Canon managed to launch the R5 without testing the intervalometer function. It will work for precisely one exposure and then stop. Which, we suppose, technically makes it just a timer, not an intervalometer.
Update 9/3/20: It appears that the intervalometer stops working only when back button focus (BBF) is enabled and the shutter button is set to not control AF. The fix is to temporarily set the shutter button to control AF as well. This has been tested by camnostic with an R5 camera with the old and one with the new firmware. This issue is considered resolved for users not using BBF. Users that do use BBF can create a Custom mode to use temporarily that does not use BBF.
Update 11/18/20: This issue has been fixed by firmware version 1.2.
Random freezes can occur, often requiring battery removal to fix. Of Camnostic’s two R5 units, one exhibited this behavior twice on the first day, and then twice in one evening five weeks later. That camera had about 20,000 shutter actuations between those times. It seems that this is very occasional for those afflicted. Forum dwellers have attempted to eliminate factors through deliberate testing and getting more detailed reports.
Factors known to not be consistent among the freezes (so are likely innocent):
NH batteries versus N batteries or the old LP-E6
Battery level
Autofocus mode
Ambient temperature
Length of use
Control use
File type shot
EF lenses versus RF lenses
We would be interested to hear anyone’s experience shooting the R6 camera and having this issue. No reports have surfaced yet. Please email editorial -@- camnostic.com.
Manual focus override appears to not work when the camera is set for normal shutter button operation. Back button focus (BBF) users are able to use manual focus as soon as they stop pressing the button set for autofocus, but users who activate AF with the shutter button are unable to nudge focus via the manual ring on lenses. This problem presents a problem for people who wish to both use manual focus override *and* use the intervalometer, as both issues appear related to BBF, but require opposite settings to allow their respective functions.
While Canon mostly meets its disclosed record time limitations in high-bitrate video recording (8k, 120p 4k and 4k HQ), its timer/governor seems at times over-enthusiastic in shutting down the camera. There are reports of very little time being given, despite the camera starting cold. Most people find the camera hews to its limits fairly accurately, but there are instances where warnings appear to be earlier than needed or desired. Some tests have shown that the warnings are controlled by time and not temperature. Tests also show that certain functions that typically do not generate heat (like slow stills work) are counting against these time limits.
[Update] The new firmware release in late August increased recording time when the internal temperatures warranted it. According to Canon release notes, the temperature sensors are now consulted more frequently. This also effectively shortened cool-down times by about five minutes in most cases. People doing short clips (:30 to 1 minute) report being able to alternate recording and resting almost indefinitely, although that is a fairly narrow use case.
[Update] A workaround is available by recording externally with both cards out. Oddly, recording externally without taking out both cards will not solve the problem, even as those cards aren’t being used. This has been extensively tested (for contiguous hours) by Camnostic and has proven reliable, if less convenient than internal recording. This issue is considered resolved for users of external recorders. Simply take the cards out. The issue of slow cool-down times remains for people wishing to record internally and is unlikely to be mitigated much further by Canon, but the new frequency of polling the temperature sensors may mean that active cooling measures (fans, etc.) may now prove effective where they hadn’t before.
Shooting with the WFT-R10A grip (the more expensive, networked one) can cause the fps to go down to 9 from 12 in mechanical shutter, even when the batteries are fresh and the camera can shoot 12 fps without the grip with its current settings. The only solution to this so far is to reset the network settings.
Some CFexpress cards were polled on startup in a fashion that caused a 4-second delay.
[Update] Firmware updates (as of version 1.2) appear to have largely addressed this, allowing the caching of information after the first startup following a card change. After that initial startup, subsequent startups appear to avoid the delay.
[Update] Angelbird’s new firmware allows cards to avoid the delay, even when first inserted into the camera.
Firmware-Addressable Missing Features
E-Shutter FPS: In electronic shutter, the 0nly frame speed is 20 frames per second. This is often undesirable, and Canon reps have been made aware of this from multiple respected sources.
Card/Battery Door Opening Changes Focus: When you open either the card door or the battery door to swap cards or batteries, the focus on an RF lens is reset. This is obvious if the original plane of focus was far off from the reset point, but it it is close, this may not be noticed and addressed by the user. This also happens if the camera is turned off and on again. A feature could be added to return the focal plane to the previous location.
Unlimited 4Q HQ / 8K recording: Using an external recorder allows for unlimited recording in these high-bitrate formats, but only if both the SD and CFexpress cards are removed from the camera. Firmware could address this by turning off those modules, rather than requiring card removal. It is easy to forget to remove the cards – an arbitrary requirement – and have the camera overheat when recording externally.
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