A7C II Tools 3.0

English · 简体中文

A desktop tool for the Sony A7C II (ILCE-7CM2) on firmware 2.01. It adds FL2/FL3, custom Creative Looks, electronic shutter sound and Vertical Display, and can restore factory functions in one click.

3.0 is the first release with a proper graphical interface. Driver setup, installation, cold reload and verification all happen with buttons in one window; no command line needed.

For other models, these independent projects may help. They are not part of this project; check each one for its own scope and risks:

Community: Telegram (recommended) · Discord Author: Xiaohongshu QAQLeonard（读研版） · Douyin LeonardZ (ID 90860261487)

The interface is in Simplified Chinese. Button names below are given in Chinese with an English translation, so you can match them on screen.

• Supported cameras
• What it does
• Download and requirements
• Before you start
• Step-by-step guide
  • Step 1: Install the drivers (Windows)
  • Driver errors: uninstall, then reinstall
  • Still failing: install with Zadig
  • Step 2: Installed an earlier version? Restore factory functions first
  • Step 3: One-click install
  • Step 4: Check on the camera
• Using each feature on its own
• Troubleshooting
• Verification status
• Command line and development
• Older releases
• Credits and licenses
• Film look comparisons
• Acknowledgements
• Sponsor

Both packages include 15 paired DCP and .a7look files (11 Fujifilm, 4 Ricoh color). The two files for each look share the same name and sit side by side:

• Windows: in the Profiles folder next to the EXE.
• macOS: inside the app. Open them with 打开内置 DCP／A7Look 配对库 (Open paired DCP/A7Look library) on the Custom Creative Looks page.

The .a7look goes into the camera; the matching .dcp is for RAW development in Lightroom.

Camera: ILCE-7CM2 on firmware 2.01. No other model or firmware version is supported.

• Battery: at least 50%. The app asks you to confirm power before every write.
• Cable: use a USB cable that carries data, plugged straight into the computer (avoid docks and hubs). Connect one camera at a time.
• USB mode: set the camera's USB connection to Mass Storage.
• Expected message: while connecting or switching drivers, the camera may show "Please check the connected device" and the computer may not show a drive letter. Both are normal. Judge success by the app's progress and log, not by that message; don't unplug the cable or reinstall drivers because of it.
• During a write: while the app shows a task running, don't unplug the cable, power off the camera or close the app. Act only after the app says reading and writing have ended.
• Opening the app never connects to or writes the camera by itself.

Follow these four steps in order.

Step 1  Install drivers (Windows) ──error──→ uninstall drivers → replug → install again
   │      └─ recommended: USB stability check (read-only); change cable/port if it fails
   │
Step 2  Ever used any version of this project? ──yes──→ restore factory functions → cold reload → verify
   │no
Step 3  One-click install → cold reload → reconnect USB → continue → installation complete
   │
Step 4  Check looks, FL2/FL3, shutter sound and Vertical Display on the camera

The app talks to the camera through two USB identities: normal Mass Storage 054C:0E8A, and the authenticated service connection 054C:0336. Both need a WinUSB driver.

1. Turn on the camera, choose Mass Storage and connect it to the computer.
2. Open 连接与驱动 (Connection & drivers) in the left sidebar.
3. Click 检测相机与驱动 (Detect camera & drivers). The log should show 054C:0E8A. If it doesn't, check the cable and the USB mode.
4. Click 准备两阶段驱动并测试连接 (Prepare two-stage drivers & test connection):
   • The app first installs the driver for 0E8A, then switches the camera to its service connection and installs the driver for 0336 once it appears.
   • Windows may ask for administrator permission once or twice. Click Yes.
   • An identity that already has a usable driver (WinUSB, libusbK or libusb0) is kept as it is.
   • The camera may show "Please check the connected device" during this step. That's expected.
5. You're done when the log says "服务连接成功，驱动准备结束" (service connection succeeded; driver setup finished). This step does not write the camera firmware.
6. Recommended: before your first write, click 检测 USB 连接稳定性（只读）(Check USB stability, read-only) to test the cable and port.
   • The check runs for at least 2 minutes. It repeatedly reads the camera's two program files (the same files a write reads back in full) and compares every round with the first, byte for byte.
   • Any read error, any mismatch, or any single read taking longer than 20 seconds fails the check.
   • It only reads and never writes to the camera.
   • If the connection drops during a write or readback, the result can become "unknown", which is hard to recover from. Confirm the connection is stable before you write.
   • If the check fails, try another cable or a USB port on the back of the computer until it passes.
   • Passing doesn't guarantee the connection will never drop during a write. Keep the cable and power steady while writing.

macOS: no driver installation is needed.

