User Guide thread for the latest nightlies (Help Needed)

Started by Redrocks, March 30, 2014, 08:37:35 PM

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Audionut

I've made some small tweaks here and there, including adding linkage to the top of the thread in each post.  Which makes it a little easier to navigate.  I have my backlog of photos processed, so hope to have some time to really help polish this off.

frspp

Are these still up to date/going to be used? At least there's differences in these and nightly Aug 1st so I'm not sure whether this is right place to give feedback...

Could you add a note to powersave section: "Note: Disable powersave from Canon menu because it overrides these".

edit: Oh and guides for section "Powersave in liveview" needs some fixing, like:
- In "Enable powersave" reads "(see above)" which is pointless at least for the end user - or then I'm missing something, whats above?
-> Rewrite: "Choose when powersave kicks in" or such.
- Should "Use shortcut key" be renamed to "powersave key/shortcut" or such?
- "Dim display": the "when idle" is kinda confusing. I mixed idling with standby for a long time.
- "Turn of LCD" says "when idle and not rec". "Not rec" is false information if you have chose on "stby+rec". Delete that?

edit2: http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=11269.msg109593#msg109593
- "Config preset: Create different presets of menu configurations." Hard to catch. I mean how I actually make another config file?
- "Restore ML defaults: Use this to restore ML default settings. After deleting the config file, restart the camera." It's a bit confusing when one  first speaks about "restore" and then about "delete". Could the latter sentence be "Restart the camera afterwards"?
5d2

Audionut

Quote from: frspp on August 04, 2014, 09:46:56 PM
Are these still up to date/going to be used? At least there's differences in these and nightly Aug 1st so I'm not sure whether this is right place to give feedback...

Yes, we would like this to be current and updated.  We can transfer the detail from this thread to camera in help, wiki pages etc.

Thanks for the tips, will add to/fix the guide when I get some time.

Spottyq

I have some spare time now, so I figure I'll just help around a little ! This guide was of good help for me when setting ML for the first time.

I did found many options that were different from my camera, I guess because the code changed (since we're talking about nightlies.) However, it could be because I use a specific camera/ML version. (5D3 firmware : 1.2.3; ML 2014aug07; mercurial ffd1d533b1dc; build date : 2014-08-06 (latest available as of today))


Is it possible to copy the BBCode (or whatever it is) of someone else's post ? That way I could directly edit a copy, and the guy merging my modifications with the OP would only have to copy/paste.
The text I put in quotes is what you can directly copy/paste. (I will not quote anyone in this post)




Audio
MLV Sound
It should be specified that you need to enable mlv_snd. Something like :
QuoteThis menu is only available when the mlv_snd module is enabled.


Expo
WhiteBalance
Black level seems to have been moved to Movie > Image Fine-tuning. No idea on where it is on camera's without movie function however.

ISO
Display gain (night vision) has been moved to Display > LV display gain.
ISO selection does not appear on my camera.

LV Display
I do not have this menu on my setup.


Overlay
Defishing has been moved to Display.

Gradual Exposure
QuoteSmooths exposure transitions by compensating with ISO. A small (1 pixel high) progress bar will be displayed on the bottom of the screen when it is in action.
FPS Override
QuoteSome settings (eg. high fps) depends on Canon's fps setting to work. For example, in order to get 48fps for movie, you should set the Canon frame rate to 1280/60 (on a 5D3.)
I do not have Shutter range and Constant expo.

Image Fine-tuning
I do not have Absolute zero sharpness, Edge Emphasis, or Noise reduction.
I do however have Shutter fine-tuning which allows, according to ML's one-line description, to
QuoteAlters the shutter speed in steps of ~20-microseconds increments.

Shoot
Bulb/focus ramping does not appear in my camera.


Focus
Focus Step size, and Rack Delay andFocus StepDelayhave been moved to a sub-menu : Focus Settings. Rack Delay has been renamed to Start Delay (no idea if it has got an other function as well. I guess not.)


Display
LV Digic peaking isn't a menu on my setup, it is a toggle between Off and Slightly sharper.
I do not have LV contrast, LV saturation, Color Scheme (that last one was moved to Advanced Settings)  and Focus Box.

Advanced Settings
I do not have LV Crazy colors, even tough it is listed in as compatible with my camera as per this link : http://builds.magiclantern.fm/#/features.


