Firmware: Canon EOS R v1.2.0 available for download

[killswitch]

Oh man, reading the comments it seems like the Eye-AF is working great in this update. Cannot wait to go home after work and try it out. Is the distance still limited to the what it was before for Eye-AF or has the range increase much more. Some are saying same as Face Detect, that is a very good range and not that it matters anyway but still good to have. Can anyone confirm? Gah, 6 more hours till I go home >_<

 

[killswitch]

Initial testing suggests the Eye-AF is much better and responsive, in both One Shot and SERVO. However, it seems like it has limited distance within which it can detect the eyes like before. Need to test some more, but definitely much smoother and quick too.

 

[deleteme]

I installed the update and eye AF works better than before and I used it on a paying job.
While it worked well it was not the hallelujah event I anticipated. It worked decently but I felt that if this was similar to Sony performance then the Sony is way over-hyped.

 

[Lukas Haupt]

Hi, anyone noticed a bug connected with changing size of AF point in AF servo? I have assigned right touchbar button for changing size of AF point. In one shot it is working, but when I press it in servo mode, I got the message, that it is not available. When I change it in menu or in "Q", it is working perfectly. I have tho EOS R and I have experienced same problem on both. I hope, that they will fix it in another firmware. Rest of functions working perfectly.

About the distance, I don't mind - IMO eye detect is good for portrait - for longer distances is face detect enough. DoF is good even at F1.4, so if it finds face, than I have always eyes in focus.

 

[epiieq1]

I installed the update and eye AF works better than before and I used it on a paying job.
While it worked well it was not the hallelujah event I anticipated. It worked decently but I felt that if this was similar to Sony performance then the Sony is way over-hyped.

I rented an A9, and all I have to say is wow. I was able to track someone through a jump serve in Volleyball inside a school gym. Worked great on my family members in a dim room (and outside). The biggest issue I had was ergonomics - my hand actually hurt after extended use.

 

[Viggo]

After trying eye AF with my kids I will continue to use face detect and turn eye AF off. Face detect is much more stable and accurate.

 

[CJudge]

After trying eye AF with my kids I will continue to use face detect and turn eye AF off. Face detect is much more stable and accurate.

In your experience, does face-detect-only have significantly better performance than with eye-detect on? I had assumed (seeing as when eye-detect fails, the system reverts to face-detect) that there were no downsides to leaving eye-detect on. Oops!

 

[Viggo]

In your experience, does face-detect-only have significantly better performance than with eye-detect on? I had assumed (seeing as when eye-detect fails, the system reverts to face-detect) that there were no downsides to leaving eye-detect on. Oops!

As with any AF method, the smaller the area the harder it is for it to focus.

I find FD is better to hold focus than eye AF alone, better hitrate with FD for me.

The same goes for the new smaller AF point, easier to focus in between things, but it’s not as good as the larger for locking and keeping focus.

 

[deleteme]

I rented an A9, and all I have to say is wow. I was able to track someone through a jump serve in Volleyball inside a school gym. Worked great on my family members in a dim room (and outside). The biggest issue I had was ergonomics - my hand actually hurt after extended use.

I haven't tried any action yet but from what I see, it seems unlikely to really track with verve.

 

[tonidavid5]

Haven't been able to update my EOS R (not until I get back home from a few days off in the mountains) but, while trying to find 1st-hand experiences from other guys already using it I bumped into this sort of quick video-test.
Is this really the kind of performance/improvements you guys are seeing? Because, to me, that doesn't seem like a consistent improvement.
Tech Down Over 239: EOS R Focus Test With Firmware 1.2.0

 

[Viggo]

Haven’t tried in video, but the one he is using doesn’t look like the one in Servo for stills at all, that one is blue, and when it finds an eye it’s only the small square on the eye, not the larger square around.

And as you can see from my test, finding a closed eye with a hand covering 50% of the face is not a challenge at f1.2.

 

[pmarcig]

Haven't been able to update my EOS R (not until I get back home from a few days off in the mountains) but, while trying to find 1st-hand experiences from other guys already using it I bumped into this sort of quick video-test.
Is this really the kind of performance/improvements you guys are seeing? Because, to me, that doesn't seem like a consistent improvement.
Tech Down Over 239: EOS R Focus Test With Firmware 1.2.0

With all due respect, that video review is idiotic. Half that review takes place under harsh sunlight. You can't even see the guy's eyes. I wouldn't expect it to find an eye, it resorts to FD just fine. Then the other half he's inside and it pretty much works perfectly unless he's doing something you'd never do..."look what happens when i cover my whole face except my eyes! it messes up!" Then it tracks his eye just fine. "What happens when i put finger under my eye? It messes up?" "No it's still working..." "How bout when i cover my eye like a pirate?" Yeah...why are you doing that?

I used it on a Senior girl shoot yesterday. I was elated. Continuous Focus, Servo Mode, and used Eye AF or FD the whole shoot. Worked like a charm. My only gripe is the one I had before the firmware update. If I'm using FD or Eye-AF, and stop shooting for a minute, then come back to the subject, it often won't start tracking again. I have to choose a diff focus method and then choose FD again...or sometimes I can get it by touch and dragging to the focus point. It is annoying...but otherwise...it works.

Oh and he's using a Tamron lens. Which BTW, i was using a Tamron 85 1.8 and Sigma 105 1.4 myself yesterday with no issues. But if im doing a youtube video review, id prob be sure to try and use some native glass. And then maybe actually take some pictures and look and see what's actually in focus or not.

 

[epiieq1]

With all due respect, that video review is idiotic. Half that review takes place under harsh sunlight. You can't even see the guy's eyes. I wouldn't expect it to find an eye, it resorts to FD just fine. Then the other half he's inside and it pretty much works perfectly unless he's doing something you'd never do..."look what happens when i cover my whole face except my eyes! it messes up!" Then it tracks his eye just fine. "What happens when i put finger under my eye? It messes up?" "No it's still working..." "How bout when i cover my eye like a pirate?" Yeah...why are you doing that?

I used it on a Senior girl shoot yesterday. I was elated. Continuous Focus, Servo Mode, and used Eye AF or FD the whole shoot. Worked like a charm. My only gripe is the one I had before the firmware update. If I'm using FD or Eye-AF, and stop shooting for a minute, then come back to the subject, it often won't start tracking again. I have to choose a diff focus method and then choose FD again...or sometimes I can get it by touch and dragging to the focus point. It is annoying...but otherwise...it works.

Oh and he's using a Tamron lens. Which BTW, i was using a Tamron 85 1.8 and Sigma 105 1.4 myself yesterday with no issues. But if im doing a youtube video review, id prob be sure to try and use some native glass. And then maybe actually take some pictures and look and see what's actually in focus or not.

It's good to hear that it's working well. I'm leaning more towards just getting the R and RF glass and crossing my fingers that I don't experience any failures during weddings.

 

[Viggo]

It's good to hear that it's working well. I'm leaning more towards just getting the R and RF glass and crossing my fingers that I don't experience any failures during weddings.

It’s a Canon, you won’t...

 

[epiieq1]

It’s a Canon, you won’t...

Yeah, except for that time my main board died during one and I was happy I always carry 2 bodies to each event...

 

[Mbell75]

Is eye tracking anywhere close to Sony level yet? Does it work without having to be right on top of your subject?

 

[Viggo]

Is eye tracking anywhere close to Sony level yet? Does it work without having to be right on top of your subject?

I tried with a 135mm yesterday and to my initial surprise I learned that eye af isn’t subject distance dependent, but how large the face is in the VF, so with the 135 I had eye AF at several meters away