Canon EOS 5D Mark IV firmware update will change 4K crop factor and tweak other settings

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

At a glance:

• 30.4MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
• DIGIC 6+ Image Processor
• 3.2″ 1.62m-Dot Touchscreen LCD Monitor
• DCI 4K Video at 30 fps; 8.8MP Still Grab
• 61-Point High Density Reticular AF
• Native ISO 32000, Expanded to ISO 102400
• Dual Pixel RAW; AF Area Select Button
• Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Movie Servo AF
• 7 fps Shooting; CF & SD Card Slots
• Built-In GPS and Wi-Fi with NFC

The upcoming Canon EOS 5D Mark IV firmware update appears to change a few things in the EOS 5D Mark IV’s feature set. First ad foremost, the firmware update is said to add C-Log to the 5D4’s capabilities, which for sure will make happy a lot of videographers.

While firmware has not yet been released, this appears to be a big update. Some of the tweaks seem to need a modified heat sink. Existing EOS 5D Mark IV units do not have this new heat sink but can be retrofitted. Future models will have it.

The less, the changes coming with the firmware update have leaked over the web. Canon Rumors summed up what’s going to change, and what is not:

• All video output will still be 8-bit.
• Sampling for DCI 4K will be increased to a 5632 x 2970 pixel sensor area resulting in a 1.27x Crop factor.
• Sampling for UHD will be from a 5472 x 3078 pixel sensor area resulting in a 1.29x Crop factor.
• Both modes are accurately down-sampled to their final resolutions.
• Existing frame rates will remain the same.
• The current 1:1 4K sampling mode will remain an option for situations benefiting from the 1.78x Crop factor.
• There will also be new full-sensor 3K modes added including 60fps and HDR 24fps.[…]
• FullHD 1080p will also use this 3K full-sensor mode with down-sampling for a noticeable improvement in perceived resolution.
• FullHD 1080p will also receive a modest frame rate boost to 72/75fps.
• The EOS 5D Mark IV will gain the XF-AFC file format at 120Mbps (4:2:0) and 200Mbps (4:2:2). Both formats should require low enough data rates to accommodate UHS-I U3 type SD Cards.
• Reports relating to a possible service job for the 5D Mark IV are the result of the heat sinks on current units not performing well in some environments when used with the newer firmware. […]
• The newer firmware will still work in non-serviced cameras, but this may result in premature temperature warnings.

Stay tuned…