What do you want to see in future firmware updates for the EOS R5 Mark II and EOS R1?

[Canon Rumors]

Every now and then I get an email about what someone would like to see in a firmware update. This gives some great insight on how different shooters use cameras and all the different scenarios that I would never run into.

What features would you like to see in future firmware updates for the EOS R5 Mark II and EOS R1?

I want to keep it to those cameras, as they're the latest and greatest and would likely have less technical limitations compared to the rest of the lineup.

We plan to do an article on the topic, which can lead to discussion that gets noticed by the powers that be.

 

[Canon Rumors]

I'll start. It's one of the most requested features, but being able to bind precapture to a button.

Currently, I use the custom modes setup. C1 is precapture on, C2 is precapture off and a few other differences from C1, and C3 is a mechanical shutter setup.

I'd love to stick precapture to one of the front buttons and have less similarities between C1 and C2 setups without having to have precapture binding set that way.

 

[koenkooi]

User configurable focus distance limiter. I think Panasonic already has this, it’s an easy to understand concept for users as well.

Nikon style auto capture, have the camera detect motion and subjects, no need for external IR detectors and other gadgets.

Oversampled 4k60

A “ignore the thing you keep saying is a subject, that’s the branch, not the damselfly” button to ‘blacklist’ things that confuse the AF.

Focus override on all lenses, especially the 100mm macro.

Automatic time setting when connected to the internet.

Drop down to a lower, but constant fps when the buffer is full, don’t stop shooting for 20 seconds.

 

[P-visie]

As @justaCanonuser has suggested: ability to set the direction for focusing when the camera cannot achieve focus. E.g. focus to infinity rather than try to achieve focus by focusing all the way to MFD. Preferably able to set the focus direction by lens by lens(type). I want my tele lenses to focus to infinity and my macro lenses to focus to MFD.

 

[screenshooter]

The ability to assign any menu function to a button

 

[sturm3n]

User configurable focus distance limiter. I think Panasonic already has this, it’s an easy to understand concept for users as well.

Oversampled 4k60

A “ignore the thing you keep saying is a subject, that’s the branch, not the damselfly” button to ‘blacklist’ things that confuse the AF.

Definitely!

Drop down to a lower, but constant fps when the buffer is full, don’t stop shooting for 20 seconds.

Yes, or the Sony A9 III style functionality of a button that, during a continuous burst, puts the camera into "overdrive burst mode" while it's held down.

I would also add:

• The return of PixelShift High-res mode (or whatever canon calls it) from the R5
• The return of dual-pixel raw so that R5m2 owners can do this: https://petapixel.com/2025/03/20/canon-developing-dual-pixel-cmos-3d-photo-tech/
• Highlight priority exposure metering (like Sony has)
• HDR JPEGs using ISO 21496-1:2025
• Prerecord for raw video (may not be possible with current hardware)
• Open gate raw video (may not be possible with current hardware)
• Support for the RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL even though that's an APS-C lens and we're talking about full-frame cameras. But I own an R7 basically just for that lens and I'd love to be able to sell the R7 off.

 

[P-visie]

Yes, or the Sony A9 III style functionality of a button that, during a continuous burst, puts the camera into "overdrive burst mode" while it's held down.

You can already do that. You can assign ‘Switch ES continuous shooting modes’ to a button and then use the ‘Info’ button to set the shooting rate.
I have a custom mode for ‘Pre-continuous shooting’ and have set the DOF preview button for that mode to ‘High speed continous +’, which I have set at 30 fps (max. fps the R5 Mk II). The camera switches from whatever fps I’m shooting to 30fps when I press the DOF preview button

 

[sturm3n]

You can already do that. You can assign ‘Switch ES continuous shooting modes’ to a button and then use the ‘Info’ button to set the shooting rate.
I have a custom mode for ‘Pre-continuous shooting’ and have set the DOF preview button for that mode to ‘High speed continous +’, which I have set at 30 fps (max. fps the R5 Mk II). The camera switches from whatever fps I’m shooting to 30fps when I press the DOF preview button

Oh fantastic, thanks for the tip!

 

[screenshooter]

The ability for the photo shooting histogram to represent the sensor signal and not the clipped viewfinder or screen output. Might as well not have the photo histogram the way it works now.

 

[screenshooter]

• Open gate raw video (may not be possible with current hardware)

If the camera can shoot 40 fps raw stills, it should be a firmware update to have it record 30fps open gate raw video. Based on the C50 spec sheet, thats a lower bitrate than 8k60 raw. I would be highly suspect if Canon says its not possible with current hardware.

