> Magic Lantern is a free software add-on that runs from the SD/CF card and adds a host of new features to Canon EOS cameras that weren't included from the factory by Canon.
It also backports new features to old Canon cameras that aren't supported anymore, and is generally just a really impressive feat of both (1) reverse engineering and (2) keeping old hardware relevant and useful.
More backstory: before the modern generation of digital cameras - Magic Lantern was one of the early ways to "juice" more power out of early generations of Canon cameras, including RAW video recording.
Today, cameras like Blackmagic and editing platforms like DaVinci handle RAW seamlessly, but it wasn't like this even a few years ago.
I wish there are similar projects for other camera brands like Fujifilm. With abilities of ML on old Canon cameras we know there is a lot of potential in those old machines across other brands. It is also "eco" friendly approach that should be supported.
Thanks to all who are sharing their appreciation for this niche but cool project.
I'm the current lead dev, so please ask questions.
Got a Canon DSLR or mirrorless and like a bit of software reverse engineering? Consider joining in; it's quite an approachable hardware target. No code obfuscation, just classic reversing. You can pick up a well supported cam for a little less than $100. Cams range from ARMv5te up to AArch64.
What's the situation re: running on actual hardware these days? I was experimenting around with my 4000D but when it came to trying to actually run my code on the camera rather than the emulator, a1ex told me I needed some sort of key or similar. He told me he'd sign it for me or something but he got busy and I never heard back.
Is this situation still the same? (Apologies for the hazy details -- this was 5 years ago!)
Wow, newly supported models is super exciting to see! I have a 5d mk iii which I got specifically to play around with ML. I haven't done much videography in my life, but do plan to get some b-roll at the very least with my mk iii or maybe record some friends live events sometime.
> I'm the current lead dev, so please ask questions.
Well, you asked for it!
One question I've always wondered about the project is: what is the difference between a model that you can support, and a model you currently can't? Is there a hard line where ML future compatibility becomes a brick wall? Are there models where something about the hardware / firmware makes you go 'ooh, that's a good candidate! I bet we can get that one working next'?
Also, as someone from the outside looking in who would be down to spend $100 to see if this something I can do or am interested in, which (cheap) model would be the easiest to grab and load up as dev environment (or in a configuration that mimics what someone might do to work on a feature), and where can I find documentation on how to do that? Is there a compendium of knowledge about how these cameras work from a reverse-engineering angle, or does everyone cut their teeth on forum posts and official canon technical docs?
edit: Found the RE guide on the website, gonna take a look at this later tonight
Just wanted to say thanks for keeping this alive! I used magic lantern in 2014 to unlock 4K video recording on my Canon. It was how students back then could start recording professional video without super expensive gear
I still shoot a 5Dmkii solely due to the ML firmware. It's primarily a timelapse camera at this point. The ETTR functionality is one of my absolute favorites. The biggest drawback I have is trying to shoot with an interval less than 5 seconds. The ML software gets confused and shoots irregular interval shots. Anything over 5 seconds, and it's great. No external timers necessary for the majority of my shooting. I do still have an external for when <5s intervals are necessary. I'm just waiting for the shutter to die, but I'm confident I'll just have it replaced and continue using the body+ML rather than buy yet another body.
Thanks for your work keeping it going, and for those that have worked on it before.
I just want to say "thank you." I run Magic Lantern on my Canon 5D Mark III (5d3) and it is such awesome software.
I am a hobbyist nature photographer and it helped me capture some incredible moments. Though I have a Canon R7, the Canon 5d3 is my favorite camera because I prefer the feel of DSLR optical viewfinders when viewing wildlife subjects, and I prefer certain Canon EF lenses.
Hey just want to say a massive thank you for everything you've done with this project. I've shot so much (short films, music videos, even a TV pilot!) on my pair of 600Ds and ML has given these cams such an extended life.
I recently obtained an astro converted 6D. Have played around with CHDK a long time ago as a teenager but never magic lantern.
I am a compiler dev with decent low level skills, anything in particular I should look at that would be good for the project as well as my ‘new’ 6D? (No experience with video unfortunately)
I have a newer R62 as well, but would rather not try anything with it yet.
I would love to add it to my 1Ds3. I recall reading that once upon a time Canon wrote ML devs a strongly worded letter telling them not to touch a 1D, but a camera that old is long obsolete.
(I literally only want a raw histogram)
(I also have a 1Dx2 but that's probably a harder port)
I stand by my statement! Compare the length of the C standard to JS / ECMAScript, or C++! :)
Maaaaybe I'm hiding a tradeoff around complexity vs built-in features, but volunteers can work that out themselves later on.
