Sony has announced the completion of a month-long field test with the Associated Press to evaluate the performance of C2PA in-camera authenticity technology. In addition to the hardware-signed authentication written by the camera, the tests included working with ‘Photo Mechanic’ maker Camera Bits to develop a workflow in which this signature was preserved and any changes tracked.
Sony has not historically been the camera of choice for photojournalists, Canon and Nikon having dominated the sector for decades. But following its Partnering with the AP in 2020, and its work as a steering committee member for C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity), a project that brings together the efforts CAI (Content Authenticity Initiative) and Project Origin to address image provenance and authenticity, it’s making inroads.
Leica last month announced a camera that could digitally sign images and append C2PA-compliant metadata to its images, and Nikon has shown a prototype Z9 that does the same, suggesting the there may finally be some sort of industry consensus on the best approach to take.
Sony says it plans to add C2PA authentication via a firmware update for the a9 III, a1, and a7S III next Spring, signaling that the encryption hardware is already present in these models. That timing is likely intentional, as it will arrive just ahead of the Summer Olympic games and the US Presidential race, both key opportunities for a camera manufacturer courting photojournalists.
