Another Good Reason for updating 1DMkIV from 1.08 to 1.10

I was at Jim Neiger and Doug Brown's outstanding West Coast Flight Workshop last week.

I was using a pair of 1DMkIV at 1.08 (I had not updated to 1.10 yet). I was using Delkin UDMA-6 32GB and 64GB cards (Artie sells the 32GB). I was having a heck of a time holding the shutter release down and following terns leaving the dive into the air - just about the time they did the head(actually body) shake, the cameras would "hiccup/stutter" then attempt to refocus and start firing again. Something was wrong. Jim and Doug weren't having any problems - I could hear them firing away with no stutter.

I eventually learned to wait a bit so that I did get the headshake image before the first stutter but it was quite a PITA.

On the trip home, I read the notes on 1.10 firmware release, including:
Firmware Version 1.1.0 incorporates the following improvements and fixes:
1. Improves writing/reading speeds when using UDMA 7-compatible CF cards
....

I noted I did not have this problem with the UDMA-6 compatible Sandisk Extreme 32GB cards, which Doug uses (Jim uses the extreme pros). So it was Delkin card related (I tried several 32GB and 64GB cards -- all stuttered).

I did an upgrade on the first MkIV -- and now Delkin cards didn't stutter. Same card back to the MkIV remaining at 1.08 ...and it stuttered after 4-5 images, same as before. Upgrading that second MkIV -- no more stuttering while doing highspeed drive captures.

Problem solved. Something funny with my two 1DMkIV's at 1.0.8 with Delkin flash cards.

Fix is easy - go find the 1.10 firmware upgrades (somehow not on the CanonUSA or Europe sites over the past weekend - I got mine off the Thailand(English) site.

Thanks for the info Don. It was great getting to know you at the workshop! Looking forward to your image posts!

Hi Don,

That is valuable info! I did experience the same issue as well, as I am using Delkin 32gb cards also, and did not know what caused it.
TFS.

Clemens

I will update tomorrow!! Thanks:w3

Thanks for the tip, I was wondering what the advantage of the update was!

I am quite confused. What is the "stutter" you are referring to?

Artie,

You are tracking a bird in flight, and at the moment you start shooting a sequence the camera blocks and hestitate, maybe taking one or two shots, than it freezes and might continue a fraction later, but at that time you lost track of the bird and missed the opportunity. I am using Delkin 32gb cards, and experienced this phenomena two or three times. The firmware on my Mk IV's was 1.06 & 1.08. Now both upgrade, and will test next week.

Rgds,
Clemens

Thanks Clemens. I gotta say that that is a new one on me. I have been using MIV bodies and Delkin 32 gb cards for two years and have not experienced what you have described... Both of my bodies are in the shop right now; I expect that they will be returned with the new software.