Issue Discovered With The EOS 5D Mark IV, Firmware Fix Coming

[Canon Rumors Guy]

<p>Canon Rumors readers Darach G. (Darachphotography) has uncovered an issue with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV that Canon themselves have confirmed. The firmware to fix the issue below should come within the next 4-8 weeks.</p>
<p><strong>Darach G. explains the issue and how Canon handled it:</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>I was testing out the various remote control options for controlling video on my Canon 5d Mk iv.  All works fine using the EOS utility V3 via WiFi or via USB and also using the Canon App on a samasung S7 phone.  However, if you switch on the “High Frame Rate Movie” option and attempt any of the remote control options, the 5D Mk iv camera completely hangs.  All functions including the on/off button become disabled and in one instance the camera actually “purple” screens. The only way to reset the camera is to take the battery and put it back in.   Shooting high frame rate movie directly on the camera works fine, but remote control causes the problem.  I upgraded the cameras firmware to 1.0.4 but the problem persisted.</p>
<p>I contacted Canon support in the UK and they immediately came back to me for some additional information.  Within 24 hours of receiving the additional information, they were able to replicate the issue and escalated this the Canon Europe.  I have since been informed via email that  Canon Inc. are now looking into this and will attempt to correct the problem in a firmware update within the next 4-8 weeks.</p></blockquote>
<p>Darach was extremely impressed with how quickly Canon acted on the issue, and has asked them name the firmware update after him. It’s worth a shot.</p>
<p><em>Thanks Darach (Darachphotography)</em></p>
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[Maximilian]

This looks like a really professional response from Canon tech support.

Issues with modern tech devices are annoying but they happen. The more SW included the more often.
Better it'll be a SW issue so it can be fixed (hopefully)

within the next 4-8 weeks.

Kudos if they manage to do so.

HW issues are more delicate.

 

[Talys]

4-8 weeks should exceed any reasonable expectation. That'd be amazing for a firmware patch.

 

[GammyKnee]

As I haven't even tried video on my 5D4 this hardly affects me, but Canon's response is excellent.

I remember I sent them a query about install options for DPP a while back (wanted to install to a different drive to keep it off my SSD system drive). Within 24 hours I got a genuinely helpful response that had clearly come from a developer rather than from some front-line script-monkey. Totally unexpected from such a big corp.

 

[3dit0r]

Inspires confidence how quickly and authortatively this was handled. Can't ask more really.

 

[neuroanatomist]

FWIW, I had a similar experience when I reported a bug with the 1D X firmware (setting an orientation-linked AF point resulted in lens-specific AFMA values not being stored properly). Fixed in a firmware update released the following month.

 

[kiwiengr]

I guess it also means that the firmware that was due out this month will not be out this month.....

http://www.canonrumors.com/firmware-canon-eos-5d-mark-iv-update-new-firmware-coming-at-the-end-of-march/

 

[kiwiengr]

Inspires confidence how quickly and authortatively this was handled. Can't ask more really.

This does not inspire confidence....

"will attempt to correct the problem in a firmware update within the next 4-8 weeks"

Particularly the 1st two words, however, as I don't use video, and don't use remote per se, it doesn't matter.

 

[tron]

Inspires confidence how quickly and authortatively this was handled. Can't ask more really.

This does not inspire confidence....

"will attempt to correct the problem in a firmware update within the next 4-8 weeks"

Particularly the 1st two words, however, as I don't use video, and don't use remote per se, it doesn't matter.

On the contrary it does! Nobody is a magician to know the future! They are honest to behave as technicians and not as marketing people. They have to find the bug first, then fix it and then test. That is one part of the "attempt". The second part where the :attempt" may refer is the 4-8 weeks time range.

 

[kiwiengr]

Inspires confidence how quickly and authortatively this was handled. Can't ask more really.

This does not inspire confidence....

"will attempt to correct the problem in a firmware update within the next 4-8 weeks"

Particularly the 1st two words, however, as I don't use video, and don't use remote per se, it doesn't matter.

On the contrary it does! Nobody is a magician to know the future! They are honest to behave as technicians and not as marketing people. They have to find the bug first, then fix it and then test. That is one part of the "attempt". The second part where the :attempt" may refer is the 4-8 weeks time range.

"will attempt" never inspires confidence.... in any field of endeavour....

 

[bhf3737]

"will attempt" never inspires confidence.... in any field of endeavour....

It certainly does inspire confidence, actually quite a lot.
it means that they have a defined software quality assurance (SQA) process in place and bugs reported, verified and replicated get assigned to a team and the time frame for fixing and testing activities are also defined. It certainly boosts confidence on their product by those who buy and use them. It is very different from an ad-hoc process and "come on, we will fix it next when we have time" strategy!

 

[TheVirtualTim]

I guess it also means that the firmware that was due out this month will not be out this month.....

http://www.canonrumors.com/firmware-canon-eos-5d-mark-iv-update-new-firmware-coming-at-the-end-of-march/

I'm thinking that firmware will likely get released anyway... (since it was already delayed twice) and we'll quickly get another firmware update several weeks later.

The original firmware update (as I recall) was planned for last November, but delayed to this past February... and then delayed a second time with an expectation to have it out by end of March (this month).

We don't know why the February date was pushed to March... and it makes me wonder ... if the support incident had occurred in February, then maybe the reason for the delay is because of this new issue. But if this issue was only just discovered this week (after February) then the delay would have been for an unrelated reason.