You honestly don't need much knowledge of C to get started in some areas. The ML GUI is easy to modify if you stay within the lines. Other areas, e.g., porting a complex feature to a new camera, are much harder. But that's the life of a reverse engineer.
> We're using Git now. We build on modern OSes with modern tooling. We compile clean, no warnings. This was a lot of work, and invisible to users, but very useful for devs. It's easier than ever to join as a dev.
Very impressive! Thankless work. A reminder to myself to chase down some warnings in projects I am a part of...
It’s not too difficult, if you do it from the start, and by habit.
I have an xcconfig file[0], that I add to all my projects, that turns on treat warnings as errors, and enables all warnings. In C, I used to compile -wall.
I also use SwiftLint[1].
But these days, I almost never trigger any warnings, because I’ve developed the habit of good coding.
Since Magic Lantern is firmware, I’m surprised that this was not already the case. Firmware needs to be as close to perfect as possible (I used to write firmware. It’s one of the reasons I’m so anal about Quality).
Yes! As a software developer in the photography space, we are deeply in need of projects like this.
The photography world is mired in proprietary software/ formats, and locked down hardware; and while it has always been true that a digital camera is “just” a computer, now more than ever it is painful just how limited and archaic on-board camera software is when compared to what we’ve grown accustomed to in the mobile phone era.
If I compare photography to another creative discipline I am somewhat familiar with, music production - the latter has way more open software/hardware initiatives, and freedom of not having to tether yourself to large, slow, user-abusing companies when choosing gear to work with.
An alternative to Magic Lantern is CHDK. Unfortunately that also feels somewhat abandoned and at the best of times held together with string* so I’m glad ML is back.
*No judgement, maintaining a niche and complex reverse-engineering project must be a thankless task
It is actually easier to get started now, as I spent several months updating the dev infrastructure so it all works on modern platforms with modern tooling.
Plus Ghidra exists now, which was a massive help for us.
We didn't really go on hiatus - the prior lead dev left the project, and the target hardware changed significantly. So everything slowed down. Now we are back to a more normal speed. Of course, we still need more devs; currently we have 3.
For a look at some of the amazing output from an "ancient" EOS, you can look at Magic Lantern's Discord. It's rather shocking how far this little camera could be pushed. It is definitely a fun hobby project to fool around with these things. After awhile I stopped having the time and moved over to Sony APS-C with vintage lenses. I was able to maintain some of the aesthetic without getting frustrated by stuttering video. Still it's really a cool project.
This news is probably my excuse to buy my forth EOS; the first three were 100% only because of Magic Lantern.
Can't understand why manufacturers make this hard as it sells hardware.
> Can't understand why manufacturers make this hard as it sells hardware.
Because a lot of features that cost a lot of money are only software limitations. With many of the cheaper cameras the max shutter speed and video capabilities are limited by software to make the distinction with the more expensive cameras bigger. So they do sell hardware - but opening up the software will make their higher-end offerings less compelling.
Magic Lantern is fantastic software that makes EOS cameras even better, but I understand why manufacturers make it hard:
Camera manufacturers live and die on their reputation for making tools that deliver for the professional users of those tools. On a modern camera, the firmware and software needs to 100% Just Work and completely get out of the photographer's way, and a photographer needs to be able to grab a (camera) body out of the locker and know exactly what it's going to do for given settings.
The more cameras out there running customized firmware, the more likely someone misses a shot because "shutter priority is different on this specific 5d4" or similar.
I'm sure Canon is quietly pleased that Magic Lantern has kept up the resale value of their older bodies. I'm happy that Magic Lantern exists-- I no longer need an external intervalometer! It does make sense, though, that camera manufacturers don't deliberately ship cameras as openly-programmable computational photography tools.
Magic Lantern is amazing... I used it with a custom C script to do auto ISO in Av mode (setting minimum shutter speed based on focal length) before that was built into the newer camera models. It's good to see it back!
The 80D has Magic Lantern code available. We haven't released a build to the public as it has such minimal features available there's no real point yet. But if you were thinking of doing dev work for it, it's in a good place to start: ML GUI works, debug logging works.
I should give this a shot. I used to use CHDK so I could use my old crappy Canon into something that would take good time-lapse videos by snapping a photo every X seconds; I miss doing that, though now it's harder because I live in the 'burbs, and there's no particularly spots for that nearby, and anywhere that is a good spot likely doesn't have a power outlet for me to use. I wonder how long I could power my camera from a portable charger?
I used to do it as well with a cheap second-hand IXUS 230 HS. It could run (at least) 48 h off a 7.2 Ah 12 V AGM battery, snapping a photo every 3 s (I used a fake-battery power adapter and a small DC-DC converter.)
