Turn your Digital Rebel into a 10D

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sid=04/06/02/004258&mode=nested&tid=137&tid=164&tid=185">http://slashd

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sid=04/06/02/004258&mode=nested&tid=137&tid=164&tid=185</a><br><br>

<i>"...Now, a new hack that restores a previously hidden menu along

with a few additional tricks has added nearly all of those 10D

features to the Rebel, with an arguably superior user interface to

boot. Canon has so far said little on the hack but certainly cannot

be happy with its potential effect on sales."</i>

I can't imagine the effect on sales will be that major. You can't hack in a 9 frame RAW buffer or magnesium body. These are the big deciding factors.

Don't forget the convenience of the 10D's QCD, the user selectable AF and metering patterns and the slightly better view the glass pentaprism affords. Personally, I really prefer the 10D's feel of metal over the Drebels's plastic...

 

Now, the mere release of the Drebel certainly had an effect on 10D sales, but Canon planned that! However, I doubt these hacks had or will have any effect on future 10D sales. The hack clients are adventuresome Drebel owners, not potential customers. No one is foolish enough to base a major purchase on the promise of a hack if they really need a feature.

The latest update adds ISO 3200, and user selectable focus is halfway there (one shot is in, AI Servo can be selected but won't release the shutter yet), and it looks like selectable metering modes are on the way too. No, in the end you can't hack in a magnesium body, pentaprism or control wheel, but it looks like everything else will eventually be there.

You can hack the DRebel's firmware all you want, but it's not going to change the fact that it's a plastic-bodied camera that lacks many of the pro-oriented features one will find on the 10D. You cannot hack the interface and proclaim that you have added "all the 10D features to the Rebel," since the 10D is physically different.

 

Then again, techno-geeks who don't know a heck of a lot about cameras wouldn't know the difference anyway...

Geez, what a bunch of whiners!

 

Hey, if they hack in AF modes, metering modes, MLU, FEC, that is a major achievement! If the only real remaining difference is the shot buffer and the body. . .I say cool!

 

Of course, by the time that happens the 300D-II and 10D-II will be out. Wanna bet that the 300D-II firmware will be substantially different from the 10D-II firmware to hamper these type of hacks?

I don't think its a huge issue. Crippling like this has been found in computer components for years. Its a lot cheaper for a company to produce a hundred of the same chips and cripple 50 than it is to R&D 50 and 50 chips.

"I don't think its a huge issue. Crippling like this has been found in computer components for years. Its a lot cheaper for a company to produce a hundred of the same chips and cripple 50 than it is to R&D 50 and 50 chips"

 

 

It's a similar practice to car manufacturers using the same engine block/crankshaft, et al, in a variety of different car models, but with different ECUs, heads, horsepower ratings, etc.

Do you really think Canon is that worried about someone hacking the firmware for the digital rebel? There might be some concern but I have a hard time believing it is at the top of their priority list. Like someone pointed out earlier in the thread, by the time the hacks are complete Canon will have moved on to the next generation of cameras.

 

Personally I would love mirror lock up but not enough to modify the firmware. I am not at all sure you can return it to the same state as it originally came in should you need work by Canon. I have read that Canon will not work a camera period if they detect you have modified the firmware. I don't know if thats true or not. But what I know for sure is my 5 month old 300D just came back from a Canon repair center and I am glad I never modified it.

As a techno-geek that does know about cameras, I'd like to chime in.

 

Yes, this does not convert the rebel into a 10D. But it adds features I want - like FEC, RAW+JPG and mirror lock-up - so I went in and updated it.

 

I don't care for the will-it-cut-on-Canon-market-or-not, is-it-a-10D-or-not discussions. I care if it works or not. And for those 300D users wondering, it does work quite well.

There was a post on DPReview a few weeks back about a guy that sent his firmware hacked DRebel in for warranty repair. Canon didn't say anything about it. Has anyone ever seen/heard any actual statement from Canon or Canon USA that they would not do warranty repair, or any other repair on a firmware modified DRebel? Any true stories of service refused? I haven't, but I'm listening. I really can't see any logical reason why Canon would take that stand unless the modified firmware actually caused damage.

