Canon has announced that it will release a free firmware update enabling 24p and 25p recording on the EOS 5D Mk. II.

It will become available directly from Canon in the first half of 2010.

See New Firmware For Canon DSLR - Smarthouse (http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Digital_Photography/Still_Cameras/K2B2J6P7)

Canon EOS 5D Mark II: Statement on Firmware Development

Canon today announces that it is currently developing a firmware update to the EOS 5D
Mark II to enable the recording of high definition 1080p video at 24 and 25fps. The
decision to develop new firmware to support these features has been taken following
feedback received from cinematographers and photographers.

Introduced in September 2008, the multi award-winning EOS 5D Mark II was the first
DSLR product to offer full frame 1080p HD video recording, opening up a multitude of
new creative possibilities for photo journalists, news photographers and amateur
filmmakers. Since then, Canon has continued to develop its groundbreaking EOS Movie
functionality, firstly with the firmware update to the EOS 5D Mark II that enabled
manual exposure control, and more recently by introducing a choice of video recording
frame rates with the EOS 7D and EOS 1D MARK IV.

Canon currently expects the firmware update to be made available during the first half
of 2010. An announcement regarding details of the update and its availability will be
made closer to the release date.

Source: http://www.canon.co.uk/About_Us/Press_Centre/Press_Releases/Consumer_News/Cameras_Accessories/EOS_5D_MarkII_Media_Alert.asp

Really hoping it won't be June for that update. Good news, thanks Canon.

This is great news. Thanks, Canon.

I guess the Gods of cinema have answered your prayers. Now just hurry it up Gods, would you? We got movies to make.

Canon. We thank you. You are changing the landscape of digitall film making. About two or three years ago I remember writing a wish list.. It was for a camera that shot 24p, full frame, and on which we could mount various 35mm lenses. We have come a long way.

It will become available directly from Canon in the first half of 2010.


I think this indicates that Canon is not planning to replace the 5D2 until at least 3 months after the firmware ships. (Because otherwise it would take some of the wind out of the sales of the 5D3.)

Ah thank heavens.

I was starting to get a bit frustrated with Canon over their last 2 releases after I spent $3500 with them!

And people thought the Sony threads are going to break record postings because of the new cameras. I’ll be competing with this news. With all the people complaining about not having 24p, this news is huge indeed.

I wonder if this means that the GH1 can also get a firmware update to add more video modes. I can dream, can I?

I'm sure glad I kept my 5D2.... will work wonders together with the 7D!!!

This is brilliant news but I've got a project coming up and really need this thing next month.

In fact I'd have preferred not to know about it at all until it was imminent.

Still, better late than never.

I don't suppose any of us regular video guys should hold out hope for 29.97...

Oh well, can't have everything. ; )

Well that is huge. Great news. Don't care if it takes several months, I'm just glad it's coming. This should quell the anger amongst the 5D2 community toward the supposedly exclusive 24p feature for the 7D. Woo hoo!

This gave me such a shock that I checked that it wasn't April 1 or something like it!
Fantastic news.
But, Canon, sooner rather than later please!

Gotta say I'm impressed by Canon. They could've easily ignored everyones requests and never implemented manual control or 24/25p in the 5dmkII. They could've then released the 7d and 1dmkIV and sat back licking their lips as every person who uses the 5dmkII for video switched to one of the newer cameras to get manual control. Instead they have deliberately gone out of their way to satisfy customers whose money they already have. Canon, I salute you!

I'm with John Wiley on this.

First manual control, and now 24p/25p - well done Canon, and thanks! But the delay is intriguing - I'm guessing it's marketing rather than technical.

Don't forget this will sell a lot more new 5d's too.

Yes and it will sell them as of now. For many people knowing the firmware is coming will be enough for them to commit to a purchase.

Just to add to the chorus... Well done Canon. Having such a large corporation responding to customer feedback is a rare and truly great thing.

Is that mean that now with the new Firmware 5D MII is going to be a much better camera than 7D?

Does 7D has any advantage to 5D, beside the price?

Should I buy a 5D for video rather than 7D?

Cheers
Mitchell

Very exciting news!

I am so happy, all my life is going to change after the first half of 2010! Thaaaank youuuu Caaaanoooon!

The only advantage 7d will have over 5DII will be the 60p. But I do not really care.

I think this indicates that Canon is not planning to replace the 5D2 until at least 3 months after the firmware ships. (Because otherwise it would take some of the wind out of the sales of the 5D3.)

I humbly disagree. Considering it was three years between the announce of the original 5D and the M2, I wouldn't hold my breath for a Mk3 in 2010.

