Firmware update now available (link)
 

Just received from Canon USA:

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Hello,

This is a courtesy e-mail to inform you that the hotly anticipated firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera is now available.

This new firmware will accommodate a great number of user requests for manual exposure control in the EOS 5D Mark II video mode. Manual exposure control while shooting video on the EOS 5D Mark II is expected to make a big impact with cinematographers and videographers using the 5D Mark II for high-end HD video production.

Please follow the link below to the EOS 5D Mark II product page on the Canon U.S.A. Web site to download the new firmware. Let us know if you have any questions, thank you.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera


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Click the Drivers & Downloads tab, then select:

Firmware Update Version 1.0.7 -- 9.09 MB -- 01/07/2009

Who's got the first upgrade report? I'd do it myself but it's time to go outside and do evening chores (country living is great).

I'm flashing it now and will report when I have a dump of the ROM's for further analysis...

EDIT: It looks like manual control in video mode only works when "Movie Display" is selected. In "Stills display" and "Exposure simulation" it still would stop down my lens.

EDIT: There also appears to be a full-time 16:9 matte displayed in LiveView.

I have it loaded and looking for controls

Just got installed! The amount of control is such a sigh of relief!!! It feels like a much more of a camera now with the Manual feature.

Now that we have the ability to control all 3 aspects while recording, there is need for dials without indents... it's very difficult to adjust the top dial without the camera rocking when shooting handheld.. But that's asking way to much out of the 5D2...

It's awesome as it is!

I've updated. Reading new manual pages right now (see pdf).

Go to liveview and put the camera into M mode and you can make all the adjustments

They also seem to have fixed the frame drop issue when the aperture changes... I don't have a variable aperture zoom lens on hand but I changed the aperture while recording and no frame drops as far as I can tell!

Tramm,

Thanks for all your help in getting Canon to come out with the firmware update, now just waiting for your audio controls and zebras.

Thanks so much

Bob

OMG... They are going to make a lot of ppl very happy today.

This is the way it should have been out of the box no doubt. THANK. YOU. CANON.

It looks like you can't be in exposure simulation mode to use it, which I kind of liked because you could bring up a live histogram, but whatever, THIS FRAKIN' ROCKS!

Chris,

I've actually been playing with the new firmware for a few days now and can report it all works in the way I anticipated. You'll want to set ISO exapnd if you haven't already to get the full range of ISOs.

Dan

Dan,

Are the files still marked as 30.00 fps or are they 29.97 fps? Also, do the shutter and aperture show up correctly on the LCD in movie mode? I don't have a 5d2 (Yet, heh heh), but I do have to contend with editing the files. Thanks.

J

With manual focus lenses just push the AF-ON button and you can tell your exposure within the + & - 2 range

Jay,

Framerate in the file info still shows up as 30fps. The LCD does display correctly, check out this thread http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-eos...right-now.html

Funny nobody noticed!

Dan

Dan,

Thanks. The frame rate is a minor annoyance, but at least the LCD display of settings works. I can't believe I missed that in your thread.

J

Took longer to read the directions (MANDATORY for any firmware flash) than to do the update. Seems to work as advertised.

Impression 1.: Yipee, control !!!!

Impression 2: True 1/60 (180 degree shutter ?)

Impression 3: My Nikon lenses haven't been made obsolete by firmware (my private nightmare)

Impression 4: The method of selection of adjustments is not complicated.

Impression 5: This is neat: The exposre + or - "needle" that we previously operated by adjusting wheel up and down, now floats, and registers whether camera considere setting to be under or over exposed.

Magic Lantern firmware bootstrapped with 1.1.0
 

Canon didn't add any protection mechanisms, so it was fairly easy to bootstrap the Magic Lantern firmware onto the 1.1.0 release. I don't have very many functions mapped yet, just the few necessary to take over the camera's init_task.

Sorry for the horrible screenshot; the iPhone's macro capabilities are sub-optimal.

Mine too...

It feels kinda bizarre switching to m and finding everything works as it should. I keep waiting for everything to go wonky, but... it works.

Yay.

Very nice Tramm !

Meantime, I think a good way to set initial exposure for a scene is to start off in Auto ISO mode, adjust your shutter and aperature for desired effect. Then press half down on shutter release, note the camera selected ISO, then go into ISO adjust and zero in up or down around the camera recommended ISO.

Doesn't exposure compensation work? If so I hope it would work by changing the ISO. That would be much easier than manually changing ISO before shooting. The big dial would be nice.

All I can say is WOW! I was seriously skeptical that we would get this. I have had a few minutes to play around with it and am thoroughly impressed. Very usable, and now I feel like I am actually in control instead of the camera.

