Firmware Friday: Canon pulls 7D II update, updates Cinema EOS; Nikon and Sigma ship new firmware too
posted Friday, May 19, 2017 at 11:24 PM EDT
Our Firmware Friday roundup this week is a rare one indeed, as it brings with it news of an update not launched, but rather pulled from distribution. Alongside new Cinema EOS firmware updates this week, Canon has officially withdrawn its most recent update for the EOS 7D Mark II DSLR. Nor is that all for the week -- we also have news of updates for one Nikon camera and nine Sigma lenses and converters.
Without any further ado, let's get right down to it all
Canon 7D II, C300 II, C300 II PL, C700 and C700 PL
Starting off with the big news, Canon has officially withdrawn the firmware version 1.1.1 release for the EOS 7D II which was first released at the end of April, citing the potential for communications issues with the W-E1 Wi-Fi adapter on cameras running the update. Interestingly, Canon states that if you're facing this issue you can simply download the 1.1.0 release which has been reinstated on the company's website, and it can be installed over the top of the newer release.
Customers who aren't using the W-E1 Wi-Fi adapter and who are facing issues with the bugs that were resolved in the v1.1.1 update can apparently request to have their local Canon customer support center provide assistance if they need the v1.1.1 update in the meantime, and a new firmware release to replace that update is slated for early June 2017.
Moving along, Canon has also issued new firmware for its Cinema EOS C300 II and C700 video cameras in Canon and PL-mount form. In both cases, the new firmware adds a "-1" option for noise reduction. This will completely cancel the effects of noise reduction, something which wasn't previously the case even if you set noise reduction to off. (Which, incidentally, you can still do; the new "-1" option supplements the existing one. Note that Canon XF Utility 3.2 won't be able to recognize and display the new "-1" option, however.
The Canon C300 II and C300 II PL updates also resolve a lockup issue when using VPG130 and non-VPG130 flash cards together, and fixes an unstated issue with the viewfinder backlight control mechanism. The Canon C700 and C700 PL updates, meanwhile, improve behavior of the [Sub Rec (XF-AVC)] and [Double / Relay Rec] options.
You can download Canon's new firmware (and the older 7D II update) at the links below:
Nikon Coolpix W100
Nikon has but one update in this week's roundup. Firmware version 1.4 for the Nikon W100 fixes a single issue, but it's a significant one. With the previous v1.3 release, after charging the camera with the official charger and cable, if it was then left unused it could rapidly drain the battery charge. You can get the updated firmware for your Coolpix W100 here.
Sigma 17-70mm, 18-200mm, 18-300mm, 24-105mm and MC-11
And so we come to Sigma. In total, the company has updates for nine different lenses and converters, although they're all variants of the same five basic devices. The updates for the Sigma MC-11 mount converter in EF-E mount and SA-E mount form simply add support for the lens after they've been updated to their new firmware.
It's the lens updates that are the big news, and of the four, three are available for both Canon-mount and Sigma-mount variants -- the 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM, 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM and 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM, all from Sigma's Contemporary lens line. The remaining update is only for the Canon-mount 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art lens thus far, and interestingly is not yet matched by an equivalent Sigma-mount update.
For all four lenses, Sigma is promising improved autofocus accuracy in concert with the MC-11 mount converter accessory. For Sigma shooters, the only other change is that AF speed is said to have been improved when shooting with an sd Quattro camera body. For Canon shooters, meanwhile, AF accuracy is said to have been improved in live view and video capture modes, and aperture diaphragm noise has been reduced whether or not you're shooting with an MC-11 mount converter. The Canon-mount lenses also newly support the Canon Cinema EOS C300 II video camera.
You can get more information on downloading Sigma's new firmware at the links below:
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Canon-mount lenses
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Sigma-mount lenses
And that's all for this week. Be sure to check back next time for more firmware news!
(Camera parts image courtesy of Kelly Hofer / Flickr; used under a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license. Image has been modified from the original.)