New C100 firmware update

[Bill Scherer]

https://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/suppo...ersAndSoftware

[Nicholas de Kock]

Awesome find! Is this the new firmware update that allows magnify to move? Anyone installed this yet?

[Drew Curran]

Originally Posted by Nicholas de Kock

Awesome find! Is this the new firmware update that allows magnify to move? Anyone installed this yet?

I haven't installed it but canons website mentions the following:

- A function has been added which allows automatic continuous focusing and iris setting on a subject in the center of the screen when using the EF-S18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM lens.

- The polarity of the XLR terminal has been modified to improve compatibility with external audio devices. The pin configuration has been modified to be consistent with the Instruction Manual.

It seems like a very minor update. :(

[Matt Davis]

Installed. Fired up with the 18-135 STM.

The one-shot push-auto is much snappier, it's a bit more accurate, but still hunts.

The continuous AF is accurate but ponderous - good 2-3 seconds before it 'drifts' into focus - but it's smooth, not the 'chuckling' that one gets on the 550D/T2i. I'm not sure if it's that useful as it stands. Maybe with tracking objects, but it makes the 'tap to focus' function of the FS700 look positively space-age.

I've not experienced the XLR problem this firmware version purports to fix, but we still haven't got 'one input, two channels at different levels' sadly. And it doesn't include the 'move the magnify area' function either.

[Andy Wilkinson]

Thanks for the update Matt. Think I'll hold off until we see a more substantial C100 firmware update from Canon.

[Andy Solaini]

Originally Posted by Matt Davis

Installed. Fired up with the 18-135 STM.

The one-shot push-auto is much snappier, it's a bit more accurate, but still hunts.

The continuous AF is accurate but ponderous - good 2-3 seconds before it 'drifts' into focus - but it's smooth, not the 'chuckling' that one gets on the 550D/T2i. I'm not sure if it's that useful as it stands. Maybe with tracking objects, but it makes the 'tap to focus' function of the FS700 look positively space-age.

Hi Matt, any idea how the continuous AF might handle something like this (not my video, just an example)?

Trans Mediterranean Airways (TMA) Cargo Boeing 767-300ER(BDSF) (CS-TLZ) takeoff from AMS/EHAM 36L - YouTube

[Matt Davis]

Well, in a shot like that, there's one big object with edges for the AF system to look at, so it would probably hold quite well. However, I reckon that shot was on a longer lens than 135mm. Also, with the sort of shot and the sort of distances you alude to, a good solid f8-f11 and a nip back from infinity should cope with the focus - who needs shallow DoF with a plane against the sky? LOL.

I'm just panning between the usual flowers in garden, seeing how the AF system picks up on changes, and so far, I'm not impressed. There's no manual override too, so you can 'land' on a shot and wait and wait and wait for the AF to kick in and realise it should do something, and it doesn't.

There are other things I should be testing, like the standard 'talking head' - will the AF system become fascinated by the background rather than the face as it does with every other AF system without Face Detection? Will it happily focus from close to far, but find it hard to focus from far to near?

If I really needed a high quality video camera with a big sensor that had good AF (e.g. interviewing people in 'situations' as a one-man-band) there are much better cameras than this. But hey, the One Shot AF has improved, so maybe the Continuous AF will get better too.

[Mark Dobson]

Hi Matt,

thanks for your feedback - just wondering what lenses you were using?

[Matt Davis]

I'm using the Canon 18-135mm STM lens, which is one of only two lenses that support the new Continuous Focus mode (I don't have the 40mm 'pancake' lens).

In addition, I've tried my other lenses (17-55, 24-106, 70-200 f4, 50 1.4 and Tokina 11-16) which don't do Continuous AF, but do have one-shot AF on the C100.

[Mark Dobson]

Thanks Matt,

Do you find the Canon 18-135mm STM lens snaps into focus faster than your other lenses when using one shot autofocus?

Also what are your impressions of the 18-135 STM lens?

I've been using it for a year with my C300 and and I've found that whilst it doesn't have the glorious creaminess of some 'L' lenses, it has a really useful range and is very sharp.

[Anthony Mozora]

this camera could have been the best selling camera on its category with just a 50/60p upgrade but noooooo

[Andy Wilkinson]

I'm curious about this XLR switched polarity thing. Has anybody using a C100 with the original (as launched) firmware had issues with this?

I've certainly not seen any audio issues relating to this mentioned.

[Ben Giles]

Word of warning, in case you're a numpty like me.

Firmware update completely resets the camera settings - everything for which you've carefully tuned your camera to suit your workflow - so backup your user settings first.

I didn't and it took me an hour to double check it was back to where I wanted it.

Doh!

Ben.

[Ben Giles]

Originally Posted by Andy Wilkinson

I'm curious about this XLR switched polarity thing. Has anybody using a C100 with the original (as launched) firmware had issues with this?

I've certainly not seen any audio issues relating to this mentioned.

No - curious, though, isn't it? Not sure what they're on about, saying it now conforms to AES spec: "The XLR pin configuration meets the international AES standard recommendation. The firmware update will avoid the scenario where the unit if used in combination with a device of differing polarity of the XLR terminals, would result in weakened sound levels due to a reversal of the phase relationship."

What other kind of spec exists for analogue balanced XLR? Sounds like corporate-double-speak for, "we cocked up with the soldering iron."

So I guess all of our external audio so far has been 180 degrees out of phase...

I'd be interested to learn how firmware can cure a physical connection issue like that.

Ben.

[Ben Giles]

And I just noticed:

"The polarity balance of the XLR terminal has been modified to improve compatibility with external audio devices."

Pure geek comedy. I guess you could class something that now works - as opposed to does not work - as an "improvement."

Ben.