R5m2 Firmware 1.1.1 Change Quick Menu and My Menu settings

[Karl_Guttag]

A few things I found with the new firmware were small surprises. Perhaps it would be a good idea to save your settings before doing the firmware update (I didn't).

Nothing life-threatening, but after upgrading my R5m2 to firmware 1.1.1, I noticed that my Quick Menu ("Q" button) had been changed. Most notably, it wiped out the flash card settings menu (which takes up two spots).

For those that don't know, you can customize your Quick menu. This video explains how to do it:

Note that you must have two slots on one side of the menu to enable the Flash Card settings on the Quick Menu. The video linked to above shows how you can move them around by hitting the "info" button.

I also noticed that the update seemed to replace My Menu 1 with some things. Once again, this is a small annoyance. I need to remember what was there and decide what I want on that menu.

One nice feature is that if you have the Pre-Shooting option in your quick menu, clicking on it includes both enabling/disabling Pre-Shooting, as well as setting the amount. Unfortunately, when PRE is in the Quick menu, it only allows you to enable/disable, without the option to set the amount to pre-shoot. While nice to have the "PRE" option in the Quick Menu, it seems redundant to have to hit the button and then hit enable/disable rather than working as a toggle itself.

 

[Ephemeris]

A few things I found with the new firmware were small surprises. Perhaps it would be a good idea to save your settings before doing the firmware update (I didn't).

Nothing life-threatening, but after upgrading my R5m2 to firmware 1.1.1, I noticed that my Quick Menu ("Q" button) had been changed. Most notably, it wiped out the flash card settings menu (which takes up two spots).

For those that don't know, you can customize your Quick menu. This video explains how to do it:

Note that you must have two slots on one side of the menu to enable the Flash Card settings on the Quick Menu. The video linked to above shows how you can move them around by hitting the "info" button.

I also noticed that the update seemed to replace My Menu 1 with some things. Once again, this is a small annoyance. I need to remember what was there and decide what I want on that menu.

One nice feature is that if you have the Pre-Shooting option in your quick menu, clicking on it includes both enabling/disabling Pre-Shooting, as well as setting the amount. Unfortunately, when PRE is in the Quick menu, it only allows you to enable/disable, without the option to set the amount to pre-shoot. While nice to have the "PRE" option in the Quick Menu, it seems redundant to have to hit the button and then hit enable/disable rather than working as a toggle itself.

Thanks Karl. Very helpful.

I hadn't noticed but after reading and watching I may do.

Adding pre shoot to the Q menu also something I hadn't thought of.

Good stuff

 

[Karl_Guttag]

A few things I found with the new firmware were small surprises. Perhaps it would be a good idea to save your settings before doing the firmware update (I didn't).

Nothing life-threatening, but after upgrading my R5m2 to firmware 1.1.1, I noticed that my Quick Menu ("Q" button) had been changed. Most notably, it wiped out the flash card settings menu (which takes up two spots).

For those that don't know, you can customize your Quick menu. This video explains how to do it:

Note that you must have two slots on one side of the menu to enable the Flash Card settings on the Quick Menu. The video linked to above shows how you can move them around by hitting the "info" button.

I also noticed that the update seemed to replace My Menu 1 with some things. Once again, this is a small annoyance. I need to remember what was there and decide what I want on that menu.

One nice feature is that if you have the Pre-Shooting option in your quick menu, clicking on it includes both enabling/disabling Pre-Shooting, as well as setting the amount. Unfortunately, when PRE is in the Quick menu, it only allows you to enable/disable, without the option to set the amount to pre-shoot. While nice to have the "PRE" option in the Quick Menu, it seems redundant to have to hit the button and then hit enable/disable rather than working as a toggle itself.

Thanks Karl. Very helpful.

I hadn't noticed but after reading and watching I may do.

Adding pre shoot to the Q menu also something I hadn't thought of.

Good stuff

The R5 does not have the ability to change the Q menu (at least not that I have found), so the ability to edit it came as a surprise to me before I saw this video.

I had just rearranged my Q menu a week or so before the update (I stumbled across this video when looking for info on the Firmware's new features). It's possible that the reason my customization of the Q menu caused the firmware update to bump the flash drive settings off the Q menu.