Dont forget 29.97 for us NTSC users!

I knew this would happen as long as there wasn't some sort of hardware limitation. There's just no way Canon was going to let all those folks who WOULD have bought a 5D2 if it had 24p (and hopefully 29.97, etc.) buy a 7D instead while losing a grand every time it happens. Just wasn't going to happen, heh... And contrary to what others may think, I think the 5D2 is going to be around for quite a while longer (years), so it makes perfect sense to keep it as competitive as they can right now.

5d II ... The gift that keeps on giving!

After not seeing a firmware be released with the 7d I had started to give up hope

Going to hold my breath until the official announcement. Call me a pessimist but I've never heard of a company leaking an update so far in advance. I worked for a software company a few years ago and one of our marketing people leaked something during an interview that we had no plans of actually releasing. It was just brought up in a company meeting as part of a wish-list of changes and this marketing guy thought that meant it was going to happen and wanted to be the one to tell the world. Well it really screwed us in production because we couldn't implement what he told the world we would release in a patch.

A Brand Manager should know better then this to talk about something before it's official press release. CEO's get off on pulling the trigger on press releases and usually would never release this sort of statement until the quarter the firmare is being release in. 5D II is not really a holiday beneficiary for sales this season I would suspect since the 7D is in the high-end price-point for expensive electronic gifts. I bet Chris Macleod is being scolded from HQ.

Canon UK Press release

Rob Galbraith DPI: Upcoming firmware for 5D Mark II will include 24fps, 25fps video capture options (http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-10044-10320)

29.97 please!

Here it is: http://www.cineform.com/neoscene/

Think you can get it even cheaper at VideoGuy.com

Wow... didn't expect that!
But it makes good business sense, saves a lot of 5D2 sales that would have otherwise been downgraded to 7D sales. Also makes sense that they announce it as early as possible, to save the sales that they are losing day to day. Hopefully it'll come soon, I cant see it being that time intensive for Canon techs to pull off.

In the meantime, let's start nagging Canon for 120p in the 1Ds mkIV :)

Here it is: http://www.cineform.com/neoscene/

Think you can get it even cheaper at VideoGuy.com

In the camera...wise guy ;-)

Canon UK Press release

Rob Galbraith DPI: Upcoming firmware for 5D Mark II will include 24fps, 25fps video capture options (http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-10044-10320)

Relief!

I went to UK Canon and saw it with my own eyes: Canon UK - Canon EOS 5D Mark II: Statement on Firmware Development (http://www.canon.co.uk/About_Us/Press_Centre/Press_Releases/Consumer_News/Cameras_Accessories/EOS_5D_MarkII_Media_Alert.asp)

So they are giving themselves a 9-month leeway to get this to us. Does this forum have that sort of patience to not have to see anymore 24p 5D threads? :)

Now the question is do I wait that long to start any serious project with the 5D?

It'll be interesting to see what they do about 30p, whether they leave it at 30fps, change it to 29.97 or have options for both. Since they're obviously setting the cameras up to compliment one another it seems likely they'll all sport 29.97, but I guess we'll see!

My understanding is that it will match the 7D (and the forthcoming 1D Mk. IV), which means it will be 29.97.

I humbly disagree. Considering it was three years between the announce of the original 5D and the M2, I wouldn't hold my breath for a Mk3 in 2010.

Agreed. When I said the 5D3 would be "at least" 3 months after the firmware, I did not mean to make any implications about the upper bound on the release date of the 5D3. (My personal guess is first quarter 2011.) My intention was only to comment on the lower bound.

Competition is very good indeed. I somehow doubt it that Canon would've put this out had it not been for Nikon and their embracing of video.

My understanding is that it will match the 7D (and the forthcoming 1D Mk. IV), which means it will be 29.97.

Yay...thanks for that info Chris.

2nd post in this thread updated with the full text from the Canon UK press release:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/1434986-post2.html

Canon has discovered Europe! According to a press release yesterday, there will be a firmware update that will allow to shoot in 24p en 25p modes in the first half of 2010:

Press Release:

London, 20 October 2009 – Canon today announces that it is currently developing a firmware update to the EOS 5D Mark II to enable the recording of high definition 1080p video at 24 and 25fps. The decision to develop new firmware to support these features has been taken following feedback received from cinematographers and photographers.

Oops, in my joy I overlooked the fact that this was already posted. Sorry!

Great news!

About two or three years ago I remember writing a wish list.. It was for a camera that shot 24p, full frame, and on which we could mount various 35mm lenses. We have come a long way.

