Anyone who has had their H1 recently serviced by a Canon Service Center notice any new features or improvements in operation due to the new firmware installed at servicing?

....Just had my camera in for its first servicing at the authorized Canon service center here in Canada in early December and it came back with no upgrades. The camera did return with a way cleaner viewfinder, as I just about destroyed mine trying to clean it !

Thanks much. Looks like we're at the end of the line on any further firmware development for the original XLH1.

That's right -- from here the upgrade from the XL H1 is the XL H1A or H1S.

Just got my XL H1 back from the Canon UK RCC at Elstree, North London, and it is now at firmware 1.0.4.0. It was in for a new mainboard as my computer manufacturer looked to have missed that the firewire connection to the front panel of the PC was one row of pins out. This put +12V DC on one pair of data pins and 0V Ground on the other pair. With an 1100W PSU sitting behind that rail, it smoked two cameras and the PC mainboard too.

Repairs for the Canon were around $1200 USD and the Sony $400 USD plus another $500 USD for the PC damage. Strangely though the Sony kept on working but lost its iLink connection which gave me no clue what was wrong - I wrongly assumed Vista didn't like the camera. The Canon actually smoked and everything shut down but the damage was already done.

All fixed and paid for by the computer supplier, but ouch!!

I am assuming that in the UK, firmware 1.0.4.0 is the latest for the H1

Rick

Hi there

Is the firmaware extension .FIM?

Think I just found the firmware 1.0.4.0


Best
Nuno

New firmware 1.0.7.0 for XL H1!
 

Not yet, John!

I had our XL H1 at Canon RCC, Gothenburg, Sweden" this week for replacing the fragile and broken 4-pin FireWire connector and a cleaning.

I just checked the firmware and it is now upgraded to 1.0.7.0 !! But I still have no clue what has changed.

Does anybody know more about any possible improvements? /Johan

Servo improvements in firmware 1.0.7.0 for XL H1!
 

They have improved (the hated) sloppy servo function of the focus ring on the 20x lens!

Before the upgrade (from 1.0.4.0), near the wide zoom end, the focus went from close distance to infinity with nearly no movement at all. Then, at tele zoom, you had to turn the focus ring much more for the same distance change. It was more or less impossible to know and feel how much you should turn the focus ring for a certain distance change. If you had focused on , lets say 1 m, and wanted to go to 1.5 m, the lens focused to past infinity with a slight movement of the focus ring if it was on wide angle.

Now the function seems much smoother and easy to control. Focus works more similar no matter which what zoom setting you have. More like an EF lens or manual lens.

HOWEVER, THE DISTANCE SCALE IN THE VIEWFINDER SEEMS TO BE GONE!! I'm on the phone with Canon ... I have used the distance scale very much rather than to wiggle back and forth to achieve good focus.

This is a loss. Perhaps people found the distance scale inaccurate so Canon removed it ... I don't buy it.

According to Canon they should have improved the zoom ring too. I have no idea what was included in (if any) firmware 1.0.5.0 nor 1.0.6.0.

Edit: Sorry, but I don't know if the servo is improved when using manual focus. The Canon workshop had flipped the switch to auto focus. Then the focus ring reacted in another way than usually. Canon just said they have improved the function of the focus and zoom rings on the 20x lens. Don't know if this is valid to the old (non II) original lens. If you find more info about this firmware, please chime in!

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Menu > Custom Function > 12 Obj Dist Unit > 00 (meters) or 01 (feet) > On.

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Hi Chris,
Not so on our 2005 XL H1 (non s/a). It has this function under DISPLAY SETUP - (next page) - OBJ DST UNIT - m (or ft). It cannot be switched off there.

But I found the error: The Canon service had flipped the auto focus lens switch to auto focus. I have never used it. It disables the distance readout though.

Sorry for making smoke!

Thank you for this great forum! /Johan

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Thanks guys for the info on the new firmware.

Wished we could find out more detail on specifics from Canon.

This has been one great camcorder - added an XDR from Convergent Design and it's still going strong with the 6X and 20X lenses.

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Hey there Chris,

New firmware for the XLH1 which fixes the 20x zoom focus readout?

Can you suggest a way of getting hold of this? Is it available on any Canon site?

