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Canon updates 1D Mark III firmware

Canon releases an update to some inner workings of its high-end SLR, tweaking autofocus and trying to stomp some bugs.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
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Stephen Shankland

As promised, Canon has released new firmware for its high-end EOS-1D Mark III digital SLR.

Canon's EOS-1D Mark III
Canon's EOS-1D Mark III Canon

Earlier this month, the company said it planned to release version 1.0.9 of the built-in camera software for the photojournalist-oriented camera. Instead, Canon released version 1.1.0 for download, fixing a fifth problem with 1.0.9.

Version 1.0.9 of the firmware "reduces the tendency of the camera to autofocus on high-contrast backgrounds when shooting in conditions where autofocus detection is difficult, such as when the main subject is not completely covered by the autofocus frames or if the main subject's contrast is low," Canon said earlier. It also The new firmware improves images viewed on the LCD by applying a stronger sharpness setting; corrects a "rare" problem in which a selection dial wouldn't respond; fixes Italian and Chinese menu errors; and most prominently, "improves the consistency" of autofocus in some conditions.

On top of that, version 1.1.0 "fixes a rare phenomenon in which the camera cannot start normally when the battery is inserted," Canon said.