Topics

Hi I am trying to use the windows exe raw2dng on a variety of 32bit XP machines (I know they suck it's at work). But no matter the folder I put them in the app wont write any files?

It will execute and decompress frames, it tells me the count and frame numbers etc. But won't write anything out. I guess they should appear in the same folder as the raw2dngexe. file?

I cannot install apps on these machines as I don't have admin rights. Should I have any other program elements or just the download from the official page?

BTW I know that the RAW files are not corrupt as I can play them back in camera.

Any chance of using FPS overide at shorter frame durations? Sometimes I would like to use a high shutter speed but at low frame rates (for solar eclipse timelapses). I could use other timelapse functions but they aren't as easy to setup and use as movie FPS.

Can anyone clarify why all the Canon DSLRs are so soft? I recall someone shooting a res chart, indicating that the cameras produce resolutions roughly similar to SD pictures, in 1080 mode.

How does the line binning work or is there an upres happening from a more limited image buffer?

Are the images intentionally soft to obscure the limited resolution due to binning?

Wow, I was just looking at this historical investigation of the first color film (circa 1902!), and noticed the mis-registration of color elements. Reminded me of the Magic Lantern HDR video effect. There really are no new inventions after all I bet the inventor would have liked the retiming tools we have now to make it all line up correctly.

Funny to consider that he was a pioneer 100years ago and we are still coaxing the most we can from the technology today.

I made this with my 550D using an older build of Magic Lantern. The key feature in this case was the screen inversion, allowing me to undersling the camera on my tripod for a low angle effect shot. Also the histogram allowed me to save highlights shooting the interiors. Finally, all the audio is recorded with the internal microphone, so turning off the AGC was essential. Thanks a1ex!

Embedding seems broken, here is the direct link
http://youtu.be/FAiUorvDH34

A demonstration of the use of ISO reduction and timelapse video features in Magic Lantern firmware for Canon EOS cameras.

ISO reduction is a digital crush of luma values in the camera and will not completely replace the use of ND or Vari-ND filters, but is usefull if you have none available. Remeber that shots with white clipping will also require some color correction, as the red channel does not get clipped the same as the green and blue.

The FPS Override feature allows you to record video with much slower frame rates. Even as low as seconds per frame! This leads to over exposure hence the need for ISO reduction

This video was shot on an ipod and edited in FCP 6.

Music details:
Blue Circles by unreal dm CC BY 2.5
Drops of H20 by J Lang CC BY 3.0
The New Music by Alex Beroza CC BY 3.0
all music from ccmixter

I love timelapse shooting with the FPS remap feature but focusing is hard and the auto focus can't do its job.

Could ML kill FPS and engage exposure compensation, when it detects a focus change (focus peaking on)? Then turn FPS back on when you stop focussing.

A quick demonstration of Magic Lantern's Frames Per Second remapping feature. This feature allows you to record at low frame rates and coupled with ISO reduction you can desensitize the camera to just ISO 25. That means you can have long exposures that don't burn out to badly, without the need for a vari-nd filter.

I cut this with Blender freeware editor, using speed remapping and stabilising as all shots were handheld and some needed colour correction.

After looking at actual HDR pictures I thought that I could apply Blender's node compositor to Magic Lantern's HDR video. The hard part was seperating out the images into unique dark/light streams.

I did this with an easy node group setup available from the BA forum here: http://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=190205&d=1343361704

Anyway here is the tutorial, sorry about the quality and strange placement of the cursor, I had issues with Screencastomatic recorder.

The title pretty much sums this up.

where HDR is traditionaly used to expand the range of an image (at any moment) I propose using the extra dynamic range over time. The idea is to shoot 2 exposures at once so that you can mix from one to the other as required.

For example, when the camera moves from outside to inside, you rely on the DSLR to gauge exposure. Why not select the right place to perform the ISO change in post? That is split out the frames into 2 discreet streams of light and dark, sync them up and mix when you want to.

I am using 720p 50fps footage which means that resolution suffers but you retain the temporal detail with a much closer match. If the mix is quick you may not notice any misregistration at all.

*Video may not be live yet

I guess you could also perform advanced grading with some power windows, that is matte in the correctly exposed areas as required. For example when shooting a  person against an over exposed window, where you would normally use a grad filter.

I have been using HDR video to aperture pull, when going from bright outdoors to dark indoors. However outside is a different color temperature to inside.

Is it possible to rapidly switch white ballance preset with the ISO change on each frame? That is store a different WB for each ISO.