Cool! Am i the only one who has a really hard time finding what models are supported? It says on the frontpage that it's on the downloads page, but I can't seem to find anything?
EDIT: It's on the builds page https://builds.magiclantern.fm
The list is so long. My favorite is the internal intervalometer + ETTR. Canon has always been laughed at for not having an internal intervalometer, and ML proves how lame it is to not have one. ETTR (Expose To The Right) is an auto metering mode that allows the camera to keep the histogram pushed as far to the right (better exposure) automagically by increasing shutter time and/or increasing ISO. This is essential for doing holy grail timelapse of sunset/sunrise where the exposure is constantly changing. This feature alone is worth it's weight in gold.
However, a lot of the features exposed are more video oriented. The Canon bodies were primarily photo cameras that could shoot video in a cumbersome way. ML brings features a video shooter would need without diving into the menus like audio metering. The older bodies also have hardware limitations on write speed, so people use the HDMI out to external recorders to record a larger framesize/bitrate/codec than natively possible. Also, that feed normally has the camera UI overlay which prevents clean recordings. ML allows turning that off.
There are just too many features that ML unlocks. You'd really just need to find the camera body you are interested in using on their site, and see what it does for that body. Different bodies have different features. So some effort is required on your part to know exactly what it can do for you.
I don't know if modern cameras are better for this, but a big one historically was getting a clean, realtime HDMI output so that high quality cameras can be used with a capture card for broadcast purposes as a replacement for a webcam. Manufacturers understand that that's a "pro" level need/feature and have intentionally segmented the market so that lower-tier devices can't do it even though the hardware is obviously all present.
- Lua script support.
It is not complete (in ML hardly anything is) but allows to access a lot of ML and Canon functions. Years ago someone made a script for automating solar eclipse shooting catching all critical phases while chilling and enjoying the view.
- Introduced full electronic shutter (Silent Pic) for Digic 4 and 5.
- Focus stacking for macro and - via Lua script - for landscape.
- Exposure simulation switch for "cheaper" cams
- Trap focus
- Dual-ISO. Some HDR mode but without ghosting by manipulating sensor lines to record at different ISOs
- Ghost image overlay
- Customizable cropmark overlays (grids and others)
- Fps finetuning. Several folks used it to record vintage monitors with very, very strange timings and without rolling bars.30.01 fps? No problem!
- Zebras and focus peaking, vectorscope, wavelength monitoring, false colour support
- RAW histogram
- Bracketing with up to 11 frames (But why? ;-> )
- Intervalometer and bracketing (a bit more configurable than Canon has now)
- Trigger by LCD's IR sensor (if any) or Audio (clap your hand) or motion detect
- Rack focus
- Display mirroring and upside/down options
- Configurable presets (up to 15)
- 30 minutes override for RAW recording, USB and HDMI streaming. Oh, and we have a new option to record native H.264/MOV for more than 29:59. Prototype but working.
-Better AF micoradjustment for the cams having that option by Canon.
- ,,,
Frankly: I once tried to maintain a help file and browsed through a lot of lesser known features. Took me days and I didn't even test RAW/MLV recording.
The big one for me was always focus peaking when using vintage lenses or doing IR photography. The extended White Balance settings were nice to have for IR, as well.
I still have my 600D - it's hand down the most user-friendly DSLR I've ever owned, thanks to Magic Lantern. I also have a Sony A7S2. But, it is nowhere near the ease of use of my 600D. 12 years ago or so, I discovered Magic Lantern and I was blown away. It literally turned my camera into a high-end unit (for its time). What blows me away is that, my 600D can capture RAW video after installing ML. My Sony still can do only 10-bit video, 12 years later. The team deserves so much more funding and credit than they receive. I'm extremely grateful to the project and the people behind. I still haven't sold my 600D - only because of Magic Lantern. Thank you team :)
I have fond memories of squeezing so deep exposure stacking out of the auto/adaptive-HDR-bracketing script in CHDK on my old "IXUS 100IS", that the AFAIK still CCD had severe blooming around the window in the scene. Still great though!
Would love it if camera manufacturers were forced to open source their firmware after say 5 years of a camera’s release. The longevity of devices would be vastly improved.
In fact make this all devices with firmware, printers, streamers etc.
I don't think forcing a company to open source their IP is a good move, but perhaps there might be some encouragement implemented for opening up their bootloader so the device is more hackable.
I just got my T2i out a few months ago and the first thing I did was check for new magic lantern versions. haha. Really cool to see this project is still living.
Thanks to all contributors to the project, ML is an amazing feat of work. I've been running it on my Canon 6D since I got it in 2016, very useful for timelapses.