Yes indeed, we have come a long way. Though, ever since I parted with my dear workhorse, the Canon XL2, I've been missing not only all the different frame-rates but more so its audio capabilities -- so to me (even if I've always been a sucker for 24p) I would now kill for SMPTE and manual audio... or as we say in Norway; much wants more.

-- peer

The long lead time on the firmware update really puzzles me - I don't see any marketing advantage to holding out. Maybe a few people hold out and wait for it, but for those who can't wait it means a lot of 7D sales that might have gone to the 5D instead. But it also seems like they either have it or they don't, I can't believe they'd announce it if it wasn't already working - so why wait so long?

They are probably waiting till the 1DMKIV takes a foothold... or maybe, and just maybe
they are waiting on some competition to show a card or two and then put out firmware
not only for the 5DII but also the other cams too... its a poker game right now and it
looks like canon has a full house. Maybe RED will join in the poker game by then too.

The long lead time on the firmware update really puzzles me.

You have to keep several things in mind. It took Canon six months just to enable manual control, and 24p is three times more difficult, so it will take 18 months (they've been working on it since the camera came out.)

Furthermore, you have to be patient with them due to their limited resources. I know it seems easy to compare Canon's glacial progress to the rapid improvements from the Magic Lantern firmware by Tramm Hudson, but it's really not fair at all. Here's why:

Tramm Hudson is not an actual human being. "Magic Lantern" is actually the name of a multi-billion dollar corporation tasked with developing and improving the 5D2 firmware, and "Tramm" is just the alias used by dozens of their top software engineers. This gives you the false impression that it's just a single guy working in his basement somewhere.

Canon, on the other hand, gives you the false impression that they are a billion-dollar corporation with dozens of software engineers, but is in fact just a single guy working from a basement in Tokyo for free, collaborating with a few other individual who donate their time as well. It's no wonder they can't add 24p in a short amount of time.

Canon is handicapped by several things. First, don't have any of the source code to the cameras (Tramm has this all locked up in his proprietary Magic Lantern source code, which Canon doesn't have access to.) That alone is what made it possible for Magic Lantern to have auto bracketing and other features that Canon has been unable to add for years.

Second, Canon doesn't have enough money to even buy a second camera. There was a very real risk that they would brick their only camera during development. Tramm, on the other hand, has hundreds of cameras available at the snap of a finger. Such an unfair advantage gave him plenty of time for developing extras like zebras and focus/DOF readouts, where Canon could not.

Third, Tramm has full documentation on the camera hardware and software, as well as direct access to the engineers who made it. Canon, on the other hand, has to reverse engineer almost everything from scratch, before they can even start to add new features. That's why Canon was not able to implement manual audio control, whereas Tramm was able to add it in a matter of days.

I could go on and on, but I hope it's clear by now just how difficult it is for Canon. We can hope that some day they will be able to compete with Tramm, but that will not happen until they can raise at least $10,000 for software development, or somehow find a way to hire at least one additional software engineer, or even just get access to the source code.

Until then we must be patient and understanding of Canon's many handicaps.

Tramm Hudson is not an actual human being. "Magic Lantern" is actually the name of a multi-billion dollar corporation tasked with developing and improving the 5D2 firmware, and "Tramm" is just the alias used by dozens of their top software engineers. This gives you the false impression that it's just a single guy working in his basement somewhere.

Canon, on the other hand, gives you the false impression that they are a billion-dollar corporation with dozens of software engineers, but is in fact just a single guy working from a basement in Tokyo for free, collaborating with a few other individual who donate their time as well. It's no wonder they can't add 24p in a short amount of time.

Man! I take these forums too seriously. It took me way too long for this joke to hit me upside the head!

Meanwhile... I'm jazzed 24p is coming to the 5D. In the meantime there are a number of workarounds reported here and elsewhere months ago, and there's the 7D and GH1 as well. 5D just became a definite keeper with this announcement.

Wow, wouldn't it be nice if they also added 60p to the same firmware upgrade for the sport and event shooters. 60p would give the ability to do the smooth slow motion.

This is soooooooooooooo freakin awesome! Thanks canon, you've made my day.

Daniel, that is a potential "post of the century" candidate you have there. Brilliant stuff.

[...]This gives you the false impression that [Tramm is] just a single guy working in his basement somewhere. [...]
I would just like to correct the record: at no time have I attempted to mislead people by claiming that I am programming in a basement. None of my locations around the world have basements.

Other than that one exception, your post is 100% accurate.