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Canon Announces Upcoming Firmware Updates (R5, C70, Cinema cameras)

June 2, 2021
Canon News
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A lot of firmware updates are coming to Canon cameras and Cinema gear. First firmware updates coming in June, the rest in July.

Canon press release:

New Free Firmware Boosts Cinema and Live Production Capabilities of Canon Cinema EOS Equipment

Updates Bring Added Functionality and Features to Renowned Products

MELVILLE, NY, June 1, 2021– Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced upcoming firmware updates for several of its professional imaging products. Based largely on feedback from our users, these firmware updates provide improved workflow, ease-of-use, customization options, and enhanced lens compatibility and functionality for several popular Canon products. Some of the key free firmware updates are as follows:

EOS C70, EOS C300 Mark III, EOS C500 Mark II
- Adds BT.709 Standard Gamma, Custom Picture Name Support of 16 Letters – A BT.709 Standard/BT.709 option has been added under Gamma/Gamut. Standard BT.709 will be set to CP File “C6.” Also, a Custom Picture file can now have a maximum of 16 letters.
EOS C300 Mark III and EOS C500 Mark II (View Video)
- XC Protocol Functionality – Canon’s new IP Protocol for streaming and camera control. Developed specifically for live production, the XC Protocol allows for camera control with the Canon Remote Controller RC-IP100 and easier development for 3rd party product collaboration.
- 12G-SDI Output Option for 2K/FHD – Adds the option to limit the 12G-SDI output to 2K/FHD when recording in resolutions at 4K and above. This allows compatibility from the SDI Out port with 3G-SDI devices.
- MON. Out & HDMI Simultaneous Output –Adds the ability to use both the Mon. Out & HDMI output simultaneously. This brings the total number of monitor outputs to three, increasing flexibility in production.
- Anamorphic 1.8x De-squeeze – Adds 1.8x de-squeeze function to further increase compatibility with anamorphic lenses.
- “Look File” Feature – Originally introduced with the EOS C70, this feature allows the user to load a 3D LUT file onto the camera and apply the look to the recorded image. This allows the user to apply the results of a color corrected image to be recorded in-camera with no additional post-production necessary.
EOS C70 (View Video)
- HDMI View Assist –Adds the View Assist feature, which allows for a WideDR/BT.709 LUT to be displayed over HDMI when shooting in a Canon Log gamma.
- Improved AF Feature – This update adds a “Whole area” option to the AF Frame size, increasing the AF area to 80% of the frame. When “Whole Area” is selected the AF switches to “Tracking” by a single touch operation and switches to “Face Detection” when a face is touched.
- When Using the EF-EOS R 0.71x adapter, the Possible AF Range Frame is now only momentarily displayed when selecting the AF Frame position.
- Expanded EF Lens Support When Using the EF-EOS R 0.71x Adapter – adds the following lenses, fully compatible with DPAF, optical corrections, and metadata transmission:
  - EF16-35mm F2.8L II USM
  - EF16-35mm F4L IS USM
  - EF24-105mm F4L IS USM
  - EF70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM
  - EF70-200mm F2.8L IS III USM
  - EF70-200mm F4L IS USM
  - EF70-200mm F4L IS II USM
EOS C300 Mark III
- 60p -> 24p/30p Pulldown Feature –This feature allows for seamless switching of the frame rate aesthetic without interrupting the output signal to a production switcher. This allows you to change the frame rate “look” quickly with the press of a button with no blackout or glitch.
EOS C500 Mark II
- Anamorphic 4:3/6:5 Resolution Options When Sensor Mode is set to Full Frame Mode (Cinema RAW Light only) –Adds these resolution modes to allow for more options and simplify the anamorphic post-production process.
EOS R5
- Support for Both the COMPACT-SERVO 18-80mm and 70-200mm Lenses[i] – Compact production now fits in the palm of your hand! The popular ENG lenses can now be used (via an EOS R adapter) on the dynamic EOS R5 camera when both the camera and lens firmware have been updated.

Firmware for the Canon R5 and C70 are expected to be available for download on June 30, 2021 and firmware for the EOS C300 Mark III and EOS C500 Mark II cameras is expected to be available on July 30, 2021.

To learn more about these and other just announced firmware updates and their availability, please visit, usa.canon.com/support. To learn more about Canon’s XC Protocol, please visit the Canon Developer Community at https://developercommunity.usa.canon.com/.

Canon Reveals More Bits About The EOS R3 (and starts a microsite)

June 2, 2021
Canon News
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Canon started a microsite for the upcoming Canon EOS R3, along with an update for the camera specs. Canon already announced the EOS R3 but it was a development announcement.