Same boat. I have a 6D Mark II since 7 years ago now, and I misguidedly was counting on ML to be released within 3 years of my purchase. But luckily, it's still a fantastic camera.
> As of December 2024, the Magic Leap One is no longer supported or working, becoming end of life and abruptly losing functionality when cloud access was ended. This happened whilst encouraging users to buy a newer model.
I was trying to understand what this project is. It's some sort of open firmware for Canon camera that you put on the flash card (SD). The home page has info: https://www.magiclantern.fm/
Yes its truly noteworthy project. They exploited Canon cameras by first managing to blink red charging LED. Then they used the LED blinks to transmit the firmware out. Then they built custom firmware which boots right from SD (thus no posibility to break the camera). The Magic Lantern firmware for example allows many basic cameras to do RAW 4K video recording (with unlimited length) - feature which is not even in the high-end models. But it has much more features to tinker with.
I absolutely love Magic Lantern, and I wish similar initiatives existed on Sony and Nikon! I was forced to upgrade my Sony camera purely because of software limitations.
Firmwares should be open-source by law. Especially when products are discontinued.
Very happy to see ML return, used it in my T2i for 10 years at least, this year I bought a R6 Mark II so no need but I'd be very happy to see it someday with support for ML. Congratulations on the return!
It has been many moons since I used Magic Lantern. Has anamorphic desqueeze ever been a feature or could it be in the future? That's one missing feature that bums me out about shooting videos on Canon.
Amazing to see this, I haven’t thought about this since 2013. This turned my very basic entry level 550D into a crazy powerful camera for time lapse photography, I loved it!
The nifty thing would come from opening up the high end cameras, so why not go there? Of course Canon's legal team gonna crack down on the project, as they've previously said.
Canon's legal team have never said anything about Magic Lantern in any context that I'm aware of.
The high end cams need ML less, they have more features stock, plus devs need access to the cam to make a good port. So higher end cams tend to be less attractive to developers.
I wouldn't recommend the 600D if you want to do video. For stills it's perfectly acceptable. Auto-focus will feel slow compared to a modern cam. If you're going for an old / budget cam, try and reach to the 650D or 700D, those are a newer generation of hardware.
200D is much newer, but less well supported by ML. I own this cam and am actively working on improving it. 200D has DPAF, which means considerably improved auto-focus, especially for video. Also it can run Doom.
Are there any ML features in particular you're interested in?
But this is actually really cool because, as it turns out, I've got an old Canon Eos DSLR that I haven't used for a long time and didn't know this thing existed before.
Around 2020, our old lead dev, a1ex, after years of hard work, left the project. The documentation was fragmentary. Nobody understood the build system. A very small number of volunteers kept things alive, but nothing worked well. Nobody had deep knowledge of Magic Lantern code.
Sounds like a bit of a dick move. Part of being a lead dev is making sure you can get hit by a bus and the project continues. That means documentation, simple enough and standard build system (It's C after all), etc. As a lead dev you should ensure the people on the project get familiarity with other part than their niche too, so that one can succeed you.
Uh, sure, maybe in a professional setting where you’re getting paid. But this was unpaid volunteer work. If, as a community, we start enforcing professional grade standards on people who are just contributing their free time to give us neat toys and tools, I kinda worry it makes the whole thing the whole thing less fun or sustainable. And if that happens, we probably stop getting these free toys altogether.
For folks who don't know what Magic Lantern is:
> Magic Lantern is a free software add-on that runs from the SD/CF card and adds a host of new features to Canon EOS cameras that weren't included from the factory by Canon.
It also backports new features to old Canon cameras that aren't supported anymore, and is generally just a really impressive feat of both (1) reverse engineering and (2) keeping old hardware relevant and useful.
More backstory: before the modern generation of digital cameras - Magic Lantern was one of the early ways to "juice" more power out of early generations of Canon cameras, including RAW video recording.
Today, cameras like Blackmagic and editing platforms like DaVinci handle RAW seamlessly, but it wasn't like this even a few years ago.
Funny, when i saw it uses a .fm TLD i thought it's some online radio.
I wish there are similar projects for other camera brands like Fujifilm. With abilities of ML on old Canon cameras we know there is a lot of potential in those old machines across other brands. It is also "eco" friendly approach that should be supported.
it also has a scripting system and is damn fun to mess with.
Thanks to all who are sharing their appreciation for this niche but cool project.
I'm the current lead dev, so please ask questions.
Got a Canon DSLR or mirrorless and like a bit of software reverse engineering? Consider joining in; it's quite an approachable hardware target. No code obfuscation, just classic reversing. You can pick up a well supported cam for a little less than $100. Cams range from ARMv5te up to AArch64.