And can anyone tell me, please, how I can keep the distance indicator in the viewfinder ON all the time? Mine is only visible when I move the focus ring. I can't find a way to keep it on permanently.

Best

Harry.

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Hi Harry, Canon USA has not made it available for download as far I know.

However, if you're in the L.A. area, you could simply drive your camera down
to the CUSA service facility in Irvine and have them do a clean & check. That's
the fastest and easiest way to get the latest firmware for an XL series camera.

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Thanks for the reply, Chris.

I'll see if I can get Chris Canada down there to send it to me.

Best,

Harry.

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

I have the XLH1 that I bought used about a year ago, I just purchased the 6X wide lens used for it. I do not have the correct firmware (V1.0.3.0) to use the iris ring (which is why I puchased this) Called Canon and they are tell me I have to ship the camera to them to get the latest firmware. Well I can not be long without my camera as its my job. Could anyone help me out here and sent me the .FIM file by email or hook me up with the SD card to load and I will return it. Thanks for your help.

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

I can't help you because I have the same firmware as you (1.0.3.0).

But if you manage to get hold of a more recent version, please post on this thread, ok?

Best,

Harry.

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

So no one can help me here?

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

I have version 1.0.3.0 on my XLH1. Let's see if I can help you.

I cannot assist you via this board because, if your camera explodes, the owner/administrator of this board Chris Hurd must be completely clear of liability.

(Chris, I imagine you agree)

You can email me at:

myxtrosequel@me.com

and I will try to help you.

Best wishes,

Harry.

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

PM me if you are still looking for that 6X firmware. I have version 1.0.4.0

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Thanks Mark, I just sent you an email.

Travis

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Thanks again Mark for your help!
All good to go now!

Help please!!!
 

Hi;
I still have a Canon XlH1 and I'm still using it! Anyway, I'm in Brazil, and my camera have the normal setting to 24, 30 and 60. I will have have some productions to a small channel in England, and I tried (hard) to find a way to have the update to 25p, but the Canon here doesn't do this anymore. The camera is an "arquived" product...
I've read here that this setting (to have both 24 and 25p) is a kind of "firmware update" (my camera is 1.03.00) and that, in some cases, they did it sending a card with the update to the camera owner. I know that is against copyright and etc, but, please, anyone have this file? I really would like to be able to produce directly in 25p, but Canon here simply considered my ask to update as a "joke", and don't care anymore for who still using this camera. I like the camera and want to still using it for a while...
Any light in the end of the tunnel???
Thank you very much;

Marco Carrero

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

It was only done as a paid upgrade in authorized Canon facilities I believe. I don't think there was ever a firmware card available to the public.

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Hi, Marco..............

What format, exactly, were you going to provide to this outfit in the UK and what delivery method?

I ask, as if you are shooting NTSC and delivering on DVD, it'll work fine on any DVD player in Europe, whether it be a Pal or Secam player, they all play standard NTSC discs as long as they haven't been area coded, and many don't take any note of the area code anyway because they've been hacked, either during production or after.

I think you'd even be OK with a BD shot at 24.


CS

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Hello Simon, hello Chris;
Thank you very much for the answers!
Actually I will deliver the tapes, so my doubt is if they have to do any conversion to 25p it would not cause any kind of loss on the image quality or even problems on the movement...

About the camera upgrade, probably I mixed (badly!!!) some informations that I've read.
Anyway, thank you very much!

Cheers;

Marco Carrero

Re: XL H1 Firmware Upgrade Details
 

Er, a suggestion if I may..................

DO NOT SEND THEM THE ORIGINAL TAPES!

Possible problems include (but are not restricted to):

1. They are the original tapes, unless you have copied them, if they get lost or damaged, they're toast.

2. If they have been shot at Canons 24p, unless they have a Canon HDV codec camera/ tape drive, they will NOT be able to read them.

3. Even if they can read them at all, their deck may not be completely compatible with the deck in your camera, ergo, drop outs everywhere, assuming even you can actually get a clean read on your camera to start with.

I strongly suggest you ingest them into your NLE to check them for readability, and transpose them to a format of their choice, other than Canon HDV, and send them on Optical disc instead.


CS