7D firmware update - wow, could it be?

[Pieces Of E]

7D owners, does that post make you anxious or what? Imagine a fix to the ISO noise issues, autofocus issues and whatever other issues we've been having being implemented into the 7D. Man, then it would be an awesome body, wouldn't it?
Waiting here at the edge of our seats for the release........

[wookiee2cu]

7D owners, does that post make you anxious or what? Imagine a fix to the ISO noise issues, autofocus issues and whatever other issues we've been having being implemented into the 7D. Man, then it would be an awesome body, wouldn't it?
Waiting here at the edge of our seats for the release........

Pretty sure that both ISO and AF is hardware and can't be modified via a firmware.  I didn't see the new post on the home page mention anything regarding those, where did you see it?

[Pieces Of E]

All camera functions are executed via electronic 'commands' from a central processing unit. Hence, ISO and/or AF functions of any camera can be updated thru firmware. Hardware is composed of any piece, structural or physical, that comprises the component(s) of the body.
 In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices.

[pdirestajr]

7D owners, does that post make you anxious or what? Imagine a fix to the ISO noise issues, autofocus issues and whatever other issues we've been having being implemented into the 7D. Man, then it would be an awesome body, wouldn't it?
Waiting here at the edge of our seats for the release........

What auto focus issues? I really don't miss shots ever- after I fully learned the system.

[Musouka]

I guess they can improve the JPEG noise if they wanted to but I'm not holding my breath for that.

Just shoot JPEG+RAW (or just RAW) and do some post processing.

[stevenrrmanir]

I would be WOWing if they actually released a real 7D MKII instead of stupid upgrades! We need better bodies!

[Sjekster]

I would be WOWing if they actually released a real 7D MKII instead of stupid upgrades! We need better bodies!

We need better photographers!

What is wrong with the 7D? And what is so stupid about upgraded firmware? I, and I think countless others with me, would very much welcome some new features. Could give the 7D some extended life for some users.

Always have the strange feeling that the people who are whining about wanting new camera bodies spend more time complaining than they are actually in the field taking photographs...

[solarpos]

is all I ask. Now…..the question is would it be at a price? If so what would you/I pay?

[Wideopen]

I would be WOWing if they actually released a real 7D MKII instead of stupid upgrades! We need better bodies!

We need better photographers!

What is wrong with the 7D? And what is so stupid about upgraded firmware? I, and I think countless others with me, would very much welcome some new features. Could give the 7D some extended life for some users.

Always have the strange feeling that the people who are whining about wanting new camera bodies spend more time complaining than they are actually in the field taking photographs...

+1 I agree with you. I'd rather upgrade the firmware in my 7D to increase its potential rather then investing into another "upgraded" body with minor improvements over the previous one. Only the person behind the camera can increase the creativity in their pictures. Not the camera, it's just a tool to help you. Now get out there and take some pictures

[Marsu42]

Pretty sure that both ISO and AF is hardware and can't be modified via a firmware.

And even if they would, why would Canon bother? The 5d2 video update was an often requested thing and made quite an impact, but on older bodies like the 7d2 most potential new customers won't notice ("Oh, the 7d2 is updated from 1.08. to 1.09, now I'll get it") and all reviews are long written - so why would Canon allocate resources. They'd rather work on the 70d to replace it... except if a firmware fixes incompatibilities with newer Canon gear because this really has an impact on their sales.

[jrista]

All camera functions are executed via electronic 'commands' from a central processing unit. Hence, ISO and/or AF functions of any camera can be updated thru firmware. Hardware is composed of any piece, structural or physical, that comprises the component(s) of the body.
 In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices.

Its not nearly quite that simple. There is firmware that drives the electronics, but the electronics themselves have specific characteristics. The low-ISO noise, for example, is most definitely a hardware characteristic. The only thing you could do in firmware to reduce it is the same kind of thing you would do in Lightroom, but you wouldn't have that much control over it...so its preferable to leave that up to the photographer anyway.

As for AF, its pretty much the same deal. The AF unit is a physical device with a specialized sensor that also has specific characteristics. There isn't much you can do to change that with firmware. You might be able to increase the number of AF micro-adjust steps or something along those lines, but you can't significantly change the behavior of the AF system in general...it is what it is.

[jrista]

Always have the strange feeling that the people who are whining about wanting new camera bodies spend more time complaining than they are actually in the field taking photographs...