What's the situation re: running on actual hardware these days? I was experimenting around with my 4000D but when it came to trying to actually run my code on the camera rather than the emulator, a1ex told me I needed some sort of key or similar. He told me he'd sign it for me or something but he got busy and I never heard back.
Is this situation still the same? (Apologies for the hazy details -- this was 5 years ago!)
Wow, newly supported models is super exciting to see! I have a 5d mk iii which I got specifically to play around with ML. I haven't done much videography in my life, but do plan to get some b-roll at the very least with my mk iii or maybe record some friends live events sometime.
> I'm the current lead dev, so please ask questions.
Well, you asked for it!
One question I've always wondered about the project is: what is the difference between a model that you can support, and a model you currently can't? Is there a hard line where ML future compatibility becomes a brick wall? Are there models where something about the hardware / firmware makes you go 'ooh, that's a good candidate! I bet we can get that one working next'?
Also, as someone from the outside looking in who would be down to spend $100 to see if this something I can do or am interested in, which (cheap) model would be the easiest to grab and load up as dev environment (or in a configuration that mimics what someone might do to work on a feature), and where can I find documentation on how to do that? Is there a compendium of knowledge about how these cameras work from a reverse-engineering angle, or does everyone cut their teeth on forum posts and official canon technical docs?
edit: Found the RE guide on the website, gonna take a look at this later tonight
Just wanted to say thanks for keeping this alive! I used magic lantern in 2014 to unlock 4K video recording on my Canon. It was how students back then could start recording professional video without super expensive gear
I still shoot a 5Dmkii solely due to the ML firmware. It's primarily a timelapse camera at this point. The ETTR functionality is one of my absolute favorites. The biggest drawback I have is trying to shoot with an interval less than 5 seconds. The ML software gets confused and shoots irregular interval shots. Anything over 5 seconds, and it's great. No external timers necessary for the majority of my shooting. I do still have an external for when <5s intervals are necessary. I'm just waiting for the shutter to die, but I'm confident I'll just have it replaced and continue using the body+ML rather than buy yet another body.
Thanks for your work keeping it going, and for those that have worked on it before.
I just want to say "thank you." I run Magic Lantern on my Canon 5D Mark III (5d3) and it is such awesome software.
I am a hobbyist nature photographer and it helped me capture some incredible moments. Though I have a Canon R7, the Canon 5d3 is my favorite camera because I prefer the feel of DSLR optical viewfinders when viewing wildlife subjects, and I prefer certain Canon EF lenses.
More here:
https://amontalenti.com/photos
When I hang out with programmer friends and demo Magic Lantern to them, they are always blown away.
Hey just want to say a massive thank you for everything you've done with this project. I've shot so much (short films, music videos, even a TV pilot!) on my pair of 600Ds and ML has given these cams such an extended life.
It’s been a huge blessing!
I recently obtained an astro converted 6D. Have played around with CHDK a long time ago as a teenager but never magic lantern.
I am a compiler dev with decent low level skills, anything in particular I should look at that would be good for the project as well as my ‘new’ 6D? (No experience with video unfortunately)
I have a newer R62 as well, but would rather not try anything with it yet.
I would love to add it to my 1Ds3. I recall reading that once upon a time Canon wrote ML devs a strongly worded letter telling them not to touch a 1D, but a camera that old is long obsolete.
(I literally only want a raw histogram)
(I also have a 1Dx2 but that's probably a harder port)
I use magic lantern on my canon 650D to get a clean feed for my blackmagic ATEM. The installation was easy and everything works well.
Thank you and the magic lantern team!
> The main thing you need is knowledge of C, which is a small language that has good tutorials.
Heh, a little like saying "the main thing you need is to be able to play the violin, which is a small instrument with good tutorials".
I stand by my statement! Compare the length of the C standard to JS / ECMAScript, or C++! :)
Maaaaybe I'm hiding a tradeoff around complexity vs built-in features, but volunteers can work that out themselves later on.
You honestly don't need much knowledge of C to get started in some areas. The ML GUI is easy to modify if you stay within the lines. Other areas, e.g., porting a complex feature to a new camera, are much harder. But that's the life of a reverse engineer.
> We're using Git now. We build on modern OSes with modern tooling. We compile clean, no warnings. This was a lot of work, and invisible to users, but very useful for devs. It's easier than ever to join as a dev.
Very impressive! Thankless work. A reminder to myself to chase down some warnings in projects I am a part of...
It’s not too difficult, if you do it from the start, and by habit.
I have an xcconfig file[0], that I add to all my projects, that turns on treat warnings as errors, and enables all warnings. In C, I used to compile -wall.
