The Canon EOS R will become a little bit better with the 1.2.0 firmware update.
One of the great things about Mirrorless cameras has been the extra support they get in the form of firmware updates. While DSLR’s used to get them, they were very infrequent. However, with the Mirrorless market being so competitive, and with each company always trying to one up each other, firmware updates have become a very normal part of Mirrorless ownership. A new firmware update for the Canon EOS R has been baked by the software guru’s at Canon HQ and it will be ready to push to the masses on April 18th with some goodies in tow.
Eye autofocus has been a major feature in Mirrorless cameras since Sony first introduced it, and in all honesty all other camera manufacturers have been trying to catch up with Sony ever since. One of the big complaints that Canon EOS R users had when the camera first came out was the inconsistent performance when it came to eye tracking. Slowly, but surely Canon are getting this feature figured out, and the new 1.2.0 firmware adds a feature that many have been clamoring for.
A recent report over on Canon Watch confirms that eye detection autofocus will now support Servo AF mode when shooting still images. Huzzah! A basic function has finally been added! Rejoice! The new 1.2.0 firmware will also make eye autofocus available when shooting movies regardless of the Movie Servo AF mode you have selected. Small AF Frame size will now also support Servo AF mode when shooting stills, and when shooting movies regardless of the Movie Servo AF mode you have selected. There’s a theme going on here.
There are a few other incremental performance boosting updates too that have been baked into this new firmware version for the Canon EOS R too. There was an issue where the electronic level did not display properly in the viewfinder, well that has been fixed, and so has an issue where the electronic level would not rotate in the viewfinder. The wireless file transmitter is now also able to be updated properly thanks to the new firmware.
Looking at the last three issues that have been fixed, you have to wonder just what kind of quality control testing was done before the initial Canon EOS R product launch. While it’s not uncommon for new technology to have its problems, issues like these three should have been taken care of long before launch.
With the market being so crazy, and with the updates now being far easier to roll out, many companies send out gear that have issues just so that they can get their product on to store shelves. It’s not right, but hey that’s the world we live in now. Sell it broken, fix it with DLC and firmware fixes. It’s not just Canon, it’s every manufacturer. Oh well, at least they have the capability to do something about it now. Rant over.
You’ll be able to download the latest firmware version for the Canon EOS R from Canon’s official website on April 18th 2019.