# How do you update Canon lens firmware?



## FunPhotons (Aug 11, 2012)

A search didn't turn up anything useful - how is this performed? Can it be done from a camera, so consumers can do it themselves (such as for the upcoming shorty forty upgrade), or does it need to be sent in to a service center who have a special harness?


----------



## charlesa (Aug 11, 2012)

I believe it has to be serviced at a Canon centre.


----------



## scottkinfw (Aug 11, 2012)

FunPhotons said:


> A search didn't turn up anything useful - how is this performed? Can it be done from a camera, so consumers can do it themselves (such as for the upcoming shorty forty upgrade), or does it need to be sent in to a service center who have a special harness?



Not sure if this is the same thing, but....

go to the Canon web site and find the firmware update and download it onto your memory card. Make sure you camera has a good charge. Turn off the camera, put in the card, turn on the camera. Go to the sub menu where it indicates the camera version. Press your set button and it will ask you if you want to continue with an update.

If you choose yes, be sure to put the camera down and don't touch it until it reboots.

Hope this helps.

sek


----------



## aldvan (Aug 11, 2012)

He's asking for LENS firmware update...


----------



## sweetcancer (Aug 11, 2012)

Correct me if i am wrong, but canon lenses do not have microprocessors, therefore they don't have firmware, only the camera itself does. Ergo, there is no updating the lens firmware.

The shorty forty update will also just be an update for the camera firmware, and how to update that has already been described on this thread.


----------



## Mt Spokane Photography (Aug 11, 2012)

We do not know about the firmware in the newer STM lenses, they may be very well updatable thru the camera, but I doubt it.
The issue with some of the 40mm lenses is almost certainly a easy fix of the body firmware. Its the body locking up and failing to focus, not the lens.


----------



## Kernuak (Aug 11, 2012)

sweetcancer said:


> Correct me if i am wrong, but canon lenses do not have microprocessors, therefore they don't have firmware, only the camera itself does. Ergo, there is no updating the lens firmware.
> 
> The shorty forty update will also just be an update for the camera firmware, and how to update that has already been described on this thread.


Recent notices were issued for some of the big whites, to send them to a Canon service centre for the announced firmware updates.


----------



## viggen61 (Aug 11, 2012)

sweetcancer said:


> Correct me if i am wrong, but canon lenses do not have microprocessors, therefore they don't have firmware, only the camera itself does. Ergo, there is no updating the lens firmware.



I'd think they all have some kind of processor. Canon just announced a firmware update for the new, big, primes.

Oh, and Canon does the lens update.


----------



## Halfrack (Aug 11, 2012)

Who else is waiting for Roger to disassemble a lens looking for the interface to upload firmware??


----------



## FunPhotons (Aug 11, 2012)

The lenses have control circuitry of some some form, I wouldn't be surprised if that included a 8 bit microprocessor. Certainly the camera interface has enough pins that they could be updatable through the body, assuming the bodies all have the code to support that. But I think I've got an answer, the shorty 40 will be an across the board body update, and the lens firmware updates apply to the big whites, which have to go to Canon (which was my guess).


----------



## jsbraby (Aug 12, 2012)

sweetcancer said:


> Correct me if i am wrong, but canon lenses do not have microprocessors, therefore they don't have firmware, only the camera itself does. Ergo, there is no updating the lens firmware.
> 
> The shorty forty update will also just be an update for the camera firmware, and how to update that has already been described on this thread.



All EF lenses have a microcontroller. Usually it does housekeeping things like listening to the camera for instructions, then telling the focus and aperture motors how far to turn (if at all). It's also responsible for reporting back to the camera lens information for EXIF purposes. I suspect that the lens firmware on at least some models includes focus errata so that instead of shimming the lens Canon can just update the internal focus tables (handy when all your lenses can focus past infinity).

Back in the dark ages (1993) I had an EOS A2 and a Sigma 24 f2.8. Every time I half-pressed the shutter release the lens aperture would pulse, making a horrible rattling noise. Had to send the lens back to Sigma for a firmware update.

Hopefully Canon set up the STM lenses to be field updatable via the lens mount's serial interface (i.e. EF control pins). We won't know for sure until Canon release the fix with instructions. Older lenses (i.e. the super-whites) had to go back to Canon for updates.


----------



## AlanF (Aug 16, 2012)

The local Canon service centre has told me that they require a 5D III, !D X or 650 body to install the firmware upgrade on my lens. So, it is done via the camera, and just a few models at that.


----------



## neuroanatomist (Aug 16, 2012)

For those who have a supertele but don't have a 2012 body, I wonder which is cheaper - shipping the lens to Canon (with insurance, of course, which isn't cheap on such an expensive item), or renting a 650D for 3 days to do the update at home? I'm going to bet it's the latter...


----------



## messus (Sep 1, 2012)

I have the EF 300 2.8 L II IS, and I want to upgrade the firmware from v.1.0.0 to v.1.1.1, which can be done through either the 5D3 or the 1DX.

Anybody know If the firmware is downloadable from somewhere? I cannot find it anywhere.
I can find though the firmware for the EF 40mm 2.8 lens. So Canon think it is ok for us to upgrade the 40mm ourself, but want to ruin us in shipping cost when sending the 300 II + 5D3 to service repair centre?

Kinda stupid that I should have to ship both my 5D3 and the lens, which is very costly and time consuming, to be able to upgrader the lens, when I can do the exact same procedure from home!! I mean why did Canon include this option in menus (to upgrade fw on lens through camera) when they do not release firmware files to the public??


----------



## spinworkxroy (Sep 1, 2012)

I believe Canon only allows some lenses to be updated for certain cameras only..for the 40mm I'm sure the firmware is on the lens but the camera because when i bricked my lens..it didn't work on all my cameras not just the 5dmk3...


----------



## AlanF (Sep 2, 2012)

You have to get the firmware updated from a Canon repair centre. I took my 300mm f/2.8 II in and they did it on the on spot in London in about 10 minutes. It was worth the trip. The focussing was a little erratic as I found out in microadjusting the lens previously. But, now it is spot on reproducible. You need it when you are cropping to 700x700 pixels of a small bird about 30 yards away.


----------



## nlrela (May 14, 2015)

Just did a firmware update on my 5D Mark III and had the option (which I have not seen before) to select camera (to V. 1.3.3) or Lens (to V. 10.0.6).
If I select to update FW of lens than I get the message "card with firmware is required for update".

Anyone else have seen this?

Has there anything been changed to the update process of Lenses (meaning can we do it now really ourselves)?


----------



## Kathode-Ray (May 14, 2015)

Yes, it is possible to update some lenses yourself, with certain body's (see above msg.).

The EOS M also has this capability in the menu. I used it to update my 40mm pancake, through the mount adapter. Works perfectly!


----------



## msowsun (May 16, 2015)

Kathode-Ray said:


> Yes, it is possible to update some lenses yourself, with certain body's (see above msg.).
> 
> The EOS M also has this capability in the menu. I used it to update my 40mm pancake, through the mount adapter. Works perfectly!



I have 6 STM lenses and they ALL have the option to upgrade the firmware. I believe only the 40mm STM had a firmware upgrade so far.


----------

