Seven ways Canon just improved the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II

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The Canon EOS R1 and Canon EOS R5 Mark II are already some of the most capable sports and action cameras on the market. However, Canon is still keen to push them further. A new raft of firmware updates, announced today, adds new functionality to both cameras further improving their performance for the demanding needs of sports shooters.

There’s a long list of improvements you can see over at Canon, where you can also download the updates (along with updates for most of the R series and more in this firmware drop), but here are the seven top improvements I think are going to make the biggest difference for owners of these cameras. 

 

  1. Panning Assist for the EOS R1

In many types of sports photography, particularly motorsports, panning is the shooter’s bread and butter, allowing shooters to capture sharp images of fast-moving subjects while retaining a sense of motion to the image. The new Canon firmware has improved panning of the EOS R1, providing additional stabilisation for smoother and more dynamic movements — this also works for video.


  1. Better autofocus through obstacles

Often in sports photography, you’re working through obstacles that are part of the furniture, such as goal nets or tennis nets. The advanced, AI-driven autofocus on both the EOS R1 and the EOS R5 Mark II is now capable of intelligently locking on to subjects through obstacles like nets or fences. 


  1. Improved viewfinder response

Speed is everything in sports, and even a minor lag in a camera’s operation could cost you the perfect shot. The firmware updates have enhanced the EOS R1’s viewfinder to the point where there is essentially no perceptible lag in switching on the viewfinder when you raise the camera to your eye in Viewfinder Priority mode. 


  1. Support for 8TB cards

A big part of modern sports photography is volume — big sensors and high frame rates mean you’re churning through a large amount of data very quickly, even more so if you add video into the equation. The new firmware update adds support for high-capacity CFexpress cards with up to 8TB of storage, meaning you can keep on shooting without fear of hitting your upper limit. As well as the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II, this update has also been provided for the EOS R3.


  1. Auto-detection for flicker-less shooting

This is a feature actually inherited from the older EOS R3, and it’s nice to see it making its way onto the newer cameras. Essentially, it’s an auto-detection and warning system for 100/120 Hz flicker, which can commonly be caused by exactly the type of artificial lighting that is often used in indoor sports arenas. 


  1. Integrated C2PA Authenticity support

C2PA Authenticity is a growing means of photo authentication — more vital than ever in this day and age. The firmware update adds C2PA Authenticity to Canon’s flagship EOS R cameras, helping you keep control of your images.


  1. Automatic protection for rated photos

In the modern world of advanced tech, one of the biggest causes of photo loss isn’t computer error, but human error. All the advanced circuitry in the world is powerless against the fat thumb, so Canon has instituted a clever option with this update whereby photos starred with a certain rating can be protected from deletion. As well as the R1 and R5 II, this has been also been made available for the EOS R5, EOSR3, and EOS R6 Mark II.

About the Author

Jon Stapley is a London-based freelance writer and journalist who covers photography, art and technology. When not writing about cameras, Jon is a keen photographer who captures the world using his Olympus XA2. His creativity extends to works of fiction and other creative writing, all of which can be found on his website www.jonstapley.com

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