Level Indicator
It is not limited to the 60D. See : http://builds.magiclantern.fm/#/features


Prefs
I have an extra menu in here :
Card settings
Quote

Submenu options :
Card test at startup
CF card workaround
Preferred card Will select (from the Canon menu) your preferred card each startup.


Customize Menus
QuoteWhen enabled, allows you to select the options who will appear in MyMenu (of ML's menu, not Canon's) and to hide unused items from ML's menu.

Auto BurstPicQuality
I do not have that menu.


Edit: formatting issues + forgot one item


Redrocks

Thanks for the input guys, I will update the guide in the coming days. I've not had much time to stay abreast of developments in the past six months, so would appreciate any relevant links/experiences from you all.

garry23

Additional words for the depth of field

General

The latest nightly has been 'upgraded' to account for diffraction in the LV depth of field feedback (near and far distances relative to the sensor). The current implementation may appear slightly confusing to some as it switches feedback according to certain criteria.

The important thing to note is that if the on-screen feedback is in white text, then the depth of field is being correctly reported to account for both defocus blur and diffraction blur. For a full frame camera this is up to about F/16, ie beyond that diffraction gets the better of you and you are advised to not go there.

If the text goes yellow/orange this is a WARNING that the depth of field reporting can no longer be relied on and the near and far information has little real value.

By switching to the ML screen when this occurs, you can ascertain what criterion is being breached, ie either the Airy limit, ie defocus blur is too small, or the diffraction limit has been reached, ie diffraction blur is greater than the total blur, assumed as 29 microns for a full frame and scaled for an APS-C sensor. This can be changed in the code, for example for a more exacting standard.

By noting the near and far values (when white) you can undertake landscape focus stacking, ie ensure each refocused image overlaps the last one, until the far value shows infinity.

Finally, the diffraction assumes a visible band camera. If you have an IR converted camera you will need to change one number in the code, and this is flagged up in the source in lens.c.

Hyperfocal

This is the point of focus where everything from half that distance to infinity falls within the depth of field. This is the largest depth of field possible for the current f-number. The hyperfocal point is easily spotted when the far reporting just shows infinity. For insurance it is best to just focus beyond that point.

Submenu options: None


DOF Near

This is the nearest distance, relative to the sensor, where objects appear in focus according to a combination of defocus and diffraction blur, taken in quadrature.

Submenu options: None


DOF Far

The farthest distance, relative to the sensor, where objects appear in focus according to a combination of defocus and diffraction blur, taken in quadrature.

Submenu options: None

DeafEyeJedi

Great info, @garry23 and Thanks for implementing this into the latest nightlies.

Much appreciated!
5D3.113 | 5D3.123 | EOSM.203 | 7D.203 | 70D.112 | 100D.101 | EOSM2.* | 50D.109

axelcine

Hi - maybe my approach to documenting nightlies is totally insane. But...
I have photographed all ML menus on my T5i/700d with submenues ect, and I am now stealing/borrowing/hijacking info from the comparison chart, from this thread and from what I can sniff out from all the other threads in the ML Universe.
I think, that MLs for most Rebels look pretty much alike, even though the innards may differ, so that the old User Guide for the 2.3 still is good for M5/6/7/50/60 - and the new 70 actually is more Rebel than M5, if you get my drift. So this type of ducumentation might cover several cams.
ML is such a beautiful piece of software, that it deserves a real booklet with lots of illustrations, hints, tips and ideas.
Am I right or what!!!? :)
EOS RP, 5dIII.113/Batt.grip, 5dIII.123, 700d/Batt.Grip/VF4 viewfinder + a truckload of new and older Canon L, Sigma and Tamron glass

DeafEyeJedi

5D3.113 | 5D3.123 | EOSM.203 | 7D.203 | 70D.112 | 100D.101 | EOSM2.* | 50D.109

axelcine

Guess what? I'm gonna need a heck of a lot of help.  I feel in awe when I work with ML, and I want to convey the feeling of accomplishment I get when pressing the shutter and I see the picture being as I anticipated and wanted - thanks to Canon and ML.

I'd like to write a User's Guide, that carries some of that wonderful feeling of playfulnes, adventure, on-one-hand-exacitude-and-action - and on the other hand foremost a deep and profound love of 1)photo 2)the scenery/people/kids/dogs/rocks/skies/Gods...

