Canon EOS R Firmware Update 1.4.0 Released (significant AF improvements)

Canon Eos R Firmware Update

Canon released Canon EOS R firmware update ver. 1.4.0.

The Canon EOS R firmware update 1.4.0 brings the following new features and fixes:

  • Enhances eye detection Auto Focus (AF) for improved face and eye recognition at greater distances.
  • Improved Auto Focus (AF) performance helps the camera to focus on and track smaller subjects.
  • Reduces lag time between the actual Auto Focus (AF) and the AF frame display for images in the viewfinder or on the LCD.
  • Fixes a phenomenon in which the AF frame size cannot be changed in the Servo AF setting.
  • Fixes PTP communication vulnerability.

Especially the improvements in autofocus are significant and remarkable.

Canon Mexico seems to be the first site to put the firmware update online.

Download the firmware update here.

Canon EOS R:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Canon Might Have An EOS Ra For Astrophotography Up Their Sleeve, Report

Astrophotography

So, now we have three different Canon EOS R models that are rumored.

Latest rumor has it that Canon is working on the Canon EOS Ra, a full frame mirrorless camera dedicated to astrophotography. The Canon EOS Ra could be announced in 2020. If true, 2020 would be the year Canon might release up to 3 new EOS R bodies.

Canon made DSLRs for astrophotography in the past. The Canon EOS 20Da and Canon EOS 60Da. Cameras for astrophotography have increased IR sensitivity. A mirrorless offering for astrophotography makes sense. The source of the rumor states that the EOS Ra moniker already appeared in a Canon internal roadmap document. No specifications have been suggested.

The other rumored EOS R models are a high-megapixel camera and another one at EOS-1D X level.

The next Canon mirrorless camera we expect to be announced is the Canon EOS M200.

Stay tuned.

Source: Canon Rumors

Where Is The Canon EOS R One Year After Its Announcement?

Canon Eos R Firmware Update

Canon EOS R at a glance:

The Canon EOS R was announced one year ago. Let’s take a look back and see how it holds up a year later. How are the specs compared to Nikon and Sony? Does it hold up well or not? The video below by Jared Polin tries to shed some light.

Canon will soon (September 26, 2019) release a firmware update for the Canon EOS R which will significantly improve autofocus performance.

Canon EOS R:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

The Yasuhara Anthy 35mm f/1.8 Is A High-quality, Small But Fast Prime For The Canon EOS R

Yasuhara Anthy 35mm F/1.8

Yasuhara Anthy 35mm f/1.8 at a glance:

  • Focal Length: 35mm
  • Aperture Blade: 9
  • Aperture: f1.8 – f16
  • Elements: 9 elements in 7 groups
  • Coatings: Multicoated
  • Weather-Sealed: No
  • Minimum Focus Distance: 0.4m
  • Filter Threads: 52mm
  • Weight: 15oz

More and more companies, be they small or big, are starting to invest in the Canon EOS R full frame mirrorless system, and build lenses for it.

Japanese company Yasuhara launched the Yasuhara Anthy 35mm f/1.8. Our friend Alik Griffin reviewed it.

From Alik’s conclusion:

If you’re looking for a lens for shooting at night or for black and white photography this lens is great, but for general use, it’s by no means perfect and it does have quite a few flaws. Whether those flaws are deal-breaking or not, you’ll have to decide that based on how you shoot.

Personally I’ve been using it way more than I thought I would be simply because of the small size. There just aren’t a lot of full-frame f1.8 lenses that can do what this lens does that are also this small and the build quality is fantastic.

For night shooting it performs really well since you don’t see the vignetting, and it doesn’t have any serious issues with astigmatism like the Canon RF 35mm f1.8.

It does have some sort of rear reflection thing going on that I showed in some test shots, but I haven’t seen it yet in real-world shooting.
The most annoying thing to me is that purple vignetting. It’s not easy to fix and requires quite a bit of noodling to completely remove. It’s best to just make a preset which is what I’ve done.

[…]

For those shooters that shoot both full-frame and APS-C, this lens could be an incredible option. Canon and Nikon haven’t released their APS-C cameras for their new mounts yet, but I could see this lens being a great lens for those cropped systems since you won’t see that purple vignetting when cropped and you will see an improvement in those corners.
In terms of color, contrast, sharpness, and bokeh, for a lens this size it’s really nice it’s but it is a little soft wide open. For $299 this could be a pretty fun lens to mess around with and once you learn to work with the strengths and avoid the weakness you can really make it work. But for the full-frame shooter that’s just starting out, it could be a bit of a challenge to work with.

For APS-C shooters you will see slightly better contrast and color to what Meike and 7Artisans are doing, but with the Anthy35 you get a dramatically superior build. Of course, the price reflects this.

Alik Griffin’s review of the Yasuhara Anthy 35mm f/1.8 touches every possible feature of the lens, and comes with a rich set of sample and test photos. Highly recommended review. If you prefer, you can read his first impression of the Yasuhara Anthy 35mm f/1.8. The Yasuhara Anthy 35mm f/1.8 will be available in Fall 2019, can be preordered at $299.

You can follow Alik Griffin on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and by visiting his website.

Canon Patent For Various Small/Pancake Prime Lenses For EOS R

Prime Lenses

Just small or pancake prime lenses? We are not sure. We are just sure they are small and for the Canon EOS R full frame mirrorless system.

Canon patent application 2019-152683 discusses optical formulas for the following (small) prime lenses:

  • Canon RF 20mm F/2.0
  • Canon RF 35mm F/2.8
  • Canon RF 45mm F/2.8
  • Canon RF 35mm F/2.0

and a 16-35mm f/4 lens, also discussed in the patent application. The lenses appear to be non-L lenses, i.e. less expensive lenses. Are these pancake lenses, in you opinion?


More Canon patent applications are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

A “unique” Macro Lens To Be Announced Along With The High Megapixel Canon EOS R?

Canon Rumors Color Calibration

A new Canon EOS R rumor surfaced.

It’s suggested that Canon might announce a “unique” macro lens for the Canon RF mount alongside with the high resolution EOS R camera expected within the next 6 months.

Unfortunately the source can’t tell what makes this macro lens “unique” and neither knows any specifications except the lens might be faster than f/2.8.

A few days ago a patent was spotted that seems to confirm our rumor about the resolution of the upcoming EOS R camera, around 80MP. A suggested specifications lists also surfaced:

  • A slightly larger body and grip than the EOS R
  • 80mp full-frame image sensor
  • A “new style” of joystick
  • Larger LCD than the EOS R
  • Larger viewfinder than the EOS R
  • The “viewfinder” can be tilted up

The high megapixel EOS R is going to replace the Canon EOS 5Ds/5Ds R. We were expecting the announcement in 2019 but it starts to appear it will come in 2020.

All high resolution EOS R rumors are listed here. More Canon rumors are listed here. Stay tuned.

Source: Canon Rumors