I also use SwiftLint[1].
But these days, I almost never trigger any warnings, because I’ve developed the habit of good coding.
Since Magic Lantern is firmware, I’m surprised that this was not already the case. Firmware needs to be as close to perfect as possible (I used to write firmware. It’s one of the reasons I’m so anal about Quality).
[0] https://github.com/RiftValleySoftware/RVS_Checkbox/blob/main... (I need to switch the header to MIT license, to match the rest of the project. It’s been a long time, since I used GPL, but I’ve been using this file, forever).
[1] https://littlegreenviper.com/swiftlint/
Yes! As a software developer in the photography space, we are deeply in need of projects like this.
The photography world is mired in proprietary software/ formats, and locked down hardware; and while it has always been true that a digital camera is “just” a computer, now more than ever it is painful just how limited and archaic on-board camera software is when compared to what we’ve grown accustomed to in the mobile phone era.
If I compare photography to another creative discipline I am somewhat familiar with, music production - the latter has way more open software/hardware initiatives, and freedom of not having to tether yourself to large, slow, user-abusing companies when choosing gear to work with.
Long live Magic Lantern!
Agreed
cries in .x3f & Sigma Photo Pro
Unfortunately, they're not using a github organization- leaving it to fail again if that account disappears. Continuity is hard.
> git clone https://github.com/reticulatedpines/magiclantern_simplified
Why would it fail if the code is available?
An alternative to Magic Lantern is CHDK. Unfortunately that also feels somewhat abandoned and at the best of times held together with string* so I’m glad ML is back.
*No judgement, maintaining a niche and complex reverse-engineering project must be a thankless task
https://chdk.fandom.com/wiki/CHDK
This is good news
One of those projects I wanted to take on but always back logged. Wild that they've been on a 5 year hiatus -- https://www.newsshooter.com/2025/06/21/the-genie-is-out-of-t... -- that's the not-so-happy side of cool free wares.
No time like the present :)
It is actually easier to get started now, as I spent several months updating the dev infrastructure so it all works on modern platforms with modern tooling.
Plus Ghidra exists now, which was a massive help for us.
We didn't really go on hiatus - the prior lead dev left the project, and the target hardware changed significantly. So everything slowed down. Now we are back to a more normal speed. Of course, we still need more devs; currently we have 3.
For a look at some of the amazing output from an "ancient" EOS, you can look at Magic Lantern's Discord. It's rather shocking how far this little camera could be pushed. It is definitely a fun hobby project to fool around with these things. After awhile I stopped having the time and moved over to Sony APS-C with vintage lenses. I was able to maintain some of the aesthetic without getting frustrated by stuttering video. Still it's really a cool project.
This news is probably my excuse to buy my forth EOS; the first three were 100% only because of Magic Lantern. Can't understand why manufacturers make this hard as it sells hardware.
> Can't understand why manufacturers make this hard as it sells hardware.
Because a lot of features that cost a lot of money are only software limitations. With many of the cheaper cameras the max shutter speed and video capabilities are limited by software to make the distinction with the more expensive cameras bigger. So they do sell hardware - but opening up the software will make their higher-end offerings less compelling.
Magic Lantern is fantastic software that makes EOS cameras even better, but I understand why manufacturers make it hard:
Camera manufacturers live and die on their reputation for making tools that deliver for the professional users of those tools. On a modern camera, the firmware and software needs to 100% Just Work and completely get out of the photographer's way, and a photographer needs to be able to grab a (camera) body out of the locker and know exactly what it's going to do for given settings.
The more cameras out there running customized firmware, the more likely someone misses a shot because "shutter priority is different on this specific 5d4" or similar.
I'm sure Canon is quietly pleased that Magic Lantern has kept up the resale value of their older bodies. I'm happy that Magic Lantern exists-- I no longer need an external intervalometer! It does make sense, though, that camera manufacturers don't deliberately ship cameras as openly-programmable computational photography tools.
Magic Lantern is amazing... I used it with a custom C script to do auto ISO in Av mode (setting minimum shutter speed based on focal length) before that was built into the newer camera models. It's good to see it back!
This is such excellent news! I was extremely sad when progress was halted, lost hope my 80D would ever get cfw.
The 80D has Magic Lantern code available. We haven't released a build to the public as it has such minimal features available there's no real point yet. But if you were thinking of doing dev work for it, it's in a good place to start: ML GUI works, debug logging works.
I should give this a shot. I used to use CHDK so I could use my old crappy Canon into something that would take good time-lapse videos by snapping a photo every X seconds; I miss doing that, though now it's harder because I live in the 'burbs, and there's no particularly spots for that nearby, and anywhere that is a good spot likely doesn't have a power outlet for me to use. I wonder how long I could power my camera from a portable charger?