I also feel in awe when I read the many threads in the ML universe. So many people, so much understanding and so much enthusiasm... How could I ever thank those guys and girls enough for the happiness they have given me? - Oh, but I do. I teach photo and cinematography, and I every time I fuck up a wonderful scenery, I just say: Cam stuck. The f... guys at ML haven't solved this issue yet. Let's see next month...! Most of my crowd use ML as well, and of course they don't  fall in the trap. Thanks to the open society of ML my students always out-perform their teacher. And they laugh at me.

Which is the purpose of the situation. Spur them on. Tell them what they can't do... And what do they say in return? HA - WE HAVE ML SO YOU JUST SHUT UP. Nothing we can't do.

And then I show them another trick or two. A few (actually most) of them from the ML threads. To collect all this in a book - ?

I often think that you devs are not always reckognised for your work. I - for one - lean on your shoulders, and I'm a better photographer because of you.
EOS RP, 5dIII.113/Batt.grip, 5dIII.123, 700d/Batt.Grip/VF4 viewfinder + a truckload of new and older Canon L, Sigma and Tamron glass

DeafEyeJedi

5D3.113 | 5D3.123 | EOSM.203 | 7D.203 | 70D.112 | 100D.101 | EOSM2.* | 50D.109

axelcine

Work on a comprehensible User Guide is progressing slowly, but with determination. My general idea is to present every menu and every submenu with ample explanation, so the user may compare the guide directly with what he sees on his camera screen. Of course I'll use all relevant text from the thousands of post in ML. The venture started by Redrocks is invaluable, but so are also the detailed info about RAW postprocessing, without which a good user guide would be missing something. My personal benefit: I'll get a total knowledge of ML and hopefully be able to make movie my way.

I just stumbled over Walter Schultz's splendid explanation in German (http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=15045) which really clarified several subjects, I haven't understood before. Very much appreciated - I read German.

Right now I'm working my way through all the functions and menus on my 700d, but hopefully next week I'll be able to go through the same exercise on a 500d and a 5dIII, first with 113 and later with 123 firmware. My kids are celebrating Christmas with their spouses, so I'm free to share Christmas Eve with the star on top of my Christmas tree... you guessed it: A Magic Lantern.

I'm looking forward to a preliminary result early in 2016.
EOS RP, 5dIII.113/Batt.grip, 5dIII.123, 700d/Batt.Grip/VF4 viewfinder + a truckload of new and older Canon L, Sigma and Tamron glass

DeafEyeJedi

Excellent news and please do not hesitate on asking me for help with this project of yours. Thanks for sharing @axelcine!
5D3.113 | 5D3.123 | EOSM.203 | 7D.203 | 70D.112 | 100D.101 | EOSM2.* | 50D.109

kreativeonemedia

I'm using Canon 7D with Lexar Professional 800x 32GB CompactFlash UDMA7 and I'm having problem hearing audio during recording....Any suggestions.
The Humble One

axelcine

Hi and happy New Year. The 7D records mono with the built-in mike and it has no headset plug-in. However it still has almost the full range of ML audio tools, https://builds.magiclantern.fm/#/features. Using the built-in mike is very seldom an acceptable means of recording, since the picture and the sound are created at the same spot. A zoom len may bring the picture close, but sound remains a problem - it can't be zoomed. Use an external sound recorder with storage facility like the Vmic Recorder from Saramonic. That mike can be mounted on the cam, connected by a (long) cable so that the mike is close to the sound source, or it can be used as a stand-alone mike, recording solely to the memory card, and even used hand held as an interview microphone or on a boom. It has a head set plug and costs around $300. Go google.
You can read more about my old sound system here: http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=16030.0. Good luck.
EOS RP, 5dIII.113/Batt.grip, 5dIII.123, 700d/Batt.Grip/VF4 viewfinder + a truckload of new and older Canon L, Sigma and Tamron glass

axelcine

Progressing slowly but my hand is not shaking. I'm taking shots of all menus/submenus - up to now with 700d, 5d113 and 5d123. The photos are being arranged in QuarkXpress - and now the fun starts. Based upon the excellent work with the "old" User Guide (qudos, A1ex), which in itself is an impressive piece of work, and updated vith Redrocks, Audionut and others I'm slowly building a skeleton. Every item has to be researched through the many threads in the ML Universe... comments, caveats... Search and thou shalt find. And all the time those terrible dev-gangsters keep improving ML with adjustments and new features. dmilligan and LUA come to the mind.

