If Canon has a firmware fix they really need to share it. This is a $4500 camera that people are trying to make a living with. Often its not so simple send a camera in just to get a software update when you use that camera to make it worth your investment.
Well if Canon were 100% confident in this firmware 1.0.9 they would release it to everyone. What this signals to me is that it is still a 'beta' version needing testing by a select few, just to 'be sure, to be sure'.
I would have to agree. I think they are going to install it in a "few" cameras and see if this answers the problem before sending it out to everyone. Not sure I agree with this or not. I would assume anyone like me who's camera is at the repair shop will be in the trial run. I will be interested to see what firmware version is on the next set of camera shipped out. I too am not real happy that I had to send my camera back to Canon just for a firmware upgrade.
kevin Coppalot wrote:
Well if Canon were 100% confident in this firmware 1.0.9 they would release it to everyone. What this signals to me is that it is still a 'beta' version needing testing by a select few, just to 'be sure, to be sure'.
It reportedly will be in all new cameras sold so they must have some confidence in it....whether it's warranted or not is another issue. But I suspect they've been talking to the right people about the problem and it should be a big improvement.
kevin Coppalot wrote:
Well if Canon were 100% confident in this firmware 1.0.9 they would release it to everyone. What this signals to me is that it is still a 'beta' version needing testing by a select few, just to 'be sure, to be sure'.
It might not even be a new firmware. They might just re-install with the current 1.0.8.
Just spoke to Canon UK. They confirmed the firmware update is available but only to those who send their cameras in for service. They estimate it would be available for download from the web the end of the month (best guess). Didn't get details on what is being addressed by the update.
I just got off the phone with Canon, after talking to the Tech Support group, they put me in touch directly with the Jamesburg Service center, they confirmed that they have the Firmware release & that it would be released the end of the month, or I could send it in to be installed, I told them that I'm only 1/2 hour away & that I would be dropping it off today at lunch. They said OK. I'll give you an update after lunch
They couldn’t tell me what changes it made – as they aren’t sure. They only got the file with the instruction for any MkIII in for service to do an automatic update yesterday morning. It will be uploaded at the end of the month(July 1 week away) to Canon’s web servers.
For an example of how slow it is they posted the lastest firmware update for the 400D on Japan's site on 7/11/07 and it is still not listed on the US site.
Just a got a 180mm macro yesterday and was out playing this morning. It was really interesting to see just how small the AF area is - less than the size of AF point rectangles. Using the center point, the AF went shooting off into na na land while 1/3 of the rectangle was still on the subject (the edge of a flower). Could get it to do it everytime. The slightest move off and it would try to focus on the background - or something else. The low focusing speed of the 180mm really helped to show what was happening. Put the camera on a tripod and give it try - very enlighening.
PS. Yes, I know that I should be manually focusing the 180mm but I wanted to see what all fuss was about its focusing speed.
I just got back from Canon in Jamesburg, NJ. They were very busy, but said if I could wait 1 hour, they would install the new Firmware. I had to get back to work, so I'll be picking up the camera tomorrow morning. Real nice people over there at Canon's facility
I contacted Canon Canada's service centre in Mississauga today and they confirmed that the firmware update is available but on a 48 hour turn around basis... No word yet on when it will be publicly available.
I'm glad everyone will get the fix that worked so well on my camera last week and that I wasn't just dreaming. I can update my initial impressions by reporting that my camera still appears to be fixed by the firmware update with no return to the broken AI Servo status.
graybeard wrote:
I'm glad everyone will get the fix that worked so well on my camera last week and that I wasn't just dreaming. I can update my initial impressions by reporting that my camera still appears to be fixed by the firmware update with no return to the broken AI Servo status.
Thanks for keeping us updated with your findings. In another thread you wrote "No hardware was replaced but it was checked to spec after the reload." Do you know what this means exactly? Thanks.
But I suspect they've been talking to the right people about the problem and it should be a big improvement.