What really got me is that it lost the ability to set the memory Card settings; I use it to ensure which card I am writing to at the time. It's easy to get it set to the "other" card when you read it if you close the flash card door.

I also found it interesting that the R5 Firmware 2.2 is approximately 53 MB, while the R5m2 firmware 1.1.1 is about 253 MB, or about 5 times larger.

 

[Ephemeris]

A few things I found with the new firmware were small surprises. Perhaps it would be a good idea to save your settings before doing the firmware update (I didn't).

Nothing life-threatening, but after upgrading my R5m2 to firmware 1.1.1, I noticed that my Quick Menu ("Q" button) had been changed. Most notably, it wiped out the flash card settings menu (which takes up two spots).

For those that don't know, you can customize your Quick menu. This video explains how to do it:

Note that you must have two slots on one side of the menu to enable the Flash Card settings on the Quick Menu. The video linked to above shows how you can move them around by hitting the "info" button.

I also noticed that the update seemed to replace My Menu 1 with some things. Once again, this is a small annoyance. I need to remember what was there and decide what I want on that menu.

One nice feature is that if you have the Pre-Shooting option in your quick menu, clicking on it includes both enabling/disabling Pre-Shooting, as well as setting the amount. Unfortunately, when PRE is in the Quick menu, it only allows you to enable/disable, without the option to set the amount to pre-shoot. While nice to have the "PRE" option in the Quick Menu, it seems redundant to have to hit the button and then hit enable/disable rather than working as a toggle itself.

Thanks Karl. Very helpful.

I hadn't noticed but after reading and watching I may do.

Adding pre shoot to the Q menu also something I hadn't thought of.

Good stuff

The R5 does not have the ability to change the Q menu (at least not that I have found), so the ability to edit it came as a surprise to me before I saw this video.

I had just rearranged my Q menu a week or so before the update (I stumbled across this video when looking for info on the Firmware's new features). It's possible that the reason my customization of the Q menu caused the firmware update to bump the flash drive settings off the Q menu.

What really got me is that it lost the ability to set the memory Card settings; I use it to ensure which card I am writing to at the time. It's easy to get it set to the "other" card when you read it if you close the flash card door.

I also found it interesting that the R5 Firmware 2.2 is approximately 53 MB, while the R5m2 firmware 1.1.1 is about 253 MB, or about 5 times larger.

Interesting stuff. I wonder if part of that firmware size relates to the object station for the AF settings?

Or it has a secret version of Doom included

 

[Tazz93]

After the update, if I set the PRE buffer to anything less than 15 shots at full speed (30 shots/sec), I only get 0.25 of a second buffer instead of the normal 0.50 seconds. Seems pretty consistent. When I slow the framerate down it seems to get back on expectations, though... I have done the calculation to confirm.

Anyone noticing something similar?

 

[Karl_Guttag]

After the update, if I set the PRE buffer to anything less than 15 shots at full speed (30 shots/sec), I only get 0.25 of a second buffer instead of the normal 0.50 seconds. Seems pretty consistent. When I slow the framerate down it seems to get back on expectations, though... I have done the calculation to confirm.

Anyone noticing something similar?

How are you testing/measuring it?

I tried a very crude test of taking a picture of a digital stopwatch. I repeated the test multiple times at various settings. I definitely saw a difference in the number of shots buffered before the press at 30fps when the settings were, say, 14 and 7.

There is certainly some variation and the danger of anticipating the stopwatch, but I didn't see a significant difference between, say, 14 and 15 shots at 30fps; however, I did notice a significant difference between 14 and 7.

 

[Karl_Guttag]

I'm getting a little worried about battery life with the pre-shoot mode.

I had a freshly charged battery and updated the firmware (one variable), and then ran the pre-shooting tests. I took 525 shots, and the battery was down to 35%. I've taken over 5,000 shots throughout a couple of hours (with high-speed drive) with the R5 on an NH battery.