I used to do it as well with a cheap second-hand IXUS 230 HS. It could run (at least) 48 h off a 7.2 Ah 12 V AGM battery, snapping a photo every 3 s (I used a fake-battery power adapter and a small DC-DC converter.)
Canon Hack Development Kit for Canon PowerShot cameras
https://chdk.fandom.com/wiki/FAQ
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45078315
Cool! Am i the only one who has a really hard time finding what models are supported? It says on the frontpage that it's on the downloads page, but I can't seem to find anything? EDIT: It's on the builds page https://builds.magiclantern.fm
What would be something you can achieve using ML that you couldn't do with the stock firmware and postprocessing?
The list is so long. My favorite is the internal intervalometer + ETTR. Canon has always been laughed at for not having an internal intervalometer, and ML proves how lame it is to not have one. ETTR (Expose To The Right) is an auto metering mode that allows the camera to keep the histogram pushed as far to the right (better exposure) automagically by increasing shutter time and/or increasing ISO. This is essential for doing holy grail timelapse of sunset/sunrise where the exposure is constantly changing. This feature alone is worth it's weight in gold.
However, a lot of the features exposed are more video oriented. The Canon bodies were primarily photo cameras that could shoot video in a cumbersome way. ML brings features a video shooter would need without diving into the menus like audio metering. The older bodies also have hardware limitations on write speed, so people use the HDMI out to external recorders to record a larger framesize/bitrate/codec than natively possible. Also, that feed normally has the camera UI overlay which prevents clean recordings. ML allows turning that off.
There are just too many features that ML unlocks. You'd really just need to find the camera body you are interested in using on their site, and see what it does for that body. Different bodies have different features. So some effort is required on your part to know exactly what it can do for you.
I don't know if modern cameras are better for this, but a big one historically was getting a clean, realtime HDMI output so that high quality cameras can be used with a capture card for broadcast purposes as a replacement for a webcam. Manufacturers understand that that's a "pro" level need/feature and have intentionally segmented the market so that lower-tier devices can't do it even though the hardware is obviously all present.
- Lua script support. It is not complete (in ML hardly anything is) but allows to access a lot of ML and Canon functions. Years ago someone made a script for automating solar eclipse shooting catching all critical phases while chilling and enjoying the view. - Introduced full electronic shutter (Silent Pic) for Digic 4 and 5. - Focus stacking for macro and - via Lua script - for landscape. - Exposure simulation switch for "cheaper" cams - Trap focus - Dual-ISO. Some HDR mode but without ghosting by manipulating sensor lines to record at different ISOs - Ghost image overlay - Customizable cropmark overlays (grids and others) - Fps finetuning. Several folks used it to record vintage monitors with very, very strange timings and without rolling bars.30.01 fps? No problem! - Zebras and focus peaking, vectorscope, wavelength monitoring, false colour support - RAW histogram - Bracketing with up to 11 frames (But why? ;-> ) - Intervalometer and bracketing (a bit more configurable than Canon has now) - Trigger by LCD's IR sensor (if any) or Audio (clap your hand) or motion detect - Rack focus - Display mirroring and upside/down options - Configurable presets (up to 15) - 30 minutes override for RAW recording, USB and HDMI streaming. Oh, and we have a new option to record native H.264/MOV for more than 29:59. Prototype but working. -Better AF micoradjustment for the cams having that option by Canon. - ,,,
Frankly: I once tried to maintain a help file and browsed through a lot of lesser known features. Took me days and I didn't even test RAW/MLV recording.
The big one for me was always focus peaking when using vintage lenses or doing IR photography. The extended White Balance settings were nice to have for IR, as well.
I still have my 600D - it's hand down the most user-friendly DSLR I've ever owned, thanks to Magic Lantern. I also have a Sony A7S2. But, it is nowhere near the ease of use of my 600D. 12 years ago or so, I discovered Magic Lantern and I was blown away. It literally turned my camera into a high-end unit (for its time). What blows me away is that, my 600D can capture RAW video after installing ML. My Sony still can do only 10-bit video, 12 years later. The team deserves so much more funding and credit than they receive. I'm extremely grateful to the project and the people behind. I still haven't sold my 600D - only because of Magic Lantern. Thank you team :)
I have fond memories of squeezing so deep exposure stacking out of the auto/adaptive-HDR-bracketing script in CHDK on my old "IXUS 100IS", that the AFAIK still CCD had severe blooming around the window in the scene. Still great though!
Would love it if camera manufacturers were forced to open source their firmware after say 5 years of a camera’s release. The longevity of devices would be vastly improved.
