Not all Digic X processors are created equal (Will the R6 get ‘X’ feature?)

I was listening to a podcast.

Shutter Stories: A Canon Podcast

Season 3: Episode 14 from November 3, 2022

Mastering stills and motion with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II

They discussed a rather common question that’s brought up. “Can they bring ‘X’ new feature(s) to the R6 via firmware update?” The answer is often no Not just that they won’t

Turns out that each generation of processors actually goes through updates and upgrades before they consider it enough to call it a whole new processor. The Digic X processor in the 1DX Mark III is no the same Digic X processor in the R3 and later. The original Digic X runs hotter for example. I don’t recall exactly what the changes were (some materials used if I recall), but the R6II has an updated Digic X that can simply do more than the R5 and R6 edition.

I thought it was interesting. I don’t know how to link a podcast but the description above should make it easy enough to find. It’s an English language cast but created by Canon Europe.

Let’s see if this link works:

https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/mastering-stills-and-motion-with-the-canon-eos-r6-mark-ii/id1491323492?i=1000584955305

In general, this happens throughout the world of processing manufacturing. Intel is very known to have a 'tick tock' pattern where one generation of processor brings new tech and the one that follows it is an optimization of that technology. Better manufacturing processes also lead to cooler performance with the same designs, which sounds like what you describe with the Digic X.

rmexpress22 wrote:

In general, this happens throughout the world of processing manufacturing. Intel is very known to have a 'tick tock' pattern where one generation of processor brings new tech and the one that follows it is an optimization of that technology. Better manufacturing processes also lead to cooler performance with the same designs, which sounds like what you describe with the Digic X.

The difference is that Intel gives unique names to each iteration, which Canon doesn’t do. So ‘Digic X’ is like ‘Intel I7’ instead of ‘i7-1930X3D-K’.

Think of R5/R6's Digic X is Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and the new X is Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Canon has its own OS, called DryOS.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRYOS

And linked from that page:

https://web.archive.org/web/20080116050120/http://www.canon.com/technology/canon_tech/explanation/dryos.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20190214134247/http://www.canon.com/technology/now/element/cp.html

rmexpress22 wrote:

In general, this happens throughout the world of processing manufacturing. Intel is very known to have a 'tick tock' pattern where one generation of processor brings new tech and the one that follows it is an optimization of that technology. Better manufacturing processes also lead to cooler performance with the same designs, which sounds like what you describe with the Digic X.

I heard through the grapevine that it’s a “tick”, that is newer fab. Battery life seems to back this rumor.

Now I suspect this may also be part “tock” as the sharpness algorithm got a full revamp, and it hasn’t been backported.

DIGICX is supposedly a dual DIGIC8, which in turn is dual core. DIGICX is probably quad core. But if I had to bet this is a much more efficient quad core.

Whether this is Conroe, Wolfdale or both? It’s probably both but still a quad core if I were betting lunch.

.

Btw, I’m getting a TON of flack for choosing the R50 over the R10, but this is partly why; processing power / software versions appear to be very different between the R10 and R50, despite being “lower” end, the SOOC JPEGs from the R50 are different just as I can tell the R6 II stomps on my R3 in SOOC turf. Kinda gives me R1 / R3 II envy and it’s not even a product yet… Oh well, I’m getting one of em (R50).

Folks underestimate SOOC shots… iPhone owes its success to SOOC “tricks”. Glad to see a camera mfgr pay attention with the new Auto AI, and improved sharpness. I hope Canon continues the trend.