Is Your Canon EOS R5 Mark II Autofocus Affected by the Latest Firmware?

[David - Sydney]

As an underwater photographer, I have big problems with the power supply of the R5 II. I use an external monitor because of the high energy consumption. The R5 went from approx. 400 photos (without a monitor) to 1100 photos (with a constantly running monitor). The R5 only sends the data and the viewfinder/display do not consume any energy. With the same setting as the R5, the R5ii with monitor only takes 350-400 photos. The energy-saving mode of the viewfinder/display is also set to the shortest. Conclusion: the R5ii with firmware 1.03 consumes several times more energy than the R5. I suspect that the display/viewfinder (as is the autofocus) are always switched on in the background even though the screens are dark. Have now focus problems also under water.

I am intrigued with your use-case.... Are you using the monitor for video or for stills (or both)?
I thought that the option to use an expensive straight or 45 degree viewfinder was the only way to increase the ease/size of the EVF via your mask but a monitor could be a bigger option. A monitor would be even less aerodynamic though.

 

[PhotoFred]

I am intrigued with your use-case.... Are you using the monitor for video or for stills (or both)?
I thought that the option to use an expensive straight or 45 degree viewfinder was the only way to increase the ease/size of the EVF via your mask but a monitor could be a bigger option. A monitor would be even less aerodynamic though.

I mainly use the monitor for photos. Your overview under water is better, you can follow your subject much better and a quick composition of your photo is much easier with the monitor than with the 45° viewfinder. We are getting older and the numbers in 45° viewfinders are crazy small. A 5'' monitor is similar in price to a viewfinder. If you want to make a video, this is the only way to go. And you can take a lot more photos underwater, especially with the energy concept of the R5. Hope that Canon can reduce the power consumption of the R5 II. I'm diving a lot in fast running rivers - flow resistance was never a problem with a monitor.

 

[David - Sydney]

I mainly use the monitor for photos. Your overview under water is better, you can follow your subject much better and a quick composition of your photo is much easier with the monitor than with the 45° viewfinder. We are getting older and the numbers in 45° viewfinders are crazy small. A 5'' monitor is similar in price to a viewfinder. If you want to make a video, this is the only way to go. And you can take a lot more photos underwater, especially with the energy concept of the R5. Hope that Canon can reduce the power consumption of the R5 II. I'm diving a lot in fast running rivers - flow resistance was never a problem with a monitor.

Interesting! Which monitor do you use? I have an ikelite setup and I can add a usb-c port relatively easily. The mounting arms look to be a fixed setup rather than just being the top ball head
Adding a hdmi port would be much expensive but possible….

https://www.ikelite.com/blogs/faq/large-bore-m24-port-modifications-for-hdmi-monitor-bulkheads

 

[PhotoFred]

Interesting! Which monitor do you use? I have an ikelite setup and I can add a usb-c port relatively easily. The mounting arms look to be a fixed setup rather than just being the top ball head
Adding a hdmi port would be much expensive but possible….

https://www.ikelite.com/blogs/faq/large-bore-m24-port-modifications-for-hdmi-monitor-bulkheads

I will explain it to you under www.fritzliechti.com
Actually I try to change firmware to 1.02 to check if I see a better performance in battery live and have less problems with AF with my RF100-500.

 

[justaCanonuser]

Canon made ‘Dual Power AF’ official with the RF 400/2.8 and 600/4, probably because they wanted some marketing fluff to wave around and distract from what they did (building a mount adapter into an EF lens and calling it new).

I think they also talk about "new wiring" stuff in marketing, which basically doesn't mean anything for performance I guess. I'll stick with my EF 600mm f/4 III, it works very well with Canon's EF-RF adapter on R cameras. Basically, Canon did not need to change a very, very good, light and well balanced lens design.

 

[David - Sydney]

I will explain it to you under www.fritzliechti.com

Great website!
Are you referring to a blog post or somewhere else?

 

[nexusraven14]

Bonjour,
retour sur le firmware 1.03, objectifs utilisés le ef 400dov2, rf 70 200 f4 et les convertisseurs ef 1.4v3 et 2xv3.
programme sur c1 avec suppression totale des économies d'énergie, af en manuel avec -2 et +2, mise au point sur 3 programmations des
boutons arrières.
séance sur 1 semaine de BIF avec 7000 clichés .
J'ai constaté 2 problèmes que je n'avais pas avant avec le 1.02.
Attention : les 2 exemples ci dessous ne sont pas fréquents mais assez pour rater des photos
1) perte aléatoire du sujet genre passereaux ou rapaces en milieu de rafale
2) AF ne trouve pas l'oiseau dans des taillis ou herbes, obligé de passer en mise au point manuel

J'ai donc downgrade et retour au 1.02 en attendant que Canon sorte le 1.04
C'est juste mon expérience mais je trouve cela assez pénalisant de la part de Canon qui traine pour proposer un nouveau firmware, surtout vu le prix du boitier .
bonne journée

 

[dcisive]

How are you guys managing to go backward on the firmware. I tried loading it and indeed the message comes up it's old and there is currently a more up to date firmware in place. What magic are you guys using without bricking the camera

 

[nexusraven14]

Comment faites-vous pour revenir en arrière sur le firmware ? J'ai essayé de le télécharger et effectivement, le message s'affiche : il est ancien et il existe actuellement un firmware plus récent. Quel miracle utilisez-vous sans bloquer l'appareil photo ?

