Firmware hacks - actual experience with Magic Lantern

[JDMvW]

<p>I just downloaded and read through the literature available at Magic Lantern's site.<br /> I have a Canon EOS 50D and a Canon EOS 5D mk ii, both of which are supported in the latest release version of the hack.</p>

<p>I was partly motivated by the fact that I am thinking about trying to do some video with the 5Dii, and it seemed as though the hack has been helpful, according to testimonials on the Magic Lantern site. I never planned on doing video, or I might have got the mark iii, but two things motivated me just recently</p>

<ul>

<li>I actually found something that required video, as opposed to still photography (see picture below)</li>

<li>I bought a super new computer (for which I am waiting) and the only intelligent justification for it is (as opposed to "I want it") that you are doing video. :|</li>

</ul>

<p>There have been a number of references to the Magic Lantern hack here on Photo.net, but mostly "before" and little "after" experiences that I could find anyhow.</p>

<p>Have people tried the stable version of the hack, did it do OK, and was it worth the effort?</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

[jo7hs2]

I tried it about six months ago. I ran into issues getting the intervalometer and bulb ramping to work correctly on my 5DmkII that I was

unable to resolve at the time. I under up just buying a timer remote, since the only thing I needed it for was time lapse.

[brad_trostad]

<p>Hi JDM,</p>

<p>I have Magic Lantern (ML) installed on my 5D2 and T3i and think it makes for a nice addition to the camera's firmware. I know there are photography features but I tend to only use it for capturing video. Here are some various things I like and don't like:</p>

<p>- I like that it preserves its installation when doing in-camera card reformatting</p>

<p>- If you shoot on a crop body you can have it display FF equivalent focal lengths</p>

<p>- It has a fast white balance feature (just one touch on some cameras) that I have found useful for underwater photo / video</p>

<p> - The RAW video is darned impressive (and will need that "super new computer") but being able to adjust all frames in camera raw for exposure, noise removal, final color correction is awesome</p>

<p> - If you pull out the CF or SD card too quickly after opening the card door the battery will drain down quickly.</p>

<p> - If you are shooting video (especially with an external monitor) it is really nice having audio levels, focus peaking and any other histograms, waveforms, etc</p>

<p> - The focus peaking is pretty good (though not as fancy as Sony's A7 or Nex)</p>

<p> - I tried the dual-iso to extend dynamic range but really didn't have much luck. I know I probably wasn't using it the right way as some of the forum photos look awesome. I also wasn't a fan of having to run the Raw file through another utility but Alex at ML has done a great job on processing those images back into normal file.</p>

<p> - The audio monitoring and mic options are perhaps its biggest "need" for shooting video with the 5D2 and older cameras as they didn't having anything on screen and several of these cameras had yucky audio gain issues anyways.</p>

<p> - I shot a wedding video (5D2) using ML and found it very useful and reliable.</p>

<p> - If you shot some RAW video get a very, very, very fast CF card. Add me to the masses that tried the Komputer Bay card with success</p>

<p> - Their biggest issue is not coordinating stable releases to the masses. There are who knows how many repositories of code out there each with tweaks and even though they make it back to the ML there just never seems to be a "release" any more. So you need to get comfortable reading through the forums and learning where the build is with what you want to try and how to go about installing it. If ML would just empower one developer to take the lead here and coordinate releases I think even more people would try it.</p>

<p> - If you fully reformat your CF card in your PC you will loose the ML software (your camera will be fine) and need to prepare the card again (although they have a nice PC utility for this).</p>

<p> - I often us SD cards in the 5D2 via CF->SD adapters. This then lets me use these cards in the T3i as well. You can actually leave the files for all the Canon ML builds on the same card which is handy.</p>

<p> - Shooting RAW video on the rebels is not as easy as they have SD cards which can not support the data write speeds needed for super high resolution.</p>

<p> - There has been some very nice video out of the 50D via ML which is amazing considering the camera never had video!</p>

<p>...if you start to do video beyond dabbling, especially with the 5D2, I think ML is a no-brainer.</p>

<p>Right now a 5D3 with ML (especially shooting RAW video) is a incredibly capable, professional video capture setup. If/when I get a 5D3 I will put ML on it straight away.</p>

<p> </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Thanks very much. That's exactly the sort of information I was looking for.</p>

<p> </p>

[mark_pierlot]

<blockquote>

<p>The focus peaking is pretty good (though not as fancy as Sony's A7 or Nex).</p>

</blockquote>

<p>So the ML hack actually enables focus peaking! Since I like to shoot with older MF Nikkor and Zeiss lenses on my 5DII, this feature alone really intrigues me.</p>

<p>What's the cost of the hack, JDM?</p>

[brad_trostad]

<p>Cost = 0$ + time to learn the new menus (about 20..60 minutes).</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Yep, as Brad said it's free and you can read all about it and download starting at<br /> http://www.magiclantern.fm/index.html</p>

<p>I've downloaded it and am hesitating before installing it....</p>

<p>A FAQ list is at http://www.magiclantern.fm/faq.html </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>much later:<br>

After waiting for what seemed like forever for my new machine, I finally got it. One thing at a time, however, so after migration of software and fine-tuning, I'll be coming back to this, eventually.</p>

<p>a reminder that the hack also allows RAW video with my EOS 50D, which otherwise doesn't have video available.<br>

More evidence of how it is cheaper to make one circuit/sensor set and de-activate 'unwanted' functions than to make separate parts, maybe? </p>