EOS R8 - poor buffer/write performance / firmware downgrade

[anzee]

Hello!

I have a Canon Eos R8 since june 2023. I am using it as a hybrid camera for photos and videos.

Since the very beginning I am also using Tascam XLR audio adapter for the hot shoe. Filming mostly in 4k 50p light setting.

In december 2024 I found out, that I suddenly get audio problems (out of sync, scratches in audio,.. audible while montoring earphones and also in written file) when filming in 4k50p "light", although I used this setting for at least a year before without any problems. If i continued to film, the camera buffered out (with icon) and stopped filming. It helped to change the setting to 4K25p "light", but from time to time this also results in poor audio and buffer being filled. In HD the problem is not visible.

First thing to change was the SD card. Usually I was using V30 sandisk 64GB card, changed to 128GB V60 card. No difference. Tried also some other cards, with no luck (haven't tried V90, but it worked with v30 card before..). Tried different batteries with different charge states - no luck. Tried different lenses (rf70-200 f2.8, rf50 1.2, rf24-105, rf15-35), no luck. The problem persists if recording sound from Tascam, Rode NTG2 via jack or using internal microphones.

The last idea was the firmware. I think i upgraded to 1.4.0 firmware from 1.3.0 sometime in november. But cannot downgrade back to 1.3.0. to check that.

Has anyone else experienced this performance issue after upgrading to 1.4.0 firmware? Or is there a way to downgrade the firmware to an older version, to check.

Side question - anyone else also thinks that the HD quality of footage from R8 is really poor, so is the slow motion, but the 4k is just perfect...

regards, Anze

[anzee]

I don't think the problem is with Tascam adapter, as the problem persists even while recording with internal microphones. Or through 3,5mm jack.

If it helps:
- Tascam CA-XLR2d-C, serial no 2290525
- Sennheiser e865s handheld microphone
- Rode M5 ambient microphone
- generic XLR cables, different length
- Rode VideoMic NTG with 3,5mm jack

But still, the problem is present even when using internal microphone. I will make a sample video and post it here...

[anzee]

Ok here we go...

Recording low datarate scene with my R8 using only internal microphones and some youtube interview played through mobile phone pointed towards the mic. Other camera is R5 mk1 recording the screen of R8. Full screen video and audio is captured with R8, picture in picture is a view of R8 lcd screen. It is interesting, that the footage is stopped at approx 30s, while the camera shows that is recording for quite some time until the buffer icon is shown. Shortly the buffer is full and R8 stops. You can hear the distorted audio coming from the R8 file...