New firmware 2.0.7 is out.
 

Hi everyone,
from the Canon website there is a new firmware available, here at this link:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Firmware Update

Cheers,
Armando.

I wish that this update was released a few days earlier. I've just recently been filming with a 5D MKII and had problems with one of my lenses.

I haven't noticed the problem so pronounced with my fast wide-angle zooms, but it is definitely happening with some telephoto lenses and not just the macro lens.

For example, if I bayonet a Canon EF 300mm F/4 L IS lens to the 5D, then set the body in complete manual - (manual on the dial, ISO on manual and locked on 160 setting, MF on lens, IS switched to off, all on a tripod with pan-head locked) ... then manually focus on foreground to background subjects and visa versa, the exposure/focus will sometimes shift for a fraction of a second. It is as if I'd engaged AF and both ISO and autofocus moved slightly.

At first I thought that maybe it was the LCD screen adjusting slightly to the subject and not actually showing on footage logged to the CF card, but when I also set the screen to manual and took more video, it continued to happen and can be viewed as a slight 'bump' in focus + exposure when the complete video clip is reviewed.

I hope that this new Canon update will fix the problem. I'll download the firmware update now and let you know if it works.

I've just updated the cameras with the latest 2.07 Fimware...and good news! It works!

I've tested with the lens which was causing the most serious problems, namely the latest Canon EF 300mm L IS lens, and now when everything is set to Manual control during filming, the video remains constant and there is NO exposure or focus shift when in video mode. Perfect! Well done Canon!

It means that I've now got to re-shoot some video to correct problems during earlier filming; but at least I know that upcoming important expeditions can be filmed with more confidence!

Obviously I need to do more longterm testing using all my lenses on a variety of subjects in different situations and light conditions, but fingers crossed everything will remain stable. It seems that this update has really stabilised the exposure during video, even with other lenses, so well worth the update if you have a 5D Mark II.

Beware: It may work with some lenses, but not with all!
 

Canon called the glitches as "phenomenon" .... nice, I would not mind if the update fixed them, but NOT, the problem is not fixed, at least not for all lenses affected.


Here is a 1st hand experience with the new 5D firmware: phenomenally useless for my Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 XR Di, which is otherwise quite a good lens for the price.

I was able to make recording after a few initial error messages (“clean the contacts of the lens, the camera is unable to communicate with the lens”) but the previous horrible scratching noise remain and I feel the lens doing some “mechanical struggle” inside that surely is not healthy for long life.

So this FW update is nothing more so far than a phenomenal piece of cr@p.
Perhaps the problem is solved with those Canon lenses, but hey, there are other lenses out there suffering.

I also had some issues with my 28-300L Canon lens with the previous FW, now I go test the update with that lens.

Horrible scratching noise? Sounds to me like your lens or body contacts are the route of the problems and not firmware updates...

Then it is such a coincidence... this never happened with the earlier firmwares but once the problems arose with the lenses related to the previous FW, my lens started to get sick the same time....


I dont believe in coincidences....:)

The interesting thing for me, is that *so far*, after doing the update, I've not seen the 5D mk II duplicate frames and cause playback to stutter. I've only shot about 30 minutes of footage so far (using m 17-40L and my 70-200 IS L), but normally I would have seen stuttering in some footage by now.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this firmware has fixed this issue.

It will be great if it has fixed the stutter
 

I left upgrading this time after the 2.03 followed immediately by the 2.04 fix to fix the fix. At least they're still developing for this camera, software vendors would be stitching us all up for a full version upgrade by now for an additional fee.

With regards

Jeff

There are some reports from still photographers of the live view/manual problem remaining.

So has the "Stutter" problem been totally alleviated with this FW upgrade...or are you still seeing this problem?

So far, so good! I haven't seen it with my 70-200 f2.8 IS L, or my 17-40L. I'll probably go shoot some more test footage today (I'm off to Italy in a few days, and would really like to know the problem is gone!).

Good to hear that. I hope it continues that way for you.

I am thinking of getting the 5D2 as well...but was very leery about the "stuttering" issues that people were having. So if this FW update resolves it, Canon just might have another customer!!

Please keep us posted if you wouldn't mind Julian (and anybody else that has this issue for that matter)....would much appreciate it!!

I shot about another 20 minutes of test footage, and once again, didn't get any stuttering footage. By now, I would normally have seen it.

Thanks Julian; hope it will continue that way for you and the other 5d2 users who have/had this problem.

That can be quite annoying when filming. You get what you think is the perfect shot and then when you play it back you notice that it dropped frames.

By the way, what type/brand of CF cards are you using?

I'm using 16GB Transcend 300x cards. Other than the dropped/stuck frames (firmware?) issue, which seems to have been resolved, I've not had any problems with them. I've never seen the camera buffering during video mode, and can take 21 RAW frames before it has to catch up. I've been happy with them.