New bit about the Canon EOS R3 coming directly from Canon. We now know more about the specifications of the EOS R3. Here is what we learned today from Canon:

Autofocus working down to -7.0 EV
Image stabilisation in lens + In Body Image Stabilisation deliver up to 8 EV
Head and eye detection have been improved
Autofocus detects eye, head and body
Autofous recognizes and tracks cars and motorcycles
Enhanced tracking for portrait and sports photography
CFExpress and SD cards
4K Log 3 and 4K oversampling
RAW video internal recording
Video autofocus follows people, eyes, animals, and motorsports
Magnesium alloy body with weather sealing comparable to EOS-1D X series
5Ghz WiFi
LP-E19 battery
New accessories for communication and power
File transfer supported via LAN and wireless

It’s still unknown what the image sensor resolution will be. So far 45MP have been rumored but I wouldn’t bet on it. All our Canon EOS R3 coverage is listed here. There has been some discussion about who makes the imaging sensor of the EOS R3. You can get notified when the Canon EOS R3 will be available for preorder.

Chris and Jordan from DPReview TV already posted a video with their impression about the newly revealed EOS R3 specifications.

[via Nokishita]

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L vs EF 85mm f/1.2L Comparison Review

June 1, 2021
Canon Reviews
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How much better are Canon’s RF mount lenses compared to their EF mount siblings? Find out in this video review about the RF 85mm f/1.2L and its EF counterpart.

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L at a glance:

F-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16
lue Spectrum Refractive Optics Element
One UD Element, One Aspherical Element
Air Sphere Coating
Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
Customizable Control Ring
Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

Christopher Frost posted his Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L vs EF 85mm f/1.2L comparison review. He calls the RF 85mm f/1.2L “monstrously awesome”, and we agree.

There is another review by C. Frost about this lens. More Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L review stuff is listed here. All reviews praise this outstanding lens.

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L: [shoplist 56632]

Click here to open the rest of the article

Canon develops groundbreaking image sensor, calls it eye of the future

May 29, 2021
Canon News, Tech
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Canon published a technical article about the world’s first 1-megapixel SPAD image sensor. A groundbreaking image sensor and distance measurement sensor that will be the eyes of the future.

The advanced technology discussed in the Canon article is for applications involving augmented and virtual reality, ultra-high frames-per-second shooting speeds, robot automation, computer vision, and driverless vehicles. Here are some excerpts from the article:

Both SPAD and CMOS sensors make use of the fact that light is made up of particles. However, with CMOS sensors, each pixel measures the amount of light that reaches the pixel within a given time, whereas SPAD sensors measure each individual light particle (i.e., photon) that reaches the pixel. Each photon that enters the pixel immediately gets converted into an electric charge, and the electrons that result are eventually multiplied like an avalanche until they form a large signal charge that can be extracted.
[…] it was considered difficult to create a high-pixel-count SPAD sensor. On each pixel, the sensing site (surface area available for detecting incoming light as signals) was already small. Making the pixels smaller so that more pixels could be incorporated in the image sensor would cause the sensing sites to become even smaller, in turn resulting in very little light entering the sensor, which would also be a big problem.
[…] Canon incorporated a proprietary structural design that used technologies cultivated through production of commercial-use CMOS sensors. This design successfully kept the aperture rate at 100% regardless of the pixel size, making it possible to capture all light that entered without any leakage, even if the number of pixels was increased. The result was the achievement of an unprecedented 1,000,000-pixel SPAD sensor.

Canon sees many applications for their new and revolutionary image sensor:

In the fields of AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality), which involve superimposing virtual images on top of real ones, being able to use the SPAD sensor to speedily obtain accurate three-dimensional spatial information enables more precise alignment of positions in real time. There are also high expectations for the application of SPAD sensors in solving one of the greatest challenges in designing driverless vehicles: the measurement of distances between a vehicle and the people and objects in its vicinity.

The article is very interesting and if you are into these technologies we recommend you give the article a try. The whole thing was spotted by Image Sensors World. More tech stuff is listed here.

Latest BCN Figures Show Nothing Has Changed , Sony Still The Alpha Dog

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They are getting a bit boring, those BCN figures. Can they still be considered an indicator of…something?

Latest BCN statistics for the Japanese market show that Sony is still the alpha dog (no pun intended) in the mirrorless pack. The figures show that Canon is either “getting close” to Sony, or “still behind” Sony. Guess it depends by your very personal philosophy.

Forget statistics, take photos.