Lot of work. But... I gain a very beneficial first hand knowledge of ML - and all the time I get to read Walter's dry but spot-on comments, which often leave me howling with laughter. The structure must set focus on the features comparison list https://builds.magiclantern.fm/#/features, so that every menu article will include the various differences, that rise from the differences in the cams themselves. Lucklily, as A1ex once pm'med me, a lot of features work the same way in most of the cam brands.

I think I'd also like to include "best practices" or proposed workflows for the more hardcore tasks. Post production is quite another animal!

Some time last year Walter wrote a post in German in order to correct a few errors in 'ct magazine, which had run a prime article on ML - and you know what? In his short post I learned an enormous lot about ML, the colored dots or squares beside every menu item... I really never found this information elsewhere - mea culpa. Thanks, Walter.

I'd like to pepper a user guide with extra info and pictures, so at some time I'd like you to look at a beta version and add your comments, errata correction, experiences and pix samples.

I expect the output to be a PDF, but I'd very much like to place the original text files, Quark files and galleries, so that anyone with appropriate skills and a lust for graphics and typesetting may continue the work. It would fit the spirit of the ML Universe - joint venture and mutual respect in search of better performance. After all I'm 63 and it is a certain thing, that ML is going to out-live me.
EOS RP, 5dIII.113/Batt.grip, 5dIII.123, 700d/Batt.Grip/VF4 viewfinder + a truckload of new and older Canon L, Sigma and Tamron glass

squig

Hey Axel. My partner's an art director; she may be able to help you with the pdf if you're still punishing yourself.

axelcine

Thanks so much. Right now I'm writing captions to a large number of photos of menu and submenu choices. Every function is tested on 700d/5dIII - as far as I'm able to. Many functions depend on settings elsewhere in ML and/or the Canon menus, and I need to document them all. Hopefully over the summer a first draft will be presented - and all of you will be able to correct, comment, expand and exemplify... I expect a "living" document, basically formed by the users and developers, downloadable in whatever format you may need.
Let's keep in touch here at the ML site - and a warm hello to your partner.
EOS RP, 5dIII.113/Batt.grip, 5dIII.123, 700d/Batt.Grip/VF4 viewfinder + a truckload of new and older Canon L, Sigma and Tamron glass

chris_overseas

This sounds really promising, an up to date and comprehensive user guide will be a hugely useful contribution. One thing I'm curious about - am I right in thinking you're taking actual photos of the back of the camera for each menu, rather than using the built in screenshot functionality?
EOS R5 1.1.0 | Canon 16-35mm f4.0L | Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 | Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II | Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L II | Canon 800mm f5.6L | Canon 100mm f2.8L macro | Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art | Yongnuo YN600EX-RT II

axelcine

Yeah... well... the built-in screenshot functionality is totally wonderful and very flexible. Go to DEBUG, select SCREENSHOT and within 10 secs (default) dial back to the actual screen you want to save. Plinggggg! The file format is .ppm, which opens in Ps.

The cam method is for setups, where Yours Truly continuously asks himself: Do I know what I'm doing...? I use the cam method when I take some time, an evening or a Sunday morning to just play around with ML, try out some unknown (to me) feature. With the cam setup I take the shots as fast as I can change the Canon or ML menus in question in .jpg.

So the choice of method varies with conditions.
EOS RP, 5dIII.113/Batt.grip, 5dIII.123, 700d/Batt.Grip/VF4 viewfinder + a truckload of new and older Canon L, Sigma and Tamron glass

Cyberdutch

The helpfiles from old version. Unrar and just copy to SD card.

I know they are old but at least a start. fileformat is accessable with photoshop for editing.

Don't you have them already, but just in case.
If you have newer versions please share..

regards

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7nU4L30ugapMTdQelI5a2o3Uzg/view?usp=sharing

Audionut

Thanks to everyone for updates.  I'll do my best to get to these in the next few days.

renaciff

Hello, I am a newcomer and I am trying to use ML, specifically Bulb/Focus Ramping. For any reason, this menu doesn't appear in the latest ML version. Could you help me? I would like to try this kind of shots: http://wiki.magiclantern.fm/userguide#bulb_focus_ramping

Thanks in advance for your help!
Ricardo

Walter Schulz

Linked User Guide covers outdated "stable" v2.3. There is no user guide for nightly builds available.
You may want to give "Advanced Intervalometer" module a try: http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=8431.0