Tramm, can't wait to see your future tweaks implemented to this firmware. Then I will absolutely be in heaven!

No, the turning dial exposure compensation does not work in manual mode. Instructions say set ISO first, but frankly I think its more important to set shutter at 1/60 and to get the depth of field you want first and then adjust the ISO. A bit of a pain, but once ISO is dialed in for shot, or set of shots, you should be in good shape.

Mark: In manual mode, the exposure is entirely dictated by what you dial in for aperture+shutter+ISO. The concept of exposure compensation doesn't make sense here. Okay say if you have it at 1/50, f1.4 @3200 and it is over-exposed. You say you want to use exposure compensation and dial it down 1 stop, well exposure comp doen't exist in manual mode, but all you would need to do is adjust either aperture, shutter, or ISO down 1 stop to achieve proper exposure.

Exposure compensation only makes sense if there is at least one variable that is automatically set by the camera. Thus in 5D2's movie mode's auto mode, everything is automatically set and adjusted by camera based on the reflective meter's readout of the exposure level of the scene and then that is further fine-tuned by the exposure compensation level you have dialed in.

That being said, all of that workflow is grandfathered in from the photo world.. in the video world, one would adjust the gain(ISO) more often than the shutter speed. So given this fact, it would make sense for the aperture and ISO to be assigned to the two dedicated dials, as opposed to the stock configuration where ISO is accessed via a function button. Perhaps Tramm can introduce a hack to allow this reassignment?

That would be nice. I'd rather hide the shutter control behind a button and have wheels for aperture and ISO.

Give Auto ISO a try. It's really sweet for a walking-around-the-house video. It's amateur, but it's also really smooth and doesn't hunt.

I wish that AE Lock worked (as a toggle) with Auto ISO. You could just dial in the shutter and aperture, move the camera around a bit, and lock the camera at the desired ISO. The lighting changed radically? Press again to unlock and again to lock when you get the new look.

When matching shots, I'd choose full manual ISO, but locking auto ISO would be extremely fast in the field.

Thanks, Canon!
 

The new firmware is a big improvement. Thanks, Canon!

I could'nt find the firmware update? where is it? Is it only me? waaaah!!!!
It only shows firmware update version 1.1.0 thats it!

Rickey that's what you're looking for! Grab it!

Hat's off to Canon for pulling this update out.

It's so nice to have OIS back and that certainly knock the edge off the CMOS wobble.

The ability to properly capture low ISO stills with out changing program mode whilst recording is lovely. The amount of time I've had to change presets to do this.

All works a charm.

So for run'n gun you just set the shutter '50/60' and general aperture '5.6(eg)' and set the ISO to 'Auto'.

Also in 'P' mode is it just me or does the camera not pick such tiny apertures now, like medium light levels ver 1.0.7 would give you f16 and massive ISO now ver 1.1.0 keeps a more sensible aperture range.

it does feel like a totally new camera now.

Very happy

James

That's what you want. 1.1.0. The previous version was 1.0.7.

Oh! I thought Cris said version 1.0.7...now I know...thanks!

Ooh...Auto ISO. I didn't even think of that. Interesting. But how does one adjust the Auto ISO to (for example) one stop overexposed?

Hi all. Loving the new firmware. I see some people referring to a pdf that outlines the changes? Can you please tell me where I can get my hands on this?

It came along with my (Mac) download. Two items actually. A document describing the firmware update process & another describing the use of the new manual video mode. I will attach them to this post.

I live in a PAL region and this firmware has been great. Reason being that I have this very annoying flickering shooting with video in a room lit with fluorescent lighting. Not sure if I could change the shutter speed prior to the firmware upgrade, but now I just dial it until the flickering disappear.

By the way, why the 1/60 shutter speed recommended by so many here. I can't use 1/60 as this produces the flickering. But I am fine with 1/30 and 1/50.

Awesome. Thanks so much for that!

Um, you're missing the point. With auto ISO engaged something is automatic, and thus it absolutely would have been beneficial to have both exposure lock and exposure compensation. In fact, that would be ideal for anyone running and gunning, but I'm not complaining, this was a huge step in the right direction.

Ahh didn't realize the AUTO ISO setting. I never use it anyways.. always set ISO appropriate to my scene and change if necessary.

Yep just like my XH-A1s.....brilliant! Thank you Canon!!!!!

Thanks again Chris H. for the heads up!

*smiling ear to ear this morning*

Is Christmas in June!

Got a ton of stuff on my desk, but am tempted to drop everything and install this now.