Canon has just released a new firmware for the Canon 7D.
I gave it a try even though I haven’t had any related issues that the firmware is said to fix (AF in live view mode, color in video and flash bugs).
I have however some new bugs that I just noticed for the new firmware.
With the new firmware (1.0.9) in high speed mode, the camera dramatically drops the frame rate when focusing in a “low light” scene.
For instance, I set the camera in manual mode with a shutter speed above 1/125 of a second to have an effective 8 fps.
When pointing the camera to a light scene I have the 8 fps but when pointing the camera with the same settings to a darker scene the fps drops down to about 1 or 2 frames per second.
Needless to say that I have tried different lenses and exposure modes (M, Av, Tv and P) and the same phenomenon exists.
Particularly in Av and Tv mode, with an ISO and shutter speed from 1/320 of a second, I still have dropping fps.
I have notified CPS and am waiting for their reply.
Tags: 7D firmware update issue, 8 FPS, Canon 7D
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It appears that the dropping FPS is not caused by the firmware but is something “designed” by Canon.
In high speed drive mode (8fps), you may not actually get 8fps in certain situations. See manual page 93 (Canada/USA). Drive speed is also affected in full M mode.
The dropping fps is partly caused by the new metering system in the camera.
AF accuracy is “preferred” than fps.
Canon wants to forget the AF history of the 1D Mark III
So, should we stick with the old firmware?…got mine last week, shot a video and could not post on youtube…file was like 401mb…hum.
Yes, I’d recommend to stick to the firmware ver. 1.0.7 at the moment. Unless you are shooting in the conditions that Canon describes as having problems.
I’ll keep you posted with reply from CPS.
Hi TomKat,
For the video, you should be able to upload it on Youtube. I use to edit mine before uploading.
Just be aware that Youtube only allows 2 Gig per user account, or you can try Vimeo.com
You’ll need to create a free account and will have access to 500 Mb upload allowance per week. Good luck