Nikon releases new firmware for D5: Improves video and adds flicker reduction

Nikon has released new firmware for its flagship D5 DSLR. There are four main improvements included in firmware v1.10, which address some of the frustrations that we had with the D5 in our full review, and brings the D5's capabilities more in line with its smaller sibling, the D500.

Video Recording Upgrades:

Movie maximum recording time extended to 29 minute 59 seconds, including for 4K UHD video
Electronic VR for more stable hand-held Full-HD*1/HD video recording added
Still Photography Upgrades:

Flicker reduction function for still photography added, minimizing exposure variations
9-point dynamic-area AF added, offering more selective focus on a moving subject
Press release:

Tokyo - Nikon Corporation has released new firmware, C: Ver. 1.10, that expands the functions of its flagship Nikon FX-format digital SLR camera, the D5.

The D5 has been extremely well received on all fronts, winning such globally prestigious photo and imaging awards as the TIPA Awards 2016, and the Camera GP (Grand Prix) 2016 Readers Award (sponsored by Japan's Camera Journal Press Club), which is selected through voting by users.

Nikon has released new firmware for the D5, C: Ver. 1.10, that enhances D5 performance even further. The new firmware offers a major upgrade to the camera's shooting capabilities, delivering four key improvements. First, the maximum recording time of movies, including for 4K UHD movies, is extended, and three functions — Flicker reduction for still images, 9-point dynamic-area AF AF-area mode, and Electronic VR for movies — are added. In addition to these four major changes, some additional updates* have been applied to the new firmware.

*Details regarding "additional updates" are provided on the firmware's free download page (Nikon Download Center).
Release overview

The new firmware is available for download from June 23, 2016. It can be downloaded free of charge from the following URL.

*The camera's current firmware version can be checked using the Firmware version option in the setup menu.
Four major improvements

1. Maximum movie recording time, including for 4K UHD movies, extended to 29 min. 59 s

Movies up to 29 minutes 59 seconds in length can now be recorded at all Movie quality and Frame size/frame rate settings. The new firmware increases the maximum recording time of even 4K UHD (3840x2160) movies from 3 minutes to 29 minutes 59 seconds. In addition, movies are recorded to up to eight separate files, each of which has a file size of up to 4 GB. Separate movie files can be combined to create a single movie using ViewNX-Movie Editor.

•The maximum recording time for 4K UHD time-lapse movies is 3 minutes.
2. Flicker reduction for still images added for more stable exposure under lighting that flickers

When shooting under fluorescent and some other types of artificial lighting, flickering may cause uneven exposure in parts of images and/or variations in exposure and color reproduction characteristics between individual images captured continuously or in quick succession. We have equipped the new firmware with a Flicker reduction function for still images*1 that reduces these effects. When Flicker reduction is enabled, the camera detects peak brightness as light flickers and automatically times shutter release with these peaks in brightness for stable exposure and color reproduction characteristics. This function is effective when continuous shooting is used for indoor sporting events or similar situations captured at fast shutter speeds*2.
Nikon D5
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*1Still images captured during viewfinder photography (not available with mirror up mode).
*2The continuous shooting rate may decrease.
3. 9-point dynamic-area AF AF-area mode added for focusing on a limited portion of a moving subject

With dynamic-area AF, the camera focuses based on information from surrounding focus points* if the subject briefly leaves the focus point selected by the photographer. The D5 originally supported 25-point, 72-point and 153-point dynamic-a