• Close Photos, Image Capture and anything else that might be using the camera's card.
• On 连接与驱动, click 准备 USB 服务连接 (Prepare USB service connection).
• Every camera operation opens a Terminal window. Type your Mac login password there so the app can take over USB through sudo. The app never reads or stores the password; closing the window before typing it cancels the camera operation.

The driver state may be wrong if any of these happen:

• Step 1 fails, or reports that 0336 appeared but its interface couldn't be opened.
• You previously installed another driver with Zadig or a similar tool.
• Windows keeps recognizing the camera incorrectly after you connect it.

In that case, uninstall first, then reinstall with Step 1:

1. On 连接与驱动, click 卸载相机驱动，恢复 Windows 默认连接 (Uninstall camera driver, restore Windows default). Confirm, and allow administrator permission in the Windows prompt.
   • Only third-party drivers for Sony 054C:0E8A and 054C:0336 are removed. Other devices are untouched, and the camera firmware is not modified.
   • The driver packages are backed up to the job folder before removal.
2. Follow the log:
   • Usually: unplug USB and plug it back in using Mass Storage mode, so Windows rebinds its default driver.
   • If the log says Windows needs a restart, restart the computer (the app never restarts it for you).
3. Go back to Step 1 and click 准备两阶段驱动并测试连接 again.

If it still fails, try another cable and a USB port on the back of the computer, and run 检测 USB 连接稳定性（只读） to narrow it down. If that doesn't help, click 导出诊断包 (Export diagnostics) at the bottom of the window and share the bundle in the community group.

On computers where the app's automatic driver install fails, installing the driver by hand with Zadig usually works. Nothing is written to the camera; this only changes which driver this computer uses for the camera's two USB identities.

On the app's 连接与驱动 (Connection & drivers) page, the 用 Zadig 手动安装驱动（自动失败时） (Install with Zadig) button sits next to 准备两阶段驱动并测试连接（自动） (automatic) and opens these same steps with a Zadig download link.

First: the camera has two USB identities, and both need a driver

Prepare

1. Download the latest zadig-x.x.exe from the Zadig website (a single file, nothing to install).
2. Close this app completely.
3. Switch the camera on and set USB connection to Mass Storage in its menu. Connect it directly with a data cable: no hub, and on a desktop PC use a port on the back.

Part 1: driver for 0E8A

1. Right-click Zadig and choose Run as administrator. If it asks about checking for updates, either answer is fine.
2. In the Options menu, tick List All Devices. Without it the camera doesn't show up.
3. Pick ILCE-7CM2 in the drop-down at the top.
4. Check that the USB ID reads 054C 0E8A. If it doesn't, you picked the wrong entry; try another. Don't change the driver of keyboards, mice, USB drives, network adapters or any other device.
5. The current driver (for example USBSTOR) is left of the green arrow. In the driver box right of the arrow, use the up/down arrows to choose libusbK.
6. Click the big Replace Driver button (it reads Install Driver when there is no driver yet). Wait 1–2 minutes until it says The driver was installed successfully.
7. Afterwards the camera's drive letter disappears and the camera shows "Please check the connected device". Both are normal.

Part 2: make 0336 appear, then give it a driver

1. Leave Zadig open. In this app open 连接与驱动 (Connection & drivers) and click 准备两阶段驱动并测试连接 (Prepare drivers and test connection).
2. The app uses the 0E8A driver you just installed and authenticates. The camera then becomes Sony USB Device (054C 0336).
   • If the app installs the 0336 driver itself and the log says “服务连接成功，驱动准备结束” (service connection succeeded, drivers ready), you're done; go to Part 3.
   • If the log says 0336 has no driver, its interface can't be opened, or 0336 never appears: don't unplug the cable or switch the camera off; continue with the next step.
3. Back in Zadig, click Options → List All Devices again to refresh. Pick Sony USB Device and check that the USB ID reads 054C 0336.
   • If 0336 isn't listed, the camera has already left service mode. Repeat step 1 of this part and refresh Zadig as soon as 0336 appears.
4. Choose libusbK again, click Replace Driver or Install Driver, and wait for the success message.

Part 3: power-cycle and test again

1. Unplug USB, switch the camera off and remove the battery for about a minute. Put it back, switch on, select Mass Storage and reconnect.
2. In this app click 准备两阶段驱动并测试连接 again. Once the log says “服务连接成功，驱动准备结束”, continue with Step 3: One-click install.

Check the result: Windows Device Manager should show a libusbK USB Devices category containing ILCE-7CM2, and Sony USB Device once the 0336 driver is installed.

