Request for Magic Lantern version for certain Canon PowerShot models

Started by tim nbh, February 07, 2017, 11:23:34 PM

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tim nbh

Dear Magic Lantern Developers

I would be very grateful indeed if you could help me with something.

I am going to be visiting the USA this August in order to see the total solar eclipse and I have done a lot of research into which camera to get in order to photograph the eclipse. I am actually very much wanting to be able to take the sort of eclipse photos that Miloslav Druckmüller has taken which require shots at a wide variety of shutter speeds. However, I do not want to be changing the settings on the camera during the two minutes of totality. I therefore very much need a camera which meets the following four criteria:

At least 20MP resolution
At least 500mm focal range (35mm equiv)
Must have manual focus
At least 9EV of AEB range

I have found out that several Canon EOS cameras (together with appropriate lenses) meet these criteria but they are are very expensive. I am very reluctant to spend this much money and I am also concerned about the weight and bulkiness of the EOS cameras and lenses. I want to travel to the USA without putting anything into the hold of the airplane. This might be difficult with EOS cameras and lenses plus a tripod and other things I will be taking. I have discovered that five models of the Canon PowerShot range meet the first three criteria but they all have rubbish AEB. This is why I am hoping that Magic Lantern might step in to the rescue. The five PowerShot models are as follows:

SX710
SX620
SX540
SX720
G3X

I think that the best of the above five models is the G3X because it has the biggest sensor.

I would be very grateful indeed if you could release a version of Magic Lantern for at least one of the above five models, preferably at least three months before the eclipse so that I have plenty of time to practice with it.

Thank you very much indeed.

Kind regards

Tim

Walter Schulz

http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=14990.msg168334#msg168334
"I wouldn't say porting ML is impossible on this camera, but it would be one of the most difficult ports (it will require a lot of wrapper functions that mimic the behavior of DSLR firmware, and while you can probably easily get ML menu up and running, porting the features will be a lot more difficult - most things are very unlikely to work only with minor tweaking). It would be probably a little easier than porting ML to Nikon :P"

Do you have a developer at hand willing to do some houndred hours unpaid work? Knowledge in ARM-architecture will come in handy ...
ML does not have time tables, schedules, release dates.
You won't see it happen until August, I bet. I won't bet you will not see it ever but there is a good chance hell is freezing over before.

You know CHDK?

tim nbh

Dear Walter

Thank you very much for your reply.

From your reply, it sounds like what I am requesting will not be possible.

I am actually rather concerned about something you said in your reply:

> "Do you have a developer at hand willing to do some houndred hours unpaid work?"
Please be assured that it was NEVER my intent to suggest that I expected anyone to do hundreds of hours of unpaid work for me. However, from what I have seen on the Magic Lantern website, it looks like a community of developers have already spent lots of time creating an add-on firmware package for Canon cameras which they have very kindly and generously decided to share with the world free of charge. They have also created this forum which has a "Feature Requests" section which means that they are actually inviting people to ask them to do stuff so I did not see any harm in making my request. I would totally understand if it would not be possible for them to do it. I am therefore very surprised by the tone of your reply.

Also, to be honest, I am completely ignorant about how long it would take to port an already exiting package to another Canon camera. I was guessing that it might not take much more than a few minutes. Maybe I am completely wrong. I don't know.

Kind regards

Tim



ItsMeLenny

I think you missed Walters mention of CHDK.

MagicLantern IS the port. (kind of :P)

Here's your request already completed long before ML
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK