Fact or myth...what do you think?

I always keep firware up to date, 'Just cuz' It may not always be needed... Whether it is or not, Canon always tells you what you're getting on the firware update page..

You CAN render your camera non operational if you do the upgrade wrong. It says this quite plainly on Canon's upgrade page for the 30D. If you screw it up, you'll have to send the camera to Canon to get it working again.

The big concern is losing power or disconnecting the camera when the firmware is being transferred from the computer to the camera. The firmware is the camera's operating system and if you get a partially overwritten or corrupted copy of the firmware in the camera, then it won't boot.

See the link below showing the how/what/why of the 30D upgrade

http://www.canon.co.jp …0d/eos30d_firmw​are-e.html

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

karen, I have been around computing for decades. It still is scary to me when I download a BIOS update for a computer, or a software update for a PDA or camera, when the warning messages tell you how you must be plugged into the wall (to prevent interruption by low battery) and not to interrupt the update, if the update is coming directly from the web into my device being updated! I have had DSL service interruptions spontaneously, so I have the fear of some service interruption leaving my PDA or PC or camera a mindless idiot!

Wilt wrote in post #2386171
karen, I have been around computing for decades. It still is scary to me when I download a BIOS update for a computer, or a software update for a PDA or camera, when the warning messages tell you how you must be plugged into the wall (to prevent interruption by low battery) and not to interrupt the update, if the update is coming directly from the web into my device being updated! I have had DSL service interruptions spontaneously, so I have the fear of some service interruption leaving my PDA or PC or camera a mindless idiot!

That's what I was talking about when I said paperweight, it's just like flashing the BIOS on a motherboard, if it messes up at the wrong time, your mobo or camera is just for looks. Granted the odds of this happening are low, but why not be on the safe side. Now if I had a couple other 5Ds sitting around then I wouldn't be as fearful, but until then I'll only update the firmware if it fixes something that bothers me.

I install the latest firmware, as well as the latest updates of whatever software I'm using. I don't necessarily do it immediately when it's available though, usually wait some time first and read the "all clear" reports from more adventurous users.

dfjames wrote in post #2385593
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.

That is the best advice. You should always wait at least a week as their may be a fix for the new update. It can happen that they miss something during testing. After a week ask around and search to see if there are any new problems showing up, if not go ahead and update to the latest firmware.

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.

It's not that easy.. Your camera is a computer and the firmware is the operating system. If the operating system gets scrambled from an error during the upgrade, the computer won't boot. In other words if the upgrade goes wrong, your camera won't turn on.

If you can't turn the camera on, you can't load anything. The camera has to go back to Canon. They have the specialized equipment required to resurrect the camera.

I work in the system test field. My job is to test the software loads headed for field deployment. There are many opinions expressed here and all are in their own way valid. Anyway I though I would give my perspective as a system test engineer with the responsibility of delivering both firmware and software upgrades.

I only upgrade if the package being offered is addressing an issue I am currently suffering from or offering a feature I am interested in. The only exception is if I get a warning from the manufacturer stating that if I do not upgrade, the world will end, or I run the risk of loosing all my pics or such. I have several reasons for this.

1. For every 10 fixes one new bug is introduced. This is pretty much an industry standard and applies to just about any software project. So, I might get 10 fixes to things I would never use and end up with a problem I didn't have before.
2. Developers many times add in fixes for other problems without following the process set up to introduce those fixes. There are many reasons for this and I wont get into it now, but it happens.
3. The testing of firmware/software fixes does not have the same level of testing as the firmware/software before release. Usually the team testing firmware is a fraction of the whole test team testing the mainline release.
4. There is always a risk when upgrading a functioning system. As SmuckerS2 said so eloquently, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
5. Problems introduced in fix releases are usually much harder to detect. This has to do with the reduced scope of retest and software interactions.
6. Many times the programmer making the fix is not the same one who wrote the original code. The fix is applied but not in the same elegant manner the original code was. It could run slower, be less stable, or have other strange side effects.

What is firmware. Is it like underwear? Tupperware? underwear made from tupperware?

Dante King wrote in post #2386879
What is firmware. Is it like underwear? Tupperware? underwear made from tupperware?

Firmware is the opposite of a floppy disk. is what you git when yer-a-lookin' at them pretty girls.

Dante King wrote in post #2386879
What is firmware. Is it like underwear? Tupperware? underwear made from tupperware?

Firmware is when you wear your shorts too long and they become stiff.

I'm with dfjames. A software upgrade is created from a point branch in the build tree. It will contain the stated benefits and a whole host of other changes that are never exposed to public view. These could be performance optimizations, fixes to memory leaks, whatever minor issues have been discovered. It could indeed also include new problems introduced during the development process.

The Canon QA process should rule out any specific upgrade being worse than the previous incarnation of the software.

I will always upgrade regardless of whether the published fixes affect me. If Canon really messed something up, they will make it good. The likelyhood that they will mess something up that badly is slim to none.

gjl711 wrote in post #2386893
Firmware is the opposite of a floppy disk. is what you git when yer-a-lookin' at them pretty girls.

opposite of a floppy? i always thought you put a floppy into the slot and then you got firmware.. i'm guessing you like to boot up the system before installing

I am sure that Canon only offers firmware updates to trap unsuspecting users into trying to update their cameras, which in turn, causes premature failure and leads to increased sales of replacement gear and parts, as well as repair fees. I update both firmware and software whenever the updates become available.

Gee...now I am thinking...my anti-virus updates daily...I probably should turn that off and wait until I get a virus before updating.

Woolburr wrote in post #2387356
Gee...now I am thinking...my anti-virus updates daily...I probably should turn that off and wait until I get a virus before updating.

That one fall under my it's gonna be real bad if not fixed category.

How about that? Canon creating firmware to shorten the life of their cameras...that's a rotten thing to do. Kind of like the anti-virus people actually writing the viruses to prove the need for their product....

Take pictures. If the camera doesn't work fix it.