This one could be seismic: Canon might be about to open the floodgates to open gate video.
A recent camera rumor suggests that the company could be set to introduce open gate video to the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, via a major firmware update next month.
This would be a huge step for Canon, which has yet to embrace the technology on any of its cameras – including its Cinema EOS range, where the technology would have an obvious home. However, with the R5 Mark II being Canon's most potent hybrid powerhouse, it would make sense for the technology to debut here.
So what is open gate video? It's a technology that enables your camera to capture video using the entire sensor area, rather than the standard 16:9 ratio that crops the top and bottom of the image.
The result is that, rather than having a thin wide horizontal image, you get a more even rectangular one – typically 3:2. This makes your raw footage much more versatile, as it can be cropped to any aspect ratio to fit multiple purposes – whether you need a 1:1 square video for social media, a 9:16 portrait-shaped video for Stories and Reels, or a 1.37:1 Academy Ratio for cinematic use.
While not all manufacturers have embraced open gate, it is an increasingly in-demand feature for hybrid shooters and videographers – and is a key feature of cameras like the Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX, the Fujifilm X-H2S and the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K.
The story was reported by Canon Rumors, which had previously written that both the Canon EOS R1 and R5 Mark II were due to receive "major new firmware" ahead of the CP+ event in Japan at the end of February.
While the outlet wasn't able to corroborate the reports, some of which emanate from Chinese social media, it shared the pertinent information. "There seems to be some reports about what could be coming for the Canon EOS R5 Mark II. We haven’t confirmed the following and are reporting information based on third-party reporting:
• 4K 60fps oversampled mode which has been highly requested
• Open gate full sensor recording option
• APS-C full sensor recording in 17:9
• 120fps maximum in RAW"
The site added that "we’re very confident that at least an announcement will come some time in the next month." If true, this could be a significant step for Canon in the content creation space…
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