Canon EOS mag

Technique Updating camera and lens firmware

Preparation

Using a card reader

Using EOS Utility

And finally...

There are two methods of updating the firmware in your EOS camera. One is with a card reader (below). The other is with the EOS Utility software from the CD supplied with your camera (right). Both are equally good and both activate the ‘Firmware update program’ on the camera (see bottom of page). If you do not have a card reader, one will cost you around £10 to £20. You already have EOS Utility (unless you have lost the disk). However, your disk might not have the latest version of EOS Utility. Go to the Canon Download Centre (see previous page), select the software option for your camera and install the current version.

Battery Once the firmware update process is complete, the camera needs to be reset. This involves nothing more than switching the camera off, removing the battery for a few seconds, then replacing the battery and turning the camera on again. The update is now complete.

Camera battery Fully charge your camera battery before you begin. If you run out of power before the firmware update procedure is completed you might disable your camera – which means it stops working and has to be returned to a Canon Service Centre to see if they can rectify the problem. Canon suggests running the camera from a mains power supply using an AC adapter kit. This is an expensive option (from £70 to £140 RRP) if it will only be used for firmware updates. In our part of Oxfordshire the mains power supply is so unreliable that we prefer to place our trust in a fully charged battery – no problems so far.

1 Open EOS Utility on your computer. The above window will appear. Now connect your camera to the computer using the mini-USB cable supplied with the camera. The USB plug goes into the computer. The mini-USB plug goes into the ‘A/V OUT Digital socket on the side of the camera. Switch the camera on. Click ‘OK’ in the window which comes up asking you to confirm the camera model. Then click on ‘Camera settings/Remote shooting’.

Above Go to Start > Computer on Windows.

4 A window will open allowing you to find the .FIR file you downloaded earlier (see page 71). A Windows display is shown at the top; a Mac display above. We are updating an EOS 5D Mark III, so we are looking for the ‘5D300113.FIR’ downloaded from the Canon Download Centre.

Right The card icon on the MAC desktop.

1 Connect a card reader to your computer and insert the card you have just formatted (see left). The card will appear as a hard drive on your computer screen (above). Drag the .FIR file you downloaded on to the card icon. This will copy the file to the card.

2 The .FIR file must be at the ‘root’ level of the card. This means it must not be inside any folder. Double- click the card to open it. The contents should look like this (left).

Date and time The firmware update 2.0.0 for the EOS 7D zaps the date and time information. Go to the ‘Date/Time/ Zone’ menu to enter this information again. We reset from the Speaking Clock which gives the time in hours, minutes and seconds – see www.speaking-clock.com or telephone 123 in the UK.

5 A confirmation window will appear giving details of the current firmware version on the camera and the version of the firmware update that will be installed. If these are correct, click ‘Yes’.

3 Take the card out of the card reader and insert it into the camera. Turn the camera on and go to the settings menu. Find the ‘Firmware Ver.’ item and press ‘SET’. 4 You will see a screen with details of the current firmware version and asking if you want to update. Select ‘OK’ and press the ‘SET’ button. 5 The firmware update will begin. You will see the screens below showing the progress.

6 Another confirmation window will appear telling you to press the ‘SET’ button on the back of the camera. This will start the firmware upgrade process and you will see the screens shown below.

PIC Lens correction data will need to be downloaded again after the EOS 7D firmware version 2.0.0 update. This is done using EOS Utility.

3 The panel will change to ‘Firmware update’. Click on ‘OK’.

2 This panel will appear. Select the ‘Set-up menu’. Then click on ‘Firmware’.

Formatting a media card Copy all the images you want to keep from a CF card (or SD card for cameras using the smaller card) – or use a new card. Insert the card into the camera. Go to ’Format’ on the settings menu (above top). Press the ‘SET’ button. The next screen (above) will show you the amount of storage used on the card and remind you that all data will be deleted if you continue. If you are sure all the images you want have been copied from the card, select ‘OK’ and press the ‘SET’ button. The card will be formatted and you will be returned to the ‘Format’ menu. Check that the formatting has been successful by pressing the ‘SET’ button. The screen should now show that very little storage has been used. Just a few kilobytes (KB) will have been reserved for the card directory. Always format the card in the camera you are going to update. Never format the card from a computer and never in a different EOS camera.

Firmware update in progress

These screen displays are common to upgrading with the card reader or EOS Utility.

1 You have reached the point where the camera begins to take over. Here, data is being loaded ready for the update process to begin.

2 We are updating the EOS 7D in this sequence, so the .FIR file the camera has found on the card is correct. Press the ‘SET’ button on the camera to continue.

3 This is your final opportunity to abort the process. However, if the data for the current firmware and the firmware to be installed is correct, press the ‘SET’ button.

4 You are now committed to the update. The screen shows you the progress – it normally takes just a few minutes. Take heed of the warning!

5 At the end, a confirmation will appear to confirm that the update is complete. Press the ‘SET’ button, turn the camera off and remove the battery for a few seconds.

48 Reproduced from EOS magazine October-December 2012

Reproduced from EOS magazine October-December 2012 49