Problems

• libusbK fails to install: run Zadig as administrator again. If it still fails, choose WinUSB instead. The app works with WinUSB, libusbK or libusb0.
• The camera isn't in the drop-down: make sure List All Devices is ticked, the camera is on in Mass Storage mode, and try another data cable.
• To undo it: click 卸载相机驱动，恢复 Windows 默认连接 (Uninstall camera driver) on the 连接与驱动 page; this also removes drivers installed with Zadig. Then unplug and replug USB and the camera appears as a drive again.
• Macs need no driver.

If this camera has ever used any version of this project, restore factory functions before installing 3.0. That includes FL23 v1.0/v2.x, looks imported with lut.py, shutter.py or vertical.py, and earlier desktop previews. This clears leftovers from older versions so 3.0 starts from a clean stock 2.01 state.

A camera that was never modified can skip this step.

1. On the camera, switch Creative Look to ST.
2. Open 恢复原厂功能 (Restore factory functions) and click 恢复／继续恢复原厂 2.01 功能（无需旧备份）(Restore / continue restoring factory 2.01 functions, no old backup needed). Confirm power to start.
   • The app has built-in stock 2.01 data for the regions it changes, so no old backup or firmware download is needed.
   • Body calibration, counters and unrelated settings are kept.
3. After the write and full readback, a dialog says the restore is not finished yet. Do a cold reload and check that the camera shows a live view.
4. Reconnect USB (Mass Storage) and click 重启后核对并完成恢复 (Verify after restart and finish restore). The restore is complete only when this check passes; the app then clears the old installation state.

If the restore is interrupted, click the same button again: the app reads the camera's current state and finishes only what's left. If the button changes to 断电后重试恢复（本次尚未写入）(Retry after power cycle; nothing written yet), nothing was written this time. Do a cold reload as the dialog says, then click it.

1. Open 首页 · 一键安装 (Home · One-click install). These are selected by default:
   • Install the six built-in looks (replaces custom slots 1–6; Sony's own Creative Looks are kept)
   • Enable FL2/FL3
   • Enable Sony's native electronic shutter sound
   • Save Vertical Display as on
   • Install the Lightroom auto-profile plugin: optional, needs Lightroom Classic on this computer
2. Click 一键安装 (One-click install) and confirm power. The app checks the drivers, merges every selected option into a single write and reads everything back.
3. When the dialog says reading and writing have ended, do a cold reload.
4. Switch the camera on, reconnect USB (Mass Storage) and click 继续安装 (Continue installation) on Home. It's the same button. The app checks that the camera has restarted and loaded the changes, then sets up sound and the plugin. Nothing is written again.
5. An Installation complete dialog lists the looks and features that were installed. You can reopen it later with 查看上次安装结果（不连接相机）(View last installation result, no camera access).

If the app says that names are written but programs are not yet, the camera is still holding its old resources. Do a cold reload as the dialog says, reconnect and click 继续安装 again. Names are not written twice.

Default six looks:

To install your own looks instead, untick the built-in six, expand 改用自己的 A7Look 文件 (Use your own A7Look files) and pick an .a7look file for each slot. Slots left empty stay as they are.

• Switch between ST and each custom slot. The live view should change immediately. Take a photo and play it back.
• Keep each custom slot's base look set to ST; with another base look the custom look may not apply.
• In the Creative Look list, check that FL2 and FL3 can be selected, shot and played back.
• Take a shot with the electronic shutter and listen for the sound. If you hear nothing, check the camera's Audio Signals setting.
• Hold the camera vertically and check that the shooting information rotates.

The built-in looks are fitted approximations of their source DCPs; colors may not match the DCP exactly.

Every write follows the same pattern: write → full readback → dialog asking for a cold reload. Once Step 1 is done, each page can be used on its own.

• 启用／重新启用 FL2 / FL3 (Enable / re-enable): cold-reload after the write. If you can select them on the camera, you're done; no need to reconnect and verify.
• 从列表移除 FL2 / FL3，保留自定义外观 (Remove from list, keep custom looks): hides the menu entries only. Shared code used by custom looks stays, so you can enable them again later.
• Switch the camera to ST before removing them.

1. Click + 添加操作项 (Add operation) once for each slot you want to change:
   • 写入 A7Look (Write A7Look): choose a .a7look file and, optionally, the name shown on the camera (empty uses the name stored in the file).
   • 恢复 ST 默认 (Restore ST): resets the slot to ST. New items default to this.
2. Click 查看并应用这 N 项更改 (Review and apply N changes), check the list and confirm. All listed slots are written in one go; other slots are left alone.
3. Cold-reload and it's ready to use. No separate verification needed.

