Fact or myth...what do you think?

I have read in certain places that you should update your firmware, even if the firmware isn't addressing something you care about because the manufacturers may be slipping in fixes that they don't mention.

Fact or myth? Where do you stand?

My belief, FACT; therefore, I am going to update my 30D firmware tonight.

You make it sound like some evil conspiracy or something. There are always going to be little fixes that are part of software releases that are less publicised. Not out of any "slipping in"... but just because some of them are just minor things that most people don't care about.

Karen

when i start to have problems, then i will update. but for now, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

fiction actually. every patch is a chance for another thing to break. take graphics drivers, every time a game gets fixed, some game looses preformance ratings due to the workaround, or in a worst case (has happened to me), something really bad happens (dx9 based direct play stopped working until the next update)

As a s/w engineer, I should probably know better than to suggest this, but my opinion is to always load the latest f/w, perhaps a week after it's been released. My only rationale for this is if you have support issues, the standard help desk response is "are you at the latest load?". If not the get the latest. If you don't anticipate any issues you will need help resolving and are satisfied with the f/w you are running, flip a coin to get a yes or no whether to update.

basroil wrote in post #2385528
fiction actually. every patch is a chance for another thing to break. take graphics drivers, every time a game gets fixed, some game looses preformance ratings due to the workaround, or in a worst case (has happened to me), something really bad happens (dx9 based direct play stopped working until the next update)

Let me see if I understand you. Are you saying that perhaps the makers determine that one thing may need fixing and is more important than something else, therefore, if they cannot figure out how to make everything work the same and still improve the higher priority function, they cheat by decreasing the performance on a lower priority function?

Fact. The release may fix some big, easy-to-describe issue, or add a new feature (wireless transmitter, or a new language anyone?). It may also fix several minor things, possibly as trivial as a typo in an error message, or something else that would be hard to describe, that the engineers determined should be taken care of at the next major release but that didn't warrant action independently. Some of these may affect operation. There's a reason that real tech support will ask if you're running the latest updates, whether it be for your computer, printer, camera, . . .

I won't update unless I'm having problems, no point in taking the chance of turning a perfectly good camera into a 3 grand paperweight cause the firmware got messed up. Luckily my 5d came with the most current f/w so I didn't have to decide.

deadpass wrote in post #2385738
no point in taking the chance of turning a perfectly good camera into a 3 grand paperweight cause the firmware got messed up

Did you read this somewhere where someone ended up with a Canon paperweight? Personal experience? I have never seen this nor heard of it. Perhaps if there is a serious issue with updating firmware and it is disabling cameras, you should share it with us all.

I have never heard of this happeneing, and if it did, then it's easy enough to fix by just loading the previous version of the firmware onto your camera.

Karen

karensimmons wrote in post #2385839
I have never heard of this happeneing, and if it did, then it's easy enough to fix by just loading the previous version of the firmware onto your camera.

Karen

Not if the new firmware was to alter the core software somehow that the original firmware was never designed to handle. Agree?

canoflan wrote in post #2385647
Let me see if I understand you. Are you saying that perhaps the makers determine that one thing may need fixing and is more important than something else, therefore, if they cannot figure out how to make everything work the same and still improve the higher priority function, they cheat by decreasing the performance on a lower priority function?

donwright wrong... i simply stated (in not so simple words) that they cannot forsee everything in development and testing, even of firmware, and sometimes they can mess up and get something wrong on a small percentage of cases (most likely to happen with writing to cards and lenses from third parties)

as for your thing Karen, sometimes the firmware update really messes up and corrupts the firmware quite badly so you cannot reinstall the firmware because: 1. your menus are gone 2. your camera cannot read from CF 3. camera cannot override the firmware. this has happened to a friend's dvd drive, and that drive had to be scrapped because the firmware refused to accept any other version. chances are very, very, very small nowadays, but still can happen. if it ain't broke, don't fix it (unless you have a spare)

My approach is that firmware updates are somewhat like regular maintenance (I change oil and filters in my car regularly - even if they aren't "broken"). Maintenance is all about preventing problems, not creating them.

However, the comments by dfjames are worth reading again.

I'll generally update firmware, although usually do it at least a few weeks after release unless there's a bug-fix that is affecting me personally.
I have personally turned perfectly good working modems into paperweights by having a flash upgrade fall over half-way through, so don't see any reason that it can't happen with a camera. Okay it shouldn't if the upgrade process is well written but unless there's space for two copies of different versions on the camera there's always the time between the original firmware being deleted and the new firmware being loaded that is a tiny window of oppertunity for chaos...

Glenn NK wrote in post #2385928
My approach is that firmware updates are somewhat like regular maintenance (I change oil and filters in my car regularly - even if they aren't "broken"). Maintenance is all about preventing problems, not creating them.

The comparison is not 100% correct ... running your car definitely puts some wear on the bearings, causing some metal to enter the oil, clog up the filter etc ... good reasons for periodically changing those.

Taking pictures on your digital camera does not put an undue strain on the firmware

And YES, there have been some stories about cameras that got destroyed to the point that not even Canon could repair them by a firmware update ... especially when power failed during the update. The chance might be very slim, but it exists. Please remember that a firmware update is not something you lightly do between dinner and dessert if you have 5 minutes to spare...

Best regards,
Andy