Canon R1 and R5 II Get Better at Photographing American Football
Not content to just release the new EOS R6 V camera and RF 24-50mm f/4L IS USM PZ lens this week, Canon has also announced firmware updates for a whopping nine of its cameras.
The Canon EOS R1, R5 II, R3, R100, R10, R50V, R8, R6 II, and PowerShot V1 have all received firmware updates, adding a variety of features to each camera. The flagship R1 and R5 Mark II cameras have received arguably the most exciting and best new features in their respective firmware updates, both 1.3.0.
Canon Scores a Touchdown With R1 and R5 II Firmware Updates
The EOS R1 and R5 II’s excellent Action Priority mode gets its fourth sport, American Football. This mode has been specially developed and tuned for photographing football players, complete with their big shoulder pads and helmets. As Canon explained to PetaPixel during a visit to its Tokyo headquarters last September, photographers capture hundreds of thousands of sports photos across a diverse range of scenarios to help build the Action Priority mode.
Beyond the gridiron, both the R1 and R5 II also promise improved autofocus tracking and detection when using [Register people priority] in difficult shooting conditions, including when photographing people at profile, or when faces are blurred or partially obscured.
Each camera also now supports False Color when using HDR/C.Log View Assist, the option to add Pre-continuous Shooting to a custom function button, an electronic level during video recording, and much more. The complete list of updates and improvements is available on Canon’s support website.
The Canon R5 II Gets Dual Pixel RAW
The R5 II itself has a few other specific new features, including support for Dual Pixel RAW shooting. When the R5 II launched, the omission of Dual Pixel RAW (DPRAW) was notable. After all, its predecessor had this feature, which enabled post-shoot editing such as portrait relighting, minor focus adjustments, bokeh shifts, and more. Now the R5 II has access to this mode and all its related photo processing features. While DPRAW isn’t for everyone, and some of its functions require Canon’s desktop software, Digital Photo Professional, its return is welcome.
The list of improvements for the other seven Canon cameras is shorter, but includes things like Wi-Fi performance improvements, false color support, support for Canon’s new Wireless Remote Controller BR-E2, bug fixes, and more. All the new firmware updates are available to download now through Canon’s support website.
Canon Debuts C2PA System for News Organizations
A few days before the new firmware updates, Canon also announced that it would begin rolling out its C2PA-compliant Authenticity Imaging System for supported Canon cameras this month, starting first in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Designed for the R1 and R5 II, these C2PA-enabled cameras will offer manifest information to help news organizations verify the authenticity of captured photos. Canon’s Authenticity Imaging System includes public certificates, time stamps, and verifiable record generation and checking.
Ahead of the official launch, Canon worked closely with Reuters to develop and test its C2PA technology.
“Using the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II with the Image Authenticity feature enabled, Reuters found that authenticated provenance data could be generated reliably,” Canon says.
“Canon will continue to support the assurance of image authenticity in news organizations through its Authenticity Imaging System while also exploring expansion into a wide range of fields where authenticity is critical, including government, healthcare, and research. In addition, Canon will work toward the broader adoption of international standards such as C2PA by collaborating with related organizations and partners and further advancing provenance management technologies.”
Image credits: Canon. Header photo created using an asset licensed via Depositphotos.com.
