Canon released new firmware for the Canon EOS R1 and Canon R5 Mark II mirrorless cameras. But within hours, the company had withdrawn both updates after problems came to light.
Firmware version 1.1.0
On July 17, 2025, Canon released firmware update 1.1.0 for the EOS R1 and R5 Mark II mirrorless cameras. The update appeared initially on the Canon Japan site, but was scheduled to roll out around the world throughout the day. However, within a very short time, the new firmware had been taken down.
What was the problem?
The Service Pages for the EOS R1 and R5 Mark II on the Canon USA both have the same Service Notices. These state, “Unfortunately, the latest firmware version 1.1.0 for the EOS R1 / EOS R5 Mark II is temporarily unavailable as Canon has determined that playback may not be possible on the camera or a PC when users are shooting videos with pre-recording settings using a card larger than 2TB.”
Also, the Canon Japan website warns not to update your camera if you have already downloaded the firmware.
What was in the update?
Prior to the launch of the firmware, Canon had shared the details of the following new features:
Panning Assist
The EOS R1 was getting the Panning Assist option that Canon previously released with the EOS R3. Canon says this “optimizes smooth tracking for fast-moving subjects.” It’s great for subjects such as motorsports.
Servo AF mode
The EOS R1 and R5 Mark II were both scheduled to get a new Servo AF mode designed for sports photographers. Canon said this new feature was designed for “capturing subjects behind nets in sports like badminton or volleyball, for precise focus in challenging scenarios.”
Pre-Continuous shooting adjustment
Again, both cameras were set to get an improvement to the pre-continuous shooting mode. Following the update, you would be able to set how many images were captured before you pressed the shutter button.
8 TB memory card support
With firmware update 1.1.0, the EOS R1 and R5 Mark II would support CFexpress Type B cards up to 8 TB in capacity.
Exposure simulation for flash shooting
This new feature for the EOS R1 and R5 Mark II means that you can simulate the exposure when using a flash attached to the cameras.
What we think
It hasn’t been a good month for firmware updates. Nikon was forced to issue an update to their update for the Z8 after users reported problems with some third-party lenses. Now, Canon has withdrawn its latest firmware update mere hours after the launch. More concerningly, there’s no timeline as to when the firmware might be made available again. Canon’s Service Notice simply states, “Canon is taking steps to have the firmware available as soon as possible. Please check back soon to see if the firmware is available to download.”
Hopefully, Canon can resolve the problems with its firmware as quickly as Nikon did. However, EOS R1 and R5 Mark II owners may be reluctant to update their cameras’ firmware again in a hurry.
Update on July 24th, 2025: Canon has rereleased the firmware updates after fixing the bugs.