 

It's quite easy to restore the original firmware unless your camera's card slot gets a bent pin, rendering card reading impossible, or if the camera were to die with the modified firmware installed. Both of these are real possibilities, but are probably fairly low risks, and without substantial warning from Canon, probably no real risk at all.

 

In any case, the firmware hack is a substantial upgrade.

Can somehere who has actually used the hack on their 300D tell me -- Does the mirror lockup on the 300D actually work? Last I had heard, it showed up on the menu, but wasn't functional. This is the main feature I would miss the most on a digital rebel.

Yes, mirror pre-fire now works. Not true mirror lock up, but nearly as usefull.

 

Someone else reported that it works like some other EOS cameras, in that the mirror locks up on the first press and the shutter fires on the second. That would be better, but all I can see it do is pre-fire. Is there something I'm missing?

 

As far as new features with this version of the hack, I find the one shot focus mode useful. The DRebel would slip into continuous AF all too easy sometimes. Now you can force it to stay in one shot AF mode.

 

I'm not so sure 3200 ISO is all that usefull with all the noise it brings, but it might be better than nothing sometimes.

 

FEC is still the best thing this hack has brought in my opinion. But the one I still want is CF#4.

As mentioned, getting FEC is a huge improvement- the other things are more "nice to have." As for sales, I bought the DR because of the availability of the hack- I didn't want to splurge for a 10d and thought the base DR was too lacking.

 

A couple of questions:

 

1. What version of the firmware do you guys have? I have the April 7th version and haven't seen anything more recent.

 

2. How does the pre-fire work? I had tried the MLU CF but didn't think that it was doing anything.

 

3. Is there a forum you guys are following to see what's available / coming soon?

 

Thanks!

I'm a techno-geek who knows photography, also.</br>

<b>AND</B> I'm not bitter.

Lugging photo equipment around while travelling is hard enough, and I appreciate the lightweight plastic body actualy.

 

A heavier body would be good for balancing large lenses, but I like to use the 50mm prime and want something very lightweight I can throw in my bag, and won't pull my neck off hanging around it all day.

To J. Salisbury;

 

1. Mine's dated May 26

 

2. Set MLU in custom functions. Then fire away. There is a delay after the mirror raises, but before the shutter opens.

 

3. Every time there's something new from Wasia, it gets reported here. I just search the links provided then.

is it worth putting in on?

Well, clearly, I think so, but not everyone would agree. There has been considerable speculation that Canon would not honor warranty repairs on a firmware modified camera, but so far the only report that I have read is that with one camera sent it, Canon USA either didn't notice or didn't care, and went ahead an fixed the camera. Personally, I would make an effort to restore the original firmware if possible before sending it in for repair just in case.

 

But if it's worth it to you or not, is your own choice. You have to ask; do you need any of these features? Can/would you make good use of them? Are you willing to take the (probably small) risk involved?

just a follow up... I loaded up the 'hack' found it kind of convienant. 300D is my first really SLR not counting my dads Rebel S (ghetto) and I really liked the added CF's. In particual the RAW+Small JPEG and Mirror Lock up. Just thought I'd add my experience. Everyone should load it up. Plus it is simple to do.

I was considering upgrading my 300D to a 10D but now that the hack has MLU and ability to switch to One Shot focus in M, A or P modes (thereby utilising FTM on USM lenses) I'm going to keep it. From what I've read, there doesn't seem to be too much risk with the firmware upgrade (touch wood) - it's not like you pushing it beyond its capabilities like, for example, overclocking a CPU. I upgraded my 300D last night and I no longer have reservations about getting the 300D rather than waiting for suppliers to get hold of the limited quantities of the 10D. Sure the 10D feels better and is more sturdy and has a control wheel at the back but as I've never had it - I don't miss it