Possibly. I spend 8-10 hours a day every weekend photographing with my 7D. I love it, its an excellent camera, but there is no question that it imposes its limitations on the photographer. Thankfully I don't use it much for low-ISO work, I'm almost always at ISO 800 and up...but that doesn't change the fact that a ISO's lower than that, there IS pattern noise that could really stand to be improved (which, btw, would take a new sensor...not just new firmware.)

There are some other things that could stand to be improved as well. The 7D active viewfinder is amazing...absolutely love it...but there are times when I think it could be enhanced as well. One thing I would absolutely DIE for is an in-viewfinder luminance histogram. There are times when I need to adjust exposure mid-stream while photographing a bird in flight and the like. I generally GUESS at what change to make because I can't see a histogram until I have a chance to preview the shots taken...but by that point in time, the moment is past and I can't redo the shoot. An semi-translucent histogram overlay option in the corner of the viewfinder that also had a "blown highlights" indicator would do my photography absolute wonders!

So when I hear someone say that people who are complaining about camera bodies and firmware features on forums should be out photographing...I find them particularly naive, and could probably use more time with their cameras themselves. I love my camera gear, no question, I love Canon ergonomics, I love their button layout, and I love their menu system. But that doesn't change the fact that BECAUSE I use it a TON, there are things that I believe could be improved upon. That there are new features that could greatly help my photography. A skilled artist can always use better tools.

[Sjekster]

No doubt, it isn't as simple as my previous post. But particularly unnuanced and poorly argumented remarks like "we don't need stupid upgrades, we need new bodies!", just call for unnuanced replies . He didn't give one clue as to why "we" should need new bodies.

I know countless people who are a little bit addicted to gear, and spend not nearly enough time improving their skills. No matter what gear you have, it's still you that has to take the pictures. Newer / better gear can make things easier, of course.

I myself upgraded from a 450D to a 7D because of the ergonomics and things like the jog dial and wheel to make things a little easier. Does the 7D make me take instantly better pictures? Not that much. I've a long way to go until I reach the limits of my gear. Will I upgrade to another camera before that happens? Probably. Do I need to? Probably not. 

[Pieces Of E]

My 7D with the battery grip feels awesome in my hand, and I am proud to own it as most you out there. And I hope they do come out with a firmware update at least to psychologically appease me if nothing else.
I do feel the ISO noise issues could be improved and the AF system could be speeded up and more accurate. I shoot raptors in flight using AI Servo Auto AF point selection using the center point as my starting point and C.Fn III -1 – AI Servo tracking sensitivity set to Fast. There are times when the AF system is lost, the points are way off and I loose the shot. I always keep my batteries charged as well, as the EF300 IS f4 will slow down when power is low.

[jrista]

My 7D with the battery grip feels awesome in my hand, and I am proud to own it as most you out there. And I hope they do come out with a firmware update at least to psychologically appease me if nothing else.
I do feel the ISO noise issues could be improved and the AF system could be speeded up and more accurate. I shoot raptors in flight using AI Servo Auto AF point selection using the center point as my starting point and C.Fn III -1 – AI Servo tracking sensitivity set to Fast. There are times when the AF system is lost, the points are way off and I loose the shot. I always keep my batteries charged as well, as the EF300 IS f4 will slow down when power is low.

The reason the AF system gets lost is because you are using Tracking sensitivity Fast. You should change that to Slow. I also shoot birds, not just raptors but all birds, and Fast is WAY too jumpy for BIF. It'll switch the target subject almost instantaneously if it notices one. That often happens when a bird flies behind a momentary obstruction, or another bird's flight intersects with the one your tracking, etc. Switching to slow, the AF firmware will try to maintain AF on the current subject as long as possible before finally jumping to a different target.  You should also switch to back-button AF, and decouple AF activate from your shutter button. With BIF and AI Servo, you REALLY do not want those two activities linked, it just leads to problems. Sometimes, even on Slow Tracking, the 7D will lose lock on its target if obstructions obscure it too frequently or for too long. If two birds intersect in flight and stay that way for a short while, the AF may jump to the other bird. You can correct this by momentarily letting off the AF activate button, and press it again a moment later. That will force the AF system to retarget, and so long as your AF point is on the correct subject, it will always lock correctly. Finally, I also recommend reconfiguring AF point selection to the joystick. You can then instantly change the selected AF point with the joystick while tracking, in case you want to alter composition.

The problem is not an inadequate AF system...in this case, its improper use of the AF system. Keep in mind the AF system on the 7D is predictive...it generally knows where the subject will be for the next frame before it ever gets there, which is part of the reason the AF system is so performant and is able to react to small changes in your tracked subject quickly.