content Credentials for video at the launch of its PXW-Z300 camcorder this summer, saying the feature would be available via a future firmware update. Now, that time is here, with it and the a9 III, a1 II, FX30 and FX3 getting support for the “Write Digital Signature” function for movies.
The embedded digital signature confirms that the content was captured by a specific Sony camera and not generated by AI. Going even further, Sony says that the system can “detect 3D depth information in video content, enabling highly accurate verification that videos were captured of actual, existing subjects” to offer two levels of authentication.
As with the stills Digital Signature tool, this is a paid license. And, as of now, that license is only available for certain media outlets, not for general use. The firmware update page reveals that Sony still hasn’t specified when its Camera Authenticity Solution, and therefore Content Credentials, may be expanded to general users.
It plans to add support for C2PA standards for video on the a7R V, a7 IV and a1 in November
Still, it’s good to see Sony expanding its content authenticity efforts, and the feature showing up for video on Alpha cameras alongside the cinema cameras is a good step, especially as more and more news agencies adopt them into their workflows. Sony added that it plans to add support for C2PA standards for video on the a7R V, a7 IV and a1 in November 2025, and the a7S III sometime in 2026.
Beyond content authenticity, the firmware updates for the a1 II and a9 III also bring about some autofocus upgrades. Both now support improved subject detection and tracking capabilities. According to the company, the updated system will provide “stable recognition of people even in complex situations such as crowds or team sports.” Ver. 4.00 also promises more precise and consistent tracking, even when the subject is small or if they are temporarily obstructed.
Additionally, the a9 III is being updated to let you to set the subject recognition to Auto, instead of manually selecting your subject type. That feature was available on the a1 II when it launched, but it is new on the a9 III. Like the a1 II, you’ll be able to exclude certain types of subjects from the auto mode for faster processing.
There are smaller updates for the cameras, too. Both now offer Sony’s FL2 (Film 2) and FL3 (Film 3) to the Creative Look options, promise improved metering when using bounce flash and add support for the Preset Focus function with non-power zoom lenses. The a9 III also enables the ability to customize whether you change the Shooting Mode, Drive Mode or Focus Mode using the dial or the menu.
You can see all of the changes available in Ver. 4.00 for the a9 III and a1 II, and download the new firmware on the respective support pages.
Press release:
Sony Electronics Launches Industry First1 Video-Compatible Camera Authenticity Solution for News Organizations and Broadcasters
Current Support for Five Cameras with Expansion to Four More Models by 2026
SAN DIEGO. Oct. 30, 2025 – Sony Electronics is furthering its commitment to authenticity in video content by extending its verification technology to a broader lineup of cameras. This initiative marks the next significant step in providing news organizations with the industry’s first camera authenticity solution compatible with video (C2PA2 standard-compliant), starting October 30.
As generative AI continues to evolve, concerns are growing about the impact of tampered and fake images spreading widely. For news organizations and broadcasters in particular, the importance of providing accurate and reliable information has increased. To address this challenge, Sony has been providing camera authenticity solutions.
In response to growing demand for authenticity support, Sony has advanced its technology development to enable news organizations and broadcasters to verify the authenticity of video and image content, supporting the work of photojournalists, video journalists and photographers. Through initiatives and verification experiments3, Sony has validated the authenticity of video content in collaboration with the Research & Development Department of the UK’s public broadcaster BBC. In addition, the company works closely with the C2PA (The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity), a standards organization that develops open standards and technical specifications for the provenance and authenticity of digital content, serving as a Steering Committee Member since March 2022.
Sony’s camera authenticity solution verification site enables authenticity verification for both still images and videos, confirming that content was captured by a Sony camera rather than AI-generated. The system can also detect 3D depth information in video content, enabling highly accurate verification that videos were captured of actual, existing subjects4. Additionally, a trim function that allows extraction and verification of only necessary portions while maintaining signatures enables rapid authenticity verification even for large-capacity video files. As use of the verification site requires a digital signature license and installation of the digital signature license on Sony-compatible cameras, Sony will also begin providing digital signature licenses for video5.
In Sony’s cloud-based collaboration solution for video production, Ci Media Cloud, the display of C2PA standard-compliant digital signature information that certifies content authenticity will become available for news organizations and broadcasters.