An (older version) demonstration of some useful on screen features. These are all still available on the current releases of Magic Lantern. I use these features the most, so I thought I would show you how to access them via the menus and demonstrate their real world uses.
1. Exposure Peaking
2. Focus Peaking

Bonus Magic Zoom focus demo!

Magic Lantern was finally mentioned in glowing terms by the boys on the RC podcast. That is a podcast for DOPs and DSLR pros.
http://www.fxguide.com/therc/the-rc-114-catch-up/

I pointed them toward it back in early version days, but they weren't impressed by the install. But now they say the mod is "professional" and something you would "want to pay for"!

Strangely they go on to mention a competing product, that you do have to pay for, which has many of the ML features. Timelapse and ramping for example.

I still feel like there should be a TVC type product demo, that is a short 30-60sec promo spot demonstrating the awesome tools in Magic Lantern.

A1ex, I notice on the site front page that the vectorscope might be coming soon. Have you considered adding a skin tone line to the scope?
The "I" line in a YIQ color space lays along the axis of human skin color (regardless of race/skin type).

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YIQ I see that there are already color indicators, but all the vectorscopes I have used retain the I axis even if used for PAL YUV space.

The reason http://www.kdenlive.org/users/granjow/vectorscope-what-i-and-q-lines-are-good

[UPDATE:]

UPDATE:
Here is a revised version of the Blender VSE Quick and Dirty HDR tutorial.

• -Make project settings 25fps, import HDR video of 50fps.
  
  -Select the video strip and press N key for properties (on right side of VSE).
  
  -Find the Strobe value and increase it to 2.00
  The strip will play ONLY light or ONLY dark frames.
  
  -Duplicate the strip and place it directly above (G key to drag and Y key to constrain to vertical)
  
  -Make sure duplicated strip is selected and find its "Trim Duration (hard)" value, change it from 0 to 1. Now it should be all opposite frames.
  
  -Select both strips and add a Gamma Cross effect, turn off the button "preset transition", instead set the value to 0.5.
  Or change the mix value to the best balance for light or dark.
  
  -Select the Gamma strip and add a speed effect, set its speed value to 2.00 (double speed to compensate for stobe effect)
  
  -Select all these strips and then press ctrl G key to make a meta strip (all bundled into one strip). Then I trim the Meta strip to the prefered length.

Seems involved but is actually pretty easy and not as hard to do as the old technique.

OLD Version:
Here is a tutorial that I made a little while ago. It relies on the excellent freeware Blender 3D. Apart from the great animation and rendering tools there is a capable video editor inside as well.

1.shoot video at 720 50p (or 60 if you like 30fps result)
2.add the strip to the timeline
3.add a speed effect strip to the shot, turn off "stretch to input length", set "multiply speed" to 2.0
4.drag the tail handle of the shot so that it runs at half it's duration (dur/2)
5.strip is now all dark frames
6.duplicate the camera strip shot, move it up 1 layer
7.nudge it's first frame handle 1 frame to the right then drag shot back to line up with lower shot
8.add another speed effect with "multiply speed" set to 2.0. This will all be light frames
9.line up the 2 shots to start at the same point
10.select both strips (meta each strip with its speed effect if you like) then add a Gamma Cross effect.
11.Gamma effect strip should have "Default Fade" turned of with a value of 0.3. It's "Blend" opacity value should be 1.0
You can vary the mix between light and dark frames by altering the the Gamma Cross "Fade" value.

To check that all this works create a waveform window from the VSE window.

Original blog at http://blendervse.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/vse-hdr-quick-and-dirty-8bit/

If other please leave a comment. Perhaps there are other cool ways to show the world how cool it is to have Magic Lantern hiding inside your camera.

There has been talk for ages about branding the logo or name on gear and I know that this is a touchy subject. There maybe copyrights issues or permission problems to overcome. Also how would the funds be distributed? But I think with emergence of international product production through small run manufactures like cafepress etc. there should be a way to get the idea afloat.

What do you say? Does it have merit? Or is it all a bit of needless hand waving?

I am a 550D owner that bought the camera based on the promise of a CHDK type enhancement of the DSLR range. I was so happy to Alex's development after Trammels cracking of the code.

Since those early days I cannot describe how happy each new code addition has made me.

It really has breathed new life into an old model. So many features that I dare not hope for. HDR recording, focus assist, timelapse, histogram the list goes on and on.

Oh and audio improvements too. How could I forget

Thanks again, all developers and now web home hosts.