Firmware?

[jatomzmom]

Okay, I have a Canon 50D and I currently have firmware 1.0.3 and I notice that there is a 1.0.6. How do I update this and can I go directly from 1.0.3 to 1.0.6 or do I need to do 4 & 5 also?
Thanks

[hguenthe]

I don't have the Canon but have done a firmware update to my Pentax within the last year. The firmware updates are a complete entity not a patch so you are overwriting the entire previous firmware, not just updating parts of it. Because of this, you don't need to do the in between updates, you can go straight from 1.0.3 to 1.0.6.

Here are step by step instructions I found for the update you are wanting to do: Canon EOS 50D Firmware Update

It is from Canon's Japanese site I believe but reading through it, it's steps are the same type of steps that I had to go through with on my camera. Off hand, I didn't find instructions like these on the US site. When I had to do my firmware update, it actually gave me instructions in my user manual for my camera so you might want to check there as well.

Read through all the steps and make sure you have a FULL newly charged battery in the camera BEFORE doing the update and make sure that it makes sense to you and that you have all of the buttons it talks about. Once you click that OK and start a firmware update, you need to make sure that the power is not interrupted or any buttons are pushed or you can have the update not complete and thus, be left with a camera that needs to be taken to a repair center to have the firmware put back on it as the first step the camera does is delete the old firmware and then installs the new firmware. Be patient and wait for it to do its thing. It looks like your camera will give you a progress bar to tell you how it is doing which is nice. Be patient! don't interrupt it. Wait and wait longer if you must. It can take a fair while to do the update and a few more minutes waiting is a lot easier than having to take it in to have it repaired.

[cstaff]

Heather, you are the queen of knowledge! I'm going to check on this for my EOS too. You are so kind to investigate sooooo many issues that we bring up and are just so right on. You are just another reason why DD is such a fantastic community. THANKS!

[amcmillian]

I didn't install the software that came with my camera, I never did on my P&Ss, but should I with my SLR, did I make a rookie mistake?

[hguenthe]

Carol - blush, I have encountered enough problems of my own that I find researching techy stuff fun and informative and a lot more enjoyable than reading news which always seems to be sad - technology doesn't let me down as well, I am Canadian.. helping is what we were bred to do.. and saying sorry

Angela - I am not sure what all came with yours but considering you have CS4, I would assume that you probably have better and more capabilities with CS4 than the software that came with it. I never installed my specific camera software and maybe I am also missing out on something but I don't think so. I think that they are just reminding you to update the software at the same time as the firmware because of compatibility between the camera and software. The unupdated software likely wouldn't recognize the new firmware of the camera without being updated first.

[amcmillian]

Ok Heather you are the bomb but forgive me for being a little clueless here, maybe my question should have been, exactly what is firmware (the kindergaten explanation) and does my camera automatically come with it, and if not, is it more than likely on one of those disc that came with the camera and should I install it? Oh and not that I am at this point yet, but do I need to install it when I'm ready to shoot in RAW or is my CS4 sufficient?

[hguenthe]

Firmware for a camera is essentially the same thing as an operating system for a computer like Windows or Mac OS. It is what tells the camera how to do things or what to do when you press buttons or turn dials. It is the brains of the camera.

All cameras come with it otherwise they would operate like a brick - do nothing but provide you with a heavy object to take up space.

Like computer operating systems sometimes need "patches" to fix "bugs" or give it new features, the same goes with cameras and would be why you would ever want to update your firmware. You don't need to for it to continue to work but if you want the new features or bug fixes, you need to do a firmware update.

I only did my firmware update recently because it gave me access to a feature I had never used before but wanted now. My camera could use my new lens but until I updated its firmware, it didn't know how to use its autofocus feature of the particular lens.

Firmware updates you can find on the manufacturer's site. For your camera, you can find it here at Canon USA: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi

If you need to update yours, like the link I posted for the 50D, here is a guide for doing the Rebel XSi: Canon EOS REBEL XSi / 450D Firmware Download-E

The current firmware update for your camera is 1.1.0. It adds: 1. Supports the AF assist beam features of the new flash, Speedlite 270 EX, which is scheduled to be released in April 2009. So if that is something that you want to have and your camera isn't already on that version, you would want to update. However, if you don't care about that, then there is no need to update and could wait for a future update that does something you want or there comes a time when you want that functionability.

As your camera is new and this firmware update was released in April of 2009, likely your camera is already at the 1.1.0 firmware version. You can check your existing version by:

Turn the Power Switch <ON>, and press the <MENU> button to display the menu. Press the Cross keys, and you will see the "Firmware Ver.X.X.X" at the end of the settings shown in "Set-up 3 (Yellow)", which is the currently installed firmware version number.

Note: Select <P> mode (or one of the other creative modes). The version of the firmware will not appear in the basic zone.

No, you don't need it once you are ready to shoot in RAW. CS4 will be able to handle that for you already.

[amcmillian]

Ohhhh Ok my operating system cool, got it! Thank you so much, Heather, I can't even tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to explain this so thoroughly and the links for reference! You are a GEM, so glad you're here! I checked and I am good to go running the latest version of firmware.

[sweetpeony]

Thanks for the very clear explanation, Heather!