[Sony Cameras Supporting Recording of Authenticity Information for Video]Interchangeable-Lens Cameras: Alpha 1 II, Alpha 9 III
Cinema Line Cameras: FX3, FX30
(NEWLY Launched) XDCAM Memory Camcorder: PXW-Z300iv
* Interchangeable-Lens Cameras Alpha 7R V, Alpha 7 IV, Alpha 1: scheduled to be supported from after November 2025 or later* Interchangeable-Lens Cameras Alpha7S III: Support planned from 2026 onwards
For details on the camera authenticity solution including still images, please visit:
Camera Authenticity Solution | Sony
Notes:
1 As a video authenticity verification service compliant with C2PA standards. As of October 2025. Based on Sony research.
2 C2PA (The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) is a standards organization that develops open standards and technical specifications for the provenance and authenticity of digital content. Sony supports the objectives of C2PA and has participated as a Steering Committee Member since March 2022.iii September 8, 2025, Sony Europe announcement:
“BBC Research & Development and Sony collaborate to raise awareness on the risks of synthetic content and establish C2PA compliant standards for digital provenance”
https://www.sony.eu/presscentre/bbc-research–development-and-sony-collaborate-to-raise-awareness-on-the-risks-of-synthetic-content-and-establish-c2pa-compliant-standards-for-digital-provenance
4 The XDCAM Memory Camcorder PXW-Z300 does not support 3D depth information detection.
5 Same as still image licenses, this is a one-year limited-term license. In addition to individual sales of still image and video licenses, package sales combining both licenses will also be available.
Press release:
Free Software Update to Enhance Real-time Recognition AF (Auto-Focus) Performance and Other Features for Sony Electronics’ Interchangeable-lens cameras Alpha 1 II and Alpha 9 III
SAN DIEGO. Oct. 30, 2025 – Sony Electronics is providing free software updates1 for the interchangeable-lens cameras Alpha 1 II and Alpha 9 III starting October 30, 2025. These updates support “Real-time Recognition AF+ (Plus)” with improved person recognition performance and recording of authenticity information for videos. Some features of this software update are planned for deployment to other models in the future.
Key updates for both the Alpha 1 II and Alpha 9 III models:
- Support for Real-time Recognition AF+ with improved person recognition performance: Enhanced human pose estimation technology allows the camera to continuously track initially captured subjects with high accuracy, even in challenging sports scenes where athletes cross paths.
- Support for recording authenticity information in videos2: Authenticity data, once available only for still images, can now be attached to video recordings as digital signatures, enhancing content verification. For details, please refer here.
- Enable preset focus function for zoom lenses without power zoom: The preset focus function can now be used with zoom lenses that do not have power zoom.
Additionally, the Alpha 9 III has received the following updates:
- The Addition of [Auto] mode to Recognition Target: When Auto is selected in the Recognition Target subject setting, the camera automatically selects and recognizes a subject from among the recognition targets to which check marks were added on the [Auto Recog. Target] screen3
- Vertical orientation support for shooting information layout4: The shooting information layout displayed on screen now supports both horizontal and vertical orientations.
For compatible models and details of each function, please visit the support page for each camera.
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/digital-cameras-interchangeable-lens-cameras/downloads
Notes:
1 ‘Alpha 1 II’ (Ver. 4.0), ‘Alpha 9 III’ (Ver. 4.0) More information here: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/digital-cameras-interchangeable-lens-cameras/downloads
2 Models planned to support recording of authenticity information for videos in the Alpha ™ series:
‘Alpha 7R V’ ‘Alpha 7 IV’ ‘Alpha 1’: scheduled to be supported from November 2025 or later.
‘Alpha 7S III’: scheduled to be supported from year 2026 onwards.
3 When Auto is selected the camera will normally recognize the subject type automatically, but the wrong type may be selected in some situations. In such cases manually selecting the intended subject type may solve the problem. More information here: ILCE-1M2 | Help Guide | Recognition Target (still image/movie)
4 Models planned to support vertical orientation for shooting information layout:
‘Alpha 7R V’ ‘Alpha 7 IV’ ‘Alpha 1’: scheduled to be supported from November 2025 or later.