Canon’s Big Cinema Camera Firmware Updates Have Arrived

by · Peta Pixel

Canon’s promised slate of massive firmware updates for its EOS Cinema cameras arrived this week, bringing things like open-gate recording to the Canon EOS C400 and improved operability to the C80. The Canon EOS R5 C, C400, C80, and C70 all received firmware updates this week.

Open gate video is a hot topic these days, with recent cameras like the Canon EOS R6 III celebrated for including it and the Sony a7 V being skewered by some for omitting it. In any case, regardless of how many hybrid camera users take full advantage of open gate recording, the feature makes perfect sense in a cinema-oriented camera like the Canon EOS C400, so it is excellent that the camera now offers this mode. This addition makes even more sense given that open gate is not only in the R6 III, but also the EOS C50 cinema camera which decidedly sits below the C400 in Canon’s lineup.

Canon EOS C80 users may remain disappointed that their cameras do not offer open gate recording, though. However, the C80 did get plenty of new features this week thanks to the latest firmware. The camera now offers customizable View Assist during playback, improved focus peaking performance, more assignable button options, improved AF joystick performance, new Cine-Servo lens compatibility, and more.

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Buy the Canon EOS C80 new on B&HBuy the Canon EOS C80 used on KEH.com
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The Canon EOS C70 gets many of the same improvements as the C80, plus the ability to change the LUT applied during playback, something the C80 already offers.

Canon EOS R5 C | Credit: Canon

Canon’s EOS R5 C, which has decidedly not been entirely replaced by the new C50, got some new features this week, too. It now promises improved View Assist functionality, better focus peaking, and an improved information display setup. Users can now see recording format, resolution, sensor mode, Digital IS settings, and gamma/color space on the second level of the information display.

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Buy the Canon EOS C50 new on B&HBuy the Canon EOS C50 used on KEH.com

In many cases, firmware updates for Canon’s various cinema cameras add features introduced with the Canon EOS C50 in September. While not every C50 feature or spec has been, or even necessarily could be, added to older models, it is always a good thing when camera companies update older models to keep them aligned with newer ones.

The new firmware updates are available to download now via the links below:

Image credits: Canon. Featured image created using an asset licensed via Depositphotos.