I'm definitely going to conduct some more serious tests before the Air Show in September (practicing at the local airport). This will be my first time with the R5m2 at an air show. I've got a 3rd Canon "P" battery being delivered tomorrow. I plan to have a USB-C charger (Neewer) in my bag so I can recharge batteries as they run out and keep them topped up during any lulls. The charger claims to be able to charge 1 battery in 3 hours and two batteries in 4 hours (I know it charges them, but I have never tested how long it takes). The flying part of the show will be around 4-5 hours, so it might give me effectively one or two more batteries.

 

[Tazz93]

I was doing the same thing with a stop watch. Its possible I was mistaken (possibly forgetting to include reaction time), but its tough to know for sure. I'll be checking it next time I go out and use it organically. Since half a second has never been an issue, if it becomes an issue, I'll have to look in to it more closely.

 

[Karl_Guttag]

I was doing the same thing with a stop watch. Its possible I was mistaken (possibly forgetting to include reaction time), but its tough to know for sure. I'll be checking it next time I go out and use it organically. Since half a second has never been an issue, if it becomes an issue, I'll have to look in to it more closely.

I just looked it up, and the average human reaction time from seeing something to pushing a button (in a gaming situation) is approximately 0.25 seconds, or about 7.5 frames at 30 frames per second. The added problem with a stopwatch is that a person will start anticipating it.

This human reaction time makes you wonder if, at 30 fps, 15 frames is really that much. Considering that with an average reaction time, you will have already lost half the pre-buffer, if you are a little slow on the trigger, you could use up most or all of it.

I think the main reason to cut the pre-shooting buffer down will be at lower frames per set.

I have the pre-shooting option on my Quick Menu, which nicely provides both the ability to enable/disable it and the frame rate. I also added the ES shooting speed to my quick menu, next to it, so I can see and, if desired, set the three available frame rates.

 

[Tazz93]

I was doing the same thing with a stop watch. Its possible I was mistaken (possibly forgetting to include reaction time), but its tough to know for sure. I'll be checking it next time I go out and use it organically. Since half a second has never been an issue, if it becomes an issue, I'll have to look in to it more closely.

I just looked it up, and the average human reaction time from seeing something to pushing a button (in a gaming situation) is approximately 0.25 seconds, or about 7.5 frames at 30 frames per second. The added problem with a stopwatch is that a person will start anticipating it.

This human reaction time makes you wonder if, at 30 fps, 15 frames is really that much. Considering that with an average reaction time, you will have already lost half the pre-buffer, if you are a little slow on the trigger, you could use up most or all of it.

I think the main reason to cut the pre-shooting buffer down will be at lower frames per set.

I have the pre-shooting option on my Quick Menu, which nicely provides both the ability to enable/disable it and the frame rate. I also added the ES shooting speed to my quick menu, next to it, so I can see and, if desired, set the three available frame rates.

For me, because you have to enable PRE for all shooting, shrinking the number of pre-shots taken will significantly drop the number of overall shots recorded for the day. For example, with it at full speed, EVERYTIME you take a shot you are adding 15 shots (plus the obligatory 2-4 shots that get taken per button press). If I can still get the pre shots I want, knocking it down to 5-8 frames of PRE shooting should knock off close to half of the day's totals. Even 10 frames of PRE could significantly reduce the total number. So, going from 1000 shots taken that day, down to 600, is a welcome change. Being I don't usually need all 15 shots that were taken in the PRE buffer, I'm thinking 5-10 should be where I'm happy. At that range, 5 frames in 0.500 seconds would be similar to 10fps and 10 frames should be similar to 20 fps, and those were both always solid in the past.

We'll see, I've got plenty to shoot this weekend and can assess it from there.

 

[Karl_Guttag]

I was doing the same thing with a stop watch. Its possible I was mistaken (possibly forgetting to include reaction time), but its tough to know for sure. I'll be checking it next time I go out and use it organically. Since half a second has never been an issue, if it becomes an issue, I'll have to look in to it more closely.

I just looked it up, and the average human reaction time from seeing something to pushing a button (in a gaming situation) is approximately 0.25 seconds, or about 7.5 frames at 30 frames per second. The added problem with a stopwatch is that a person will start anticipating it.