If the former... then I'd expect the March release to have the fix incorporated. If the latter... then I'd expect will get two firmware updates (it would be bad to delay the original promised update three times.)

 

[jaell]

Oddly, my Mark IV won't save the time change. Every time I plug it in to download photos, I get a message that my computer and my camera's times are off, and sure enough, the time reverted back to EST instead of EDT. Set it forward an hour, hit OK, go about my business... and the next time I plug it in, rinse & repeat.

User error, or bug?

 

[GammyKnee]

Oddly, my Mark IV won't save the time change. Every time I plug it in to download photos, I get a message that my computer and my camera's times are off, and sure enough, the time reverted back to EST instead of EDT. Set it forward an hour, hit OK, go about my business... and the next time I plug it in, rinse & repeat.

User error, or bug?

Just a thought - if you're using GPS, the camera may be setting it's time from that?

 

[jprusa]

Oddly, my Mark IV won't save the time change. Every time I plug it in to download photos, I get a message that my computer and my camera's times are off, and sure enough, the time reverted back to EST instead of EDT. Set it forward an hour, hit OK, go about my business... and the next time I plug it in, rinse & repeat.

User error, or bug?

So is this message come as when the camera is turned on, or when you open the program you use to download photos? and what program are you using? sorry just wasn't clear on the process.

 

[jaell]

Oddly, my Mark IV won't save the time change. Every time I plug it in to download photos, I get a message that my computer and my camera's times are off, and sure enough, the time reverted back to EST instead of EDT. Set it forward an hour, hit OK, go about my business... and the next time I plug it in, rinse & repeat.

User error, or bug?

So is this message come as when the camera is turned on, or when you open the program you use to download photos? and what program are you using? sorry just wasn't clear on the process.

The message appears on my computer monitor. I pick up the camera and sure enough, the time is wrong--despite me having changed it multiple times now (to the correct time). The camera time settings don't account for DST, so I'm wondering if the computer tells the camera that it's not set for DST, and somehow the camera says, "OK, fall back one hour" and then I have to "spring it ahead" one hour again.

I've had the camera for 6 months now and haven't turned on the GPS yet (GPS eats battery, and I have only very selective situations where I would want the GPS enabled, anyway). Maybe I should turn it on and see if that will fix the time issue...

And oddly, I don't recall having this issue when we went off DST in November.

 

[Maximilian]

Oddly, my Mark IV won't save the time change. Every time I plug it in to download photos, I get a message that my computer and my camera's times are off, and sure enough, the time reverted back to EST instead of EDT. Set it forward an hour, hit OK, go about my business... and the next time I plug it in, rinse & repeat.

User error, or bug?

So is this message come as when the camera is turned on, or when you open the program you use to download photos? and what program are you using? sorry just wasn't clear on the process.

The message appears on my computer monitor. I pick up the camera and sure enough, the time is wrong--despite me having changed it multiple times now (to the correct time). The camera time settings don't account for DST, so I'm wondering if the computer tells the camera that it's not set for DST, and somehow the camera says, "OK, fall back one hour" and then I have to "spring it ahead" one hour again.

I've had the camera for 6 months now and haven't turned on the GPS yet (GPS eats battery, and I have only very selective situations where I would want the GPS enabled, anyway). Maybe I should turn it on and see if that will fix the time issue...

And oddly, I don't recall having this issue when we went off DST in November.

I assume you are using the latest version of EOS Utility (jprusa asked for that, but I couldn't read it in your reply) and you keep you PC OS (whatever it is) up to date.
I also assume that you have the summer / winter time switch in the right position.

If so, and if that prob continues to appear reproducible I would contact your local Canon support and ask for a solution.

 

[jaell]

I assume you are using the latest version of EOS Utility (jprusa asked for that, but I couldn't read it in your reply) and you keep you PC OS (whatever it is) up to date.
I also assume that you have the summer / winter time switch in the right position.

If so, and if that prob continues to appear reproducible I would contact your local Canon support and ask for a solution.

Yep, latest version of the utility, OS is updated weekly.

I used the GPS on a shoot this weekend, and set it to update the time, as well. When I plugged in to transfer images to the PC, the window popped up that the time on my camera was wrong, and I went through the process again.

Right before I plugged the camera in, I double-checked the time and it matched the PC time. So, I'm concluding that the problem isn't with the camera--it's with the EOS Utility. I double-checked the settings in the EOS Utility and they don't appear to be any different than before (or problematic), so something in the EOS Utility version I'm using (which, I believe, I updated since DST ended in November) is the problem.

It's weird, because the EOS Utility has a setting that synchronizes the camera's time to the PC's time. So it should be fixing any wrong time. Instead, it's causing incorrect time.

TLDR; EOS Utility bug, not a 5D Mark IV bug.

 

[5DIV]

You need to turn on the daylight time symbol in the Date/Time/Zone menu in the camera. It looks like a Sun symbol. Just setting the time ahead 1 hour is not the same thing.

 

[jaell]

You need to turn on the daylight time symbol in the Date/Time/Zone menu in the camera. It looks like a Sun symbol. Just setting the time ahead 1 hour is not the same thing.

Yup, after updating to the latest version of EOS Utility (I was on 3.7, and 3.8 came out in February) and having the problem again, I just noticed the box to the left of the time zone, and wondered what it was for. DST right there.

User error.