 

[David_B]

For it to automatically detect when it has missed the focus or the image is blurred due to camera shake that hasn't been corrected by IS and either deletes it or marks it as such so that reviewing is quicker/easier when looking for those to delete.

I don't just want in-camera AI to help take photos, I want the camera's AI to help me decide which photos to put in the bin.

 

[P-visie]

For it to automatically detect when it has missed the focus or the image is blurred due to camera shake that hasn't been corrected by IS and either deletes it or marks it as such so that reviewing is quicker/easier when looking for those to delete.

I don't just want in-camera AI to help take photos, I want the camera's AI to help me decide which photos to put in the bin.

The R5 Mk II can already do that for JPG and HEIF images of people. You can sort, rate and protect images, based on the level of blurrines.
See: https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/manual/html/UG-05_Playback_0260.html

 

[David_B]

The R5 Mk II can already do that for JPG and HEIF images of people. You can sort, rate and protect images, based on the level of blurrines.
See: https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/manual/html/UG-05_Playback_0260.html

Nice! Be good if it worked for more than just people!

 

[P-visie]

Nice! Be good if it worked for more than just people!

I agree, it would be useful if this would work for RAW files, but I suspect that takes to much processing power for this to work ‘in camera’. There are AI based tools for RAW files (Canon had an app for this, see here for the press release).
Adobe is working on this for Lightroom, see: https://petapixel.com/2025/06/17/adobe-is-developing-ai-powered-culling-tools-for-lightroom/

 

[Adam Shutter Bug]

For it to automatically detect when it has missed the focus or the image is blurred due to camera shake that hasn't been corrected by IS and either deletes it or marks it as such so that reviewing is quicker/easier when looking for those to delete.

I don't just want in-camera AI to help take photos, I want the camera's AI to help me decide which photos to put in the bin.

This is an area I would like AI to be implemented in probably future cameras. The R1 is great but when I hit 30 shots in a press I would be grateful for the camera to flag those it thinks are firstly in focus but we could train it based on what we look for in shots. So could be best action moment or when a bird has wings fully extended etc.

 

[Easer]

Every now and then I get an email about what someone would like to see in a firmware update. This gives some great insight on how different shooters use cameras and all the different scenarios that I would never run into.

What features would you like to see in future firmware updates for the EOS R5 Mark II and EOS R1?

I want to keep it to those cameras, as they're the latest and greatest and would likely have less technical limitations compared to the rest of the lineup.

We plan to do an article on the topic, which can lead to discussion that gets noticed by the powers that be.

Primarily about the R1....;

One-button toggle on and off of the precapture, customisation of the right topside buttons (the WB and +/- buttons, which I never ever use, as I have +/- on the rear thump wheel, where I have had it for ages, and WB can be put in the Q menu, if one need quick access, nobody need it in a dedicated button), proper password protection is a rather stupid omission (< which only have to be punched in once a day, when the camera is activated first time thát day).

Other than thát, it is perfect, hmmm, I would like to have the R3's 195 images/sec, and more options in terms of viewfinder tonality (< it is way too hard, the rear screen have far better tones, despite not being an OLED, but an -on paper- lesser performing TFT screen...)

Ah, yea, I would like to have full customisation in terms of all three states of the AF-ON button, with no AF point selection option greyed out....
-And I must admit I envy my friend's R52's utilisation of the rear screen for AF-point selection, thát works really well, and also ought to be an option in the R1, it actually works better than the AF-ON button, which could then maybe be customised for something else....?

 

[screenshooter]

Multi-person eye focus indicator - useful for multi person portraits like family photos around the holidays when these pictures get used as Christmas cards.. It would be very helpful if the camera could provide an indicator if other people’s eyes were in focus or in front of/behind the focus plane, not just the one person the camera autofocus has locked onto.

Sure you can pixel peep and nail it, but it would be a lot faster to have the camera provide an indicator.

 

[Eloniel]

I would love to be able to select pictures for deletion as we can do on a smartphone, select all the pictures we want and then click on delete, and then confirm if we want to cancel, delete only raw, delete only jpg or delete both.

Another interesting feature would be depth of field simulation into the EVF based on focal lense and aperture.

 

[P-visie]

I’d like more intelligent focus stacking: let the user select the close and distant focus points and have the camera figure out the number of exposures needed (based on lens, distance to subject, aperture and focus increment (i.e. step size)) or figure out the stepsize for the number of shots set.

The EOS 3 has similar functionality in the ‘Depth of field’ mode, see: https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/s/article/ART117935

 

[dave7]

If you shoot in Aperture priority with auto ISO, all of the shutter speeds (min shutter speed) are not available. It goes from 1/1000 to 1/2000. Letting people pick what they wanted would be nice and not that hard for Canon I would think.