This human reaction time makes you wonder if, at 30 fps, 15 frames is really that much. Considering that with an average reaction time, you will have already lost half the pre-buffer, if you are a little slow on the trigger, you could use up most or all of it.

I think the main reason to cut the pre-shooting buffer down will be at lower frames per set.

I have the pre-shooting option on my Quick Menu, which nicely provides both the ability to enable/disable it and the frame rate. I also added the ES shooting speed to my quick menu, next to it, so I can see and, if desired, set the three available frame rates.

For me, because you have to enable PRE for all shooting, shrinking the number of pre-shots taken will significantly drop the number of overall shots recorded for the day. For example, with it at full speed, EVERYTIME you take a shot you are adding 15 shots (plus the obligatory 2-4 shots that get taken per button press). If I can still get the pre shots I want, knocking it down to 5-8 frames of PRE shooting should knock off close to half of the day's totals. Even 10 frames of PRE could significantly reduce the total number. So, going from 1000 shots taken that day, down to 600, is a welcome change. Being I don't usually need all 15 shots that were taken in the PRE buffer, I'm thinking 5-10 should be where I'm happy. At that range, 5 frames in 0.500 seconds would be similar to 10fps and 10 frames should be similar to 20 fps, and those were both always solid in the past.

We'll see, I've got plenty to shoot this weekend and can assess it from there.

Everyone has different things they are shooting and how they deal with it.

To me, it is much easier to cull out shots in post. However, I typically take a massive number of pictures for 2 or 3 consecutive days, and then there is a long lull. I just bought another 512GB drive to ensure I don't run out of flash space with the R5m2. I will then double-backup the images at night and cull them later when I have time.

 

[Tazz93]

I was doing the same thing with a stop watch. Its possible I was mistaken (possibly forgetting to include reaction time), but its tough to know for sure. I'll be checking it next time I go out and use it organically. Since half a second has never been an issue, if it becomes an issue, I'll have to look in to it more closely.

I just looked it up, and the average human reaction time from seeing something to pushing a button (in a gaming situation) is approximately 0.25 seconds, or about 7.5 frames at 30 frames per second. The added problem with a stopwatch is that a person will start anticipating it.

This human reaction time makes you wonder if, at 30 fps, 15 frames is really that much. Considering that with an average reaction time, you will have already lost half the pre-buffer, if you are a little slow on the trigger, you could use up most or all of it.

I think the main reason to cut the pre-shooting buffer down will be at lower frames per set.

I have the pre-shooting option on my Quick Menu, which nicely provides both the ability to enable/disable it and the frame rate. I also added the ES shooting speed to my quick menu, next to it, so I can see and, if desired, set the three available frame rates.

For me, because you have to enable PRE for all shooting, shrinking the number of pre-shots taken will significantly drop the number of overall shots recorded for the day. For example, with it at full speed, EVERYTIME you take a shot you are adding 15 shots (plus the obligatory 2-4 shots that get taken per button press). If I can still get the pre shots I want, knocking it down to 5-8 frames of PRE shooting should knock off close to half of the day's totals. Even 10 frames of PRE could significantly reduce the total number. So, going from 1000 shots taken that day, down to 600, is a welcome change. Being I don't usually need all 15 shots that were taken in the PRE buffer, I'm thinking 5-10 should be where I'm happy. At that range, 5 frames in 0.500 seconds would be similar to 10fps and 10 frames should be similar to 20 fps, and those were both always solid in the past.

We'll see, I've got plenty to shoot this weekend and can assess it from there.

Everyone has different things they are shooting and how they deal with it.

To me, it is much easier to cull out shots in post. However, I typically take a massive number of pictures for 2 or 3 consecutive days, and then there is a long lull. I just bought another 512GB drive to ensure I don't run out of flash space with the R5m2. I will then double-backup the images at night and cull them later when I have time.

After playing around with it, I came to the understanding that it is working fine. Shooting with the setting lowered didn't make me happy. I did find I preferred the higher output and choices of shots.

That said... if I were shooting more people (sports) I would likely lower the frame count and be happy. However, wildlife moves at the speed of light, and the extra speed/frames are very useful.