Canon EOS C70, C300 Mark III and C500 Mark II Firmware Updates Announced

Firmware Update

by Jakub HanJune 3^rd, 2021

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The Canon EOS C70, EOS C300 Mark III and C500 Mark II will receive new, free firmware updates. The EOS C70 will get an improved HDMI view assist, improved AF, and wider EF lens support when using the EF-EOS R 0.71x adapter, on June 30. The C300 Mark III and C500 Mark II will get an XC Protocol, 12-G SDI Output for 2K/FHD, 1.8x anamorphic de-squeeze and more, on July 30.

The Japanese tech giant Canon has announced new firmware updates for its latest EOS cinema line cameras – the EOS C70, EOS C300 Mark III, and EOS C500 Mark II. Released during the upcoming months, the updates bring numerous improvements. Let’s take a look at the details.

Canon EOS C70 Update

Announced in September 2020, the Canon EOS C70 became the bridging camera between the EOS cinema line and mirrorless-style camera body. The RF-mount cinema camera with a Super35 DGO sensor offers 4K120 10-bit video recording, Dual-Pixel AF and more. The recently announced firmware v1.0.1.1 update will further improve the usability of the EOS C70 with the following new features:

• HDMI View Assist – Adds the View Assist feature, which allows for a WideDR/BT.709 LUT to be displayed over HDMI when shooting in a Canon Log gamma.
• Improved AF Feature – This update adds a “Whole Area” option to the AF Frame size, increasing the AF area to 80% of the frame. When “Whole Area” is selected, the AF switches to “Tracking” by a single touch operation and switches to “Face Detection” when a face is touched.
• When Using the EF-EOS R 0.71x adapter, the Possible AF Range Frame is now only momentarily displayed, when selecting the AF Frame position.
• Expanded EF Lens Support When Using the EF-EOS R 0.71x Adapter – Adds the following lenses, fully compatible with DPAF, optical corrections, and metadata transmission: EF16-35mm F2.8L II USM, EF16-35mm F4L IS USM, EF24-105mm F4L IS USM, EF70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM, EF70-200mm F2.8L IS III USM, EF70-200mm F4L IS USM, EF70-200mm F4L IS II USM.
• Adds BT.709 Standard Gamma, Custom Picture Name Support of 16 Letters – A BT.709 Standard/BT.709 option has been added under Gamma/Gamut. Standard BT.709 will be set to CP File “C6.” Also, a Custom Picture file can now have a maximum of 16 letters.

Canon EOS C300 Mark III and EOS C500 Mark II Updates

Canon’s larger EOS cinema cameras also get firmware updates. Announced in April 2020, the C300 Mark III first included the new Super35 DGO sensor from Canon. You can check out our first-look video article and our lab test of the C300 Mark III. The larger C500 Mark II has been with us already since September 2019 – check our initial first-look video article to know more about this 6K full-frame camera that features a modular concept. To round up the available resources, don’t forget to check our C500 Mark II lab test.

Both cameras will receive the following new features and improvements:

• XC Protocol Functionality – Canon’s new IP Protocol for streaming and camera control. Developed specifically for live production, the XC Protocol allows for camera control with the Canon Remote Controller RC-IP100 and easier development for 3rd party product collaboration.
• 12G-SDI Output Option for 2K/FHD – Adds the option to limit the 12G-SDI output to 2K/FHD, when recording in resolutions of 4K and above. This allows compatibility from the SDI Out port with 3G-SDI devices.
• MON. Out & HDMI Simultaneous Output –Adds the ability to use both the Mon. Out & HDMI output simultaneously. This brings the total number of monitor outputs to three, increasing flexibility in production.
• Anamorphic 1.8x De-squeeze – Adds a 1.8x de-squeeze function to further increase compatibility with anamorphic lenses.
• “Look File” Feature – Originally introduced with the EOS C70, this feature allows the user to load a 3D LUT file onto the camera and apply the look to the recorded image. This allows the user to apply the results of a color-corrected image to be recorded in-camera, with no additional post-production necessary.
• Adds BT.709 Standard Gamma, Custom Picture Name Support of 16 Letters – A BT.709 Standard/BT.709 option has been added under Gamma/Gamut. Standard BT.709 will be set to CP File “C6.” Also, a Custom Picture file can now have a maximum of 16 letters.

The Canon EOS C300 Mark III additionally gets the following new feature:

• 60p -> 24p/30p Pulldown Feature –This feature allows for seamless switching of the frame rate aesthetic, without interrupting the output signal to a production switcher. This allows you to change the frame rate “look” quickly with the press of a button, with no blackout or glitch.

The Canon EOS C500 Mark II also gets the following feature:

• Anamorphic 4:3/6:5 Resolution Options When Sensor Mode is set to Full Frame Mode (Cinema RAW Light only) – Adds these resolution modes to allow for more options and simplify the anamorphic post-production process.

Canon EOS R5 Update

In addition to the EOS cinema camera updates, Canon also announced a minor update for the EOS R5 mirrorless camera. It will bring support for both the COMPACT-SERVO 18-80mm and 70-200mm lenses (Serial Version models not supported). These ENG lenses can now be used (via an EOS R adapter) on the EOS R5, when both the camera and lens firmware have been updated.

Price and Availability

All the above-mentioned firmware updates will be available free of charge on Canon’s website. The updates for the Canon EOS R5 and C70 are expected to be available for download on June 30, 2021, while the updates for the EOS C300 Mark III and EOS C500 Mark II cameras are expected to be available on July 30, 2021.

Do you use one of the latest Canon EOS cinema cameras for your work? What do you think of the announced firmware updates? Let us know in the comment section underneath the article.