REVISED v.2.0.4 -- Canon 5D Mark II 2.0.4 Firmware (24p) Available

[Jenn Kramer]

Canon Japan download link:

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Firmware Update

Canon USA download link:

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera

Canon USA Digital Learning Center link with plenty of tech info:

Canon Digital Learning Center - EOS 5D Mark II: Firmware Update v. 2.0.3

We apologize sincerely for the inconvenience caused to our customers by suspending the availability of the Version 2.0.3 firmware.

We are now introducing the Version 2.0.4 firmware. This firmware corrects the malfunction that occurred in the previous Version 2.0.3 firmware, in which the manual recording level changed and made recording impossible. There was a phenomenon in which the manual recording settings made in C1/C2/C3 were changed and sound could not be recorded if manual sound recording was used in the C1/C2/C3 settings and the camera was subsequently turned off (or if Auto Power Off was activated). This does not occur in modes other than C1/C2/C3.

Customers who have the Version 2.0.3 firmware on their cameras should update the firmware to Version 2.0.4.

Firmware Version 2.0.4 incorporates five enhancements to the movie function and a fix to the manual sensor cleaning function of the EOS 5D Mark II camera.

1. Adds or changes the following movie frame rates.

NTSC:
* 1920×1080 : 30 fps (changed - actual 29.97 fps)
* 1920×1080 : 24 fps (added - actual 23.976 fps)
* 640×480 : 30 fps (changed - actual 29.97 fps)
PAL:
* 1920×1080 : 25 fps (added - actual 25.0 fps)
* 1920×1080 : 24 fps (added - actual 23.976 fps)
* 640×480 : 25 fps (added - actual 25.0 fps)

2. Adds a function for manually adjusting the sound recording level (64 levels).
3. Adds a histogram display (brightness or RGB) for shooting movies in manual exposure.
4. Adds shutter-priority AE mode (Tv) and aperture-priority AE (Av) mode to the exposure modes for shooting movies.
5. Changes the audio sampling frequency from 44.1 KHz to 48 KHz.
6. Fixes a phenomenon where communication between the camera and the attached lens is sometimes interrupted after manual sensor cleaning. (This phenomenon only affects units with Firmware Version 1.2.4.)

Firmware Version 2.0.4 is for cameras with firmware up to version 1.2.4. If the camera's firmware is already version 2.0.4, it is not necessary to update the firmware.

Movies captured using EOS 5D Mark II cameras with Firmware Version 1.1.0 to 1.2.4 can be played back on cameras updated with Firmware Version 2.0.4. However, if you try to play back movies captured with a camera with the new firmare on a camera with a previous firmare version, a message, Cannot play back image, appears on the camera's LCD monitor.

[Jenn Kramer]

Here's Phil's blog post about working with the firmware:

New 5DmkII firmware here finally! New Skywalker Ranch short and Music Video shot native 24p | Philip Bloom

[Billy Griffin]

Available on the UK website for download, also!
Doing mine as I type.

[Sean Seah]

Hooray!!! Its finally out... the audio fix sounds good. No more nasty AGC. Hmm, wonder if they will do it for 7D as well...

[Pat Reddy]

On Canon USA's site:

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera

Pat

[Henry Olonga]

Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chris Hurd]

Added CUSA's Digital learning Center link to Jeff's post above -- their page contains
everything you need to know about what the changes this update makes to your cam.

CH

[Pat Reddy]

Jenn, Phil says the new firmware gives us 44 mbps up from 38 on the codec. Did we just get improved image quality with this as well?

Pat

[Andy Batt]

The $64 question for those who immediately updated to 2.0.3 - can you boot Magic Lantern?

[Evan Donn]

Originally Posted by Pat Reddy

Jeff, Phil says the new firmware gives us 44 mbps up from 38 on the codec. Did we just get improved image quality with this as well?

Definitely. Just shot a quick test and qt is reporting 46.5mbps. So that's roughly a 20% increase in data combined with a 20% decrease in the number of frames (when shooting 24p), works out to about 45% more data per frame (1.9 vs. 1.3mbit).

[Andy Batt]

Originally Posted by Pat Reddy

...new firmware gives us 44 mbps up from 38 on the codec. Did we just get improved image quality with this as well?

Hi Pat - to the best of my knowledge that is just an increase in audio quality.

-a

[Jenn Kramer]

At the SXSW panel Phil put on this morning he implied there was an improvement in image quality. I believe it's an overall image data increase, not to the level of the 7D, but closer.

[Chris Barcellos]

Originally Posted by Andy Batt

The $64 question for those who immediately updated to 2.0.3 - can you boot Magic Lantern?

No, per Tramm Hundson.

[Chuck Fadely]

The higher bit rate means your compact flash cards have to work harder to keep up.

My Kingston 133x card now shows a bunch 'o bars in the buffer indicator, and it stopped once spontaneously... though I can't make it repeat it now. Just fiddling around in the living room, with 6400iso at ntsc 29.97fps.

[Stuart Boreham]

Do we also loose the ability to have a headphone output through the AV jack and watch the screen on the back at the same time?

S