J'ai testé plusieurs procédures mais celle ci fonctionne très bien pour le R5M2.
je te mets le lien
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akdy5u3MVII
En tant qu'Ancien informaticien qui a flasher un bon nombre de bios pc, il y a toujours un risque, mais concernant le R5M2, ce risque est minimisé vu que le firmware sera trouvé et vous passerez en 1.02 ou dans le cas contraire vous resterez en 1.03.

 

[Deleted member 395378]

The EOS R3 presents AF issues with firmware 1.8.0 too.
Rolling back to 1.7.1 fixed the problem.

To those having issues with the latest R5 mkII firmware, roll back to the previous version.

 

[Birdshooter]

The EOS R3 presents AF issues with firmware 1.8.0 too.
Rolling back to 1.7.1 fixed the problem.

To those having issues with the latest R5 mkII firmware, roll back to the previous version.

What kind of issues with the R3?
I shoot birds in flight, and have zero issues with 1.80 camera sticks like glue to eratic birds like swallows.
I also picked up the R5 II to replace R5 and have zero issues with tracking fast birds as they fly through trees.
However I do have the RF100-500 not want to focus at times and gets stuck, but it does not effect locking onto a fast bird with a EF 600 F4 or the 100-500

 

[1ll]

I don't know wtf is going on. The 600mm f4 has trouble with autofocus when I use both R5m2 that I have, but works flawlessly with my R1. I sent both R5m2 to Canon and they say the af is fine. A work around? Don't use the R5m2 with the 600mm.

 

[dcisive]

There sure has been more than enough dispute as to the reality of the R5MkII's focus system to have actual issues with 1.0.3. I know mine along with several other folks I've communicated with having the same setup have NO issues. I'm primarily using a 100-500L in this case along with a 24-105 f4L and both have remarkable focus accuracy and reliability to track and pick up objects even behind branches.

 

[Clive 157]

Would anyone on here have any suggestions where I could possibly download Firmware 1.0.2 for my Canon R5 II please.
I didn't upgrade to 1.0.2 but went straight to 1.0.3 and so do not have it in my downloads.
I'm thinking of giving it a go at trying to load 1.0.2 as I have been out a few times with my R5 II now and it definitely is having issues focussing all the time.
If, as suggested earlier in this thread, I disable the power saving options It certainly seems better but obviously the camera then munches through the batteries..
The 1.0.2 firmware is no longer available on the Canon website so I would like any help in finding it
Thanks

 

[tron]

Try this:

EOS R5 Mark II Firmware Update, Version 1.0.2 [Windows]

Firmware Version 1.0.2 incorporates the following enhancements and fixes:1. Incorporates support for frame rates of 23.98fps/24.00fps when using the LP-E6NH and ...

hk.canon

 

[dcisive]

I went online and noted the method of downward firmware loading involving 2 cards one with the old and one with the new method. It worked perfectly for me. I ran a number of indoor tests this evening to see if it was in any way snappier then the 1.0.3 I'd loaded. I hate like heck to say it but thus far indeed it is snappier to grab my pet bunnies eyes, a fake bird eyes from across the room in poor light, several black and white pictures of people placing an immediate box around either their face or at least the frame containing said people. Before it struggled in this lower light to grab on and hesitated or failed altogether. Can't wait to get outside and try it on some bird tracking to prove it's for real. I hate to admit it if its true as then it's not just some rumor.

 

[Clive 157]

Try this:

EOS R5 Mark II Firmware Update, Version 1.0.2 [Windows]

Firmware Version 1.0.2 incorporates the following enhancements and fixes:1. Incorporates support for frame rates of 23.98fps/24.00fps when using the LP-E6NH and ...

hk.canon

Thanks very much for this, I'll download it and build up the courage to actually try it ....

 

[Clive 157]

I went online and noted the method of downward firmware loading involving 2 cards one with the old and one with the new method. It worked perfectly for me. I ran a number of indoor tests this evening to see if it was in any way snappier then the 1.0.3 I'd loaded. I hate like heck to say it but thus far indeed it is snappier to grab my pet bunnies eyes, a fake bird eyes from across the room in poor light, several black and white pictures of people placing an immediate box around either their face or at least the frame containing said people. Before it struggled in this lower light to grab on and hesitated or failed altogether. Can't wait to get outside and try it on some bird tracking to prove it's for real. I hate to admit it if its true as then it's not just some rumor.

I have seen the video online so thought I'd try to get the firmware to have a go. Just hope it goes OK...

 

[dcisive]

So in the end after birding yesterday and testing indoors as well, I found no real world difference with photo shooting. I don't do video. So I'm going back to 1.0.3 and be done with it. Will do a reset and restore as well of course since I saved my CAMSET file for such times.

 

[dcisive]

So to follow up, I've restored the 1.0.3 with a reset and restore of my settings. Thus far I'm finding that outdoors it's doing all it should. Indoors it's actually better then the 1.0.2 was. I had some focus lockups in lower light trying to focus with a 24-105 4L and tried it with the 1.0.3 on the same conditions and subject and now it locks focus no pumping or locking up. So I'm sticking with the 1.0.3 to be sure.