Read the release note first, then decide. A maker publishes what each version changes, and that note is the only basis for updating — never the version number alone, and never a forum claim about what it improved.
Firmware is the one specification on a camera that changes after purchase, which makes the published note more important than the number.
What the note is for
It states what the version changes: a fixed fault, a supported lens, an added mode. That is a published fact about the product, and it is the basis for deciding. A version number on its own describes nothing.
Why not simply always update
Because behaviour can change, and the note is where the change is stated. An update matters when it addresses something you have met; it is a risk taken for no return when it addresses something you have not.
Before you begin
The maker publishes the procedure, and it is worth following exactly: the battery charged, the card formatted in the camera, the power left alone until the body says it has finished. An interrupted update is the one avoidable way to turn a working camera into a repair.
What no maker publishes
How long support will continue. Very few state a period, and a run of recent updates is not a commitment to more. Where a support window is published, this site records it; where it is not, the absence is the finding.
What people ask before they commit
Can an update remove something I use?
It can change behaviour, and the release note is where that is stated. This is the argument for reading the note rather than chasing the highest number: an update that fixes something you have never encountered and changes something you rely on is not an improvement for you.
How long will my camera keep receiving updates?
That depends on what the maker has committed to, and most commit to nothing in writing. Where a support period is published, it is a figure worth recording; where it is not, no inference should be drawn from a recent update — a body that received one last month may receive none again.
Last reviewed 12 September 2026