Firmware Friday: New features for Panasonic VariCam LT; bug fixes for Canon and Nikon too

 

 

Another week has whizzed by, and it's time once again for Firmware Friday, our regular roundup of what's new for your camera gear. This week, we have news of firmware updates for two still cameras, three video cameras and a lens, as well as of a software update applicable to two further cameras.

We'll kick off in alphabetical order as usual, starting our roundup with Canon's news.

Canon EOS 5DS, 5DS R, 24-105mm f/4L II and Cinema EOS C300 II / C300 II PL

Canon has new firmware for two EOS DSLR cameras and two Cinema EOS video cameras this week, and also recently shipped a lens update which has just now come to our attention. Starting off with the Canon 5DS and 5DS R DSLRs, firmware version 1.1.1 fixes four bugs shared by both cameras. Problems that have been resolved include an Error 70 indication caused by certain settings being used, incorrect level display for portrait-orientation shots captured with the handgrip pointing downwards, failure to capture an entire bracketed series for HDR images and an issue causing slow startup with certain flash cards.

Moving along to the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens, firmware version 2.0.0 adds support for the "panning" scene mode of the EOS M5 and M6 compact system cameras while using the EF-EOS M mount adapter. And finally, the shared version 1.0.8.1.00 firmware for the EF-mount and PL-mount variants of the Cinema EOS C300 II video camera resolves an issue with horizontal line noise while simultaneously recording in-camera and to an external device.

Canon's firmware can be obtained at the links below:

• Canon EOS 5DS firmware version 1.1.1

• Canon EOS 5DS R firmware version 1.1.1

• Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM firmware version 2.0.0

• Canon Cinema EOS C300 II / C300 II PL firmware version 1.0.8.1.00

Nikon KeyMission 170 and 360

Nikon doesn't have any new firmware this week, but the company does have a software update worthy of mention here. Intended for use with its KeyMission 170 and 360 cameras, the updated KeyMission 360/170 Utility version 1.0.3 resolves a number of fixes, as described in the official release notes thusly:

• Image files on the desktop or in other locations can now be copied into the KeyMission 360/170 Utility Folder list and Thumbnail list via drag and drop.

• Discontinued support for Mac OS X 10.9.5.

• Fixed the following issues:

  • Windows systems:

    • Folders added in Windows Explorer or other applications while the KeyMission 360/170 Utility was running would not appear in the KeyMission 360/170 Utility Folder list.

    • Attempting to save files after adding background tracks using the Add background track option would cause French and Russian versions of KeyMission 360/170 Utility to display an error.

    • The Camera tab would remain grayed out if the user, after establishing a connection to the camera, then ended and restarted the connection.

    • Movies to which effects were applied using the Effects option in the edit menu would not playback smoothly if the user did not first exit the Edit tab.

    • The controls in the Camera and Local tabs could not be used if the connection to the camera was terminated while a movie was being re-recorded.

  • Mac OS X systems:

    • Changing the aspect ratio would cause the Current picture to flicker briefly.

    • Moving the progress bar slider in the Current picture while using the Add background track option in the edit menu would display a frame other than that selected with the slider.

The updated Nikon KeyMission 360/170 Utility app can be downloaded here.

Panasonic VariCam LT AU-V35LT1 G / MC

And for this week, that just leaves Panasonic to cover. The company has released firmware version 24.08-00-0.00 for its VariCam LT video cameras, the AU-V35LT1G and AU-V35LT1MC. Both cameras share the same list of new features and bug fixes, described in the official release notes as below:

• Support for 240/200p RAW output with 2K/HD CROP

  • 2K/10bit and HD/10bit are added to SDI RAW menu.

  • HIGH SPEED menu is added for the OFF setting of MAIN CODEC.

• When FREQUENCY is 59.94p/29.97p/24p/23.98p;

  SDI RAW	MAIN PIXEL	MAIN CODEC	HIGH SPEED	FPS*
  2K / 10bit (HD/10bit)	2048x1080 CROP (1920x1080 CROP)	AVC-Intra 2K 422	-	1-120p
  		AVC-Intra 2K LT	-	1-240p
  		OFF	OFF	1-120p
  			ON	1-240p

  * When FREQUENCY is 50p/25p; 1-120p → 1-100p, 1-240p → 1-200p

• The lower limit of FPS setting range is extended.
  When HIGH SPEED is ON, FPS can be set from 1.
  (While AVC-Intra-LT/AVC-Intra2K-LT/AVC-Intra4K-LT format is selected, HIGH SPEED is ON automatically. The following range also apply in this case.)
  FPS Setting Range: So far 120-240p / 100-200p / 60-120p / 50-100p
  → Changed to 1 - 240p / 1 - 200p / 1- 120p / 1 - 100p

• Firmware is improved so that SINGLE can be selected for RAW OUTPUT while MAIN CODEC is OFF.
  So far, DUAL/SINGLE selection for RAW OUTPUT has been allowed when the following requirements are met.

  → By this update, the third requirement is changed to the following one.

  • FREQUENCY is 29.97p or lower.

  • SDI RAW is 4K/10bit or UHD/10bit.

  • MAIN CODEC is AVC-Intra4K 422.

  • MAIN CODEC is AVC-Intra4K 422 or OFF.
    When MAIN CODEC is OFF, the setting range of FPS is as follows.

    • When RAW OUTPUT is SINGLE; 1-30p (1-25p)

    • When RAW OUTPUT is DUAL; 1-60p (1-50p)

• Icons are added for indicating FF/REW playback.
  The 16x high-speed playback function is added.

• RESTART function is added to the control panel.
  RESTART button is added so that the camera can be rebooted by means of the control panel, instead of the power switch, after the system mode is changed.

• REC CHECK function is added.
  Playback function of the first or last 5-second footage of the last clip recorded after the power is turned on
  This is used after it is assigned to a User SW.
  The following items are added for assignment to USER1 – 3.
  - CHECK LAST CLIP START ・Playback of the first 5-sec
  - CHECK LAST CLIP END　　・Playback of the last 5-sec

• DESQUEEZE in playback is supported.
  Firmware is changed so that not only EE output but also a played clip is shown using DESQUEEZE when MENU -> ANAMORPHIC DESQUEEZE -> DESQUEEZE is ON.

• Support for Add/Delete function of SHUTTER and WB via ROP App
  Supported App: VARICAM ROP Ver. 1.0.3 or later

• Default setting for monitor output indication of USER CLIP NAME is changed to OFF.
  OUTPUT SETTINGS Menu
  SDI OUT INDICATOR ->USER CLIP NAME（TYPE3) ->USER CLIP NAME:OFF

• A compatible EF lens is added.
  EF24-105mm F4L IS USM (Canon)

• Supported wireless LAN modules are added.
  AJ-WM50MC (China) Automatic Channel Switching
  GW-900D (PLANEX, Japan)

• Improvement
  The indicator for remaining card capacity is corrected because it has a problem when the format is Long GOP on 23.98p of Frequency.

Panasonic's firmware can be downloaded here.

And that's all for this week! Be sure to check back next time for all the latest firmware news...

(Camera parts image courtesy of Kelly Hofer / Flickr; used under a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license. Image has been modified from the original.)