New Firmware for Canon EOS-R & EOS-RP

This is exciting news if you are a Canon EOS-R or EOS-RP shooter.  Canon has been hinting for a while that they are working to improve the speed of the autofocus on their two Full frame mirrorless cameras.

Up until now, Sony has been without a challenger for the fastest autofocus on a mirrorless camera.  Canon claims their new firmware version 1.4.0 for the EOS-R and version 1.3.0 for the EOS-RP will make their two mirrorless cameras now faster than Sony.  If it’s true it will a major accomplishment for Canon.  

According to Canon, the firmware will do the following:

1. Enhance eye detection Auto Focus (AF) for improved face and eye recognition at greater distances.
2. Improve Auto Focus (AF) performance helps the camera to focus on and track smaller subjects.
3. Reduce the lag time between the actual Auto Focus (AF) and the AF frame display for images in the viewfinder or on the LCD.

How well this firmware behaves is yet to be seen. 

As I am writing this I am updating the firmware on my EOS-R that has a Hyper Color conversion.  Often people think that after they have a camera converted that their firmware cannot be updated; that is not true.  The sensor was converted on your camera, nothing was done to the computer in the camera that runs the firmware.  I always recommend having the most current firmware available on a camera.

Now if you’ve never updated the firmware on a camera, don’t worry the process is not complicated.

First, go to Canon’s website.  

Then search for your camera model and under Drivers/downloads select the Firmware tab.  Download the firmware zipped file to your computer.

Next, unzip the file and copy the file that ends in .FIR to a memory card that has been formatted in your camera

Make sure you have a fully charged battery in your camera. 

Now push your menu button and find the screen with firmware, select that tab.

Then you will see the screen informing you what firmware version you currently have and asking you if you want to update the firmware.  Select OK

This will bring up the firmware update program and it will find the new firmware loaded on your memory card.  Select the new version.

It will ask you once more if you want to update, click OK.

Now you will see the status of your update.  It won’t take long, start to finish it took me about 5 minutes.

Once my camera was updated, I put a lens on the camera, the RF 24-105 L and stepped outside to see the results.  My initial feeling was the autofocus was a bit faster, I’d say instantaneous.   Since I have been looking forward to this update for about two weeks, my enthusiasm may be affecting my perception, but it is faster.

What I suggest is updating your firmware and then in the comment section below tell me your impressions on the new autofocus.