Canon releases v1.1.0 firmware update for EOS R5, addressing video overheating; announces future firmware for 1DX III, R5

 

 

Canon has just released a new firmware update for the EOS R5 full-frame mirrorless camera that aims to address some of the overheating issues when recording video. With its ability to record high-resolution and high frame-rate video, including 8K RAW at 30fps and 4K at 120fps, the Canon R5 aims to be a fantastic creative tool for a variety of video creators and filmmakers. However, since its release, the camera has garnered a bit of controversy over its video recording limits and a tendency to overheat fairly quickly, particularly when recording at higher resolutions and higher quality settings.

Although the R5 doesn't offer unlimited video recording in any mode or resolution, the eye-catching recording modes such as 8K are fairly limited for sustained recording time. 8K movie recording (in either RAW, DCI or UHD) is limited to a maximum of 20 minutes, though the environmental temperature could shorten the recording time. In some brief testing with the original firmware 1.0, we were able to record 8K 30p IPB (the maximum video resolution/framerate available when using UHS-II SD cards) continuously for about 19min, 50sec indoors at a 72-deg F ambient temperature before the camera overheated and shut down, which is quite close to the 20-minute spec from Canon. Outdoors in the hot, humid Atlanta heat (~92 deg F ambient), the R5, as expected, overheated much more quickly, recording about 14 minutes of 8Kp30 IPB footage before shutting down due to heat.

 

 

According to Canon, the just-released firmware version 1.1.0 hasn't changed the temperature level at which the camera overheats, but rather will change how the camera monitors and reports information from its internal and ambient temperature sensors; the camera will now check these sensors more frequently. In the video below from Gordon Laing at Camera Labs, he goes over the changes to the R5 with the new firmware. It appears that with the new firmware update, it doesn't necessarily make a significant improvement to sustained, continuous video recording limits -- though that does seem slightly improved -- but rather the new firmware noticeably improves the ability to record multiple short video clips and reduces cool-down recovery times when employing some form of external active cooling (e.g. using a fan or placing the camera into a cooler environment).

In addition, firmware v1.1.0 also allows you to now enable overheating controls when using the R5 with an external HDMI recorder and also improves the image stabilization performance with the RF 100-500mm lens.

The full list of improvements and fixes are listed below:

EOS R5 firmware version 1.1.0 – Full List of Updates

1. [Overheat control: on] settings are no longer disabled when HDMI display: Camera + External monitor is used and a message to inform users is shown
2. The in-lens image stabilization performance during movie recording has been improved for certain RF lenses
3. Fixes a phenomenon in which the “Slow Synchro” setting screen is not displayed correctly when the language is set to English
4. Fixes a typo displayed on the communication setting screen, when the language is set to Korean
5. Connectivity during FTP transmission has been improved
6. Fixes a phenomenon, in which the card access time may take longer, when using certain CFexpress cards
7. In movie recording the remaining time displayed when powering the camera off/on frequently between recording consecutive short videos (at room temperature) has been made more accurate
8. A phenomenon in which the movie recording time available is not correctly displayed when the Date/Time/Zone is not set has been corrected

In addition to the R5 firmware update v1.1.0, Canon also announced future firmware update plans for the R5 as well as the Canon 1D X Mark III DSLR.

For the R5, Canon plans to add the following new features in a future firmware update:

• Canon Log 3 option
• Lower bit rate option for 8K RAW video recording
• Lower bit rate option for all the IPB video recording modes
• Adding 119.88 fps option for Full HD (1080p) recording

For the 1D X III:

• Canon Log 3 option
• Lower bit rate option for 5.5K RAW video recording
• Lower bit rate option for all the IPB video recording modes

Canon's USA website has not yet been updated with the firmware update information, however, you can visit the Canon Europe website for all the details and download instructions.

(via CanonRumors)