Tools on the same page:

• 打开内置 DCP／A7Look 配对库 (Open paired DCP/A7Look library): 15 pairs (11 Fujifilm, 4 Ricoh); each DCP sits next to its .a7look with the same name.
• 从 DCP／LUT 生成 A7Look… (Generate A7Look from DCP/LUT): offline conversion; doesn't connect to the camera.
  • A CUBE must take Sony ST / sRGB input and output sRGB. Log LUTs such as S-Log3 can't be used directly; see LUT formats and color spaces.
  • A DCP is parsed and fitted by the app itself; Lightroom isn't needed.
• 安装 LrC 自动识别插件… (Install Lightroom plugin): after installing, enable it once in Lightroom's Plug-in Manager. From then on, when you import RAW files it applies the DCP for the slot each shot used. It never alters the RAW data itself.

1. 开启电子快门声 (Turn on shutter sound): turns on Sony's native electronic shutter sound. Cold-reload after the write.
2. Choose an audio or video file, set the start and length (0.01–2 s), then click 转换所选片段 (Convert selected clip). This runs on the computer only.
3. Optionally adjust the volume with −3 dB / +3 dB / 还原转换时音量 (reset to converted volume).
4. Click 保存当前自定义声音 (Save current custom sound) and cold-reload after the write.
5. 相机内临时试听 (Temporary in-camera audition) is optional. While auditioning, keep the camera on, unplug USB and take a test shot; reconnect and save if you like it.
6. To go back to the original sound, click 恢复原厂音效 (Restore factory sound).

• 启用竖屏显示 (Enable Vertical Display): saves the switch. After a cold reload, shooting information and icons rotate when you hold the camera vertically.
• 关闭竖屏显示 (Disable Vertical Display): turns it off first, then reverts the related changes.
• Both buttons are safe to click again; nothing is rewritten when the state already matches.

See Step 2. The advanced section also offers two other ways to restore:

• Import a complete stock BODYDATA.DAT and restore from it.
• Return to an earlier state from an old body backup (one made by older FL23 or lut.py versions).

A diagnostic bundle contains device information and local paths, so review it before sharing it publicly. It never includes firmware, body calibration or photos.

Offline tests and byte readback can't prove the camera works correctly in every situation, and everything so far has been verified on a single camera. Test records for each version are in the changelog.

The interface covers everyday use. The original command-line tools remain for advanced users and development:

Offline tests (no camera access): python -m pytest dev/desktop -q. Architecture, build and packaging: development guide. Read AGENTS.md before letting an AI change the code.

• v2.2-preview.1: command-line FL23, lut.py, recovery.py
• v2.1 · v1.0
• All 18 original DCP files (sources)

If your camera used an older version, do Step 2 before upgrading.

Code is licensed under MIT. DCPs, reference looks and bundled third-party components keep their own licenses and attribution; see notices. Fujifilm DCP references are credited to 门萨特里顿 and Ricoh references to 爸总林先森 on Xiaohongshu.

This is independent research, not affiliated with Sony, Fujifilm, Ricoh or Adobe. Look names imply neither endorsement nor exact color equivalence, and this tool is not a Sony-signed update.

This is my first open-source project, and I never expected this much attention and support. Thank you, everyone.

• Collaborators: thanks to @UzLung1435 for the FL23 refactor, the USB compatibility fixes and the photo/movie curve routing (#5, #6), and to everyone who opened issues, sent pull requests or shared ideas.
• Color: thanks to 门萨特里顿 and 爸总林先森 on Xiaohongshu for the DCPs, and to the community members who helped fit and compare the color standards. The built-in looks wouldn't exist without you.
• Projects this work builds on and cites:
  • lzh2016zzz/a7cr-fl23-research: FL2/FL3 porting research on the A7CR, the starting point for this project's parameter, label and WBI methods.
  • Hearts-Ace/sony-a7r5-custom-firmware: FL2/FL3 firmware adaptation and RAW color research for the A7R V, a key reference for porting the FL2/FL3 color data.
  • MDHan/a7c2-fl23-macos: the macOS take on the A7C II, the reference for identifying camera storage and claiming USB on a Mac.
  • ma1co/Sony-PMCA-RE, ma1co/fwtool.py and YuuLuo/a7c2-service-preload: service-mode communication, firmware parsing and A7C II service-mode research.
  • And thanks to every developer who cites, shares or builds on this project.
• Testers: thanks to everyone who tested on their own cameras and patiently sent back logs. Every report made the tool safer.
• Everyone: thanks to all who starred, shared and joined the community chats. You brought this project to 3.0.

If this project helped you, you're welcome to buy me a coffee ☕. Sponsoring is entirely optional, unlocks nothing, and the project will stay free and open source.

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