In fact make this all devices with firmware, printers, streamers etc.
I don't think forcing a company to open source their IP is a good move, but perhaps there might be some encouragement implemented for opening up their bootloader so the device is more hackable.
But forcing is never a right thing.
I just got my T2i out a few months ago and the first thing I did was check for new magic lantern versions. haha. Really cool to see this project is still living.
Thanks to all contributors to the project, ML is an amazing feat of work. I've been running it on my Canon 6D since I got it in 2016, very useful for timelapses.
I've been waiting for Magic Lantern for my 6D Mark II for years now, checking the homepage every 6 months or so for an update, so this is great news!
6D2 is a nice cam, and one I happen to own. This cam is under active development. Locally I have ~FHD raw video working.
Same boat. I have a 6D Mark II since 7 years ago now, and I misguidedly was counting on ML to be released within 3 years of my purchase. But luckily, it's still a fantastic camera.
Looks like there's still no support for the M50. I hope with the revitalized development it's on the roadmap!
Nothing published. But just few hours ago I was asked to test its raw video capture mode ...
This is not about the key logging spyware Magic Lantern. I thought this would be an interesting read with whatever is happening around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Lantern_(spyware)
From a security mindset, I was thinking this had made a return: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Lantern_(spyware)
I was pleasantly surprised to find out this was something very different.
I thought it was Magic Leap, the AR scam company.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Leap
> As of December 2024, the Magic Leap One is no longer supported or working, becoming end of life and abruptly losing functionality when cloud access was ended. This happened whilst encouraging users to buy a newer model.
Ah, that’s about how I thought that would end up.
I was trying to understand what this project is. It's some sort of open firmware for Canon camera that you put on the flash card (SD). The home page has info: https://www.magiclantern.fm/
Hi - I'm the current lead dev.
It's not firmware, which is a nice bonus, no risk of a bad rom flash damaging your camera (only our software!).
We load as normal software from the SD card. The cam is running a variant of uITRON: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITRON_project
Yes its truly noteworthy project. They exploited Canon cameras by first managing to blink red charging LED. Then they used the LED blinks to transmit the firmware out. Then they built custom firmware which boots right from SD (thus no posibility to break the camera). The Magic Lantern firmware for example allows many basic cameras to do RAW 4K video recording (with unlimited length) - feature which is not even in the high-end models. But it has much more features to tinker with.
I absolutely love Magic Lantern, and I wish similar initiatives existed on Sony and Nikon! I was forced to upgrade my Sony camera purely because of software limitations.
Firmwares should be open-source by law. Especially when products are discontinued.
Very happy to see ML return, used it in my T2i for 10 years at least, this year I bought a R6 Mark II so no need but I'd be very happy to see it someday with support for ML. Congratulations on the return!
It has been many moons since I used Magic Lantern. Has anamorphic desqueeze ever been a feature or could it be in the future? That's one missing feature that bums me out about shooting videos on Canon.
Support for anamorphic lense ML has for ages: 5:4 (1.25); 4:3 (1.33); 7:5 (1.4); 3:2 (1.5); 5:3 (1.66); 9:5 (1.8); 2:1 (2)
CHDK and Magic Lantern are fantastic, I really wish there was a Nikon equivalent.
There is, but it's more limited: https://www.dslrbodies.com/cameras/general-nikon-camera-info...
Amazing to see this, I haven’t thought about this since 2013. This turned my very basic entry level 550D into a crazy powerful camera for time lapse photography, I loved it!
The nifty thing would come from opening up the high end cameras, so why not go there? Of course Canon's legal team gonna crack down on the project, as they've previously said.
Canon's legal team have never said anything about Magic Lantern in any context that I'm aware of.
The high end cams need ML less, they have more features stock, plus devs need access to the cam to make a good port. So higher end cams tend to be less attractive to developers.
Are there modded firmware for Sony or Lumix cameras?
Sony has https://github.com/ma1co/OpenMemories-Tweak The developer disappeared but it still works I think.
Magic lantern is amazing. I'm still hoping a project grows for the other camera brands since I only have Nikon and Panasonic cameras.
Fantastic news! Congrats to the new team!
Magic Lantern Devs are GOAT < 3
If I’m to get a secondhand camera to run MM which would your recommend? 200D or 600D?
I wouldn't recommend the 600D if you want to do video. For stills it's perfectly acceptable. Auto-focus will feel slow compared to a modern cam. If you're going for an old / budget cam, try and reach to the 650D or 700D, those are a newer generation of hardware.
200D is much newer, but less well supported by ML. I own this cam and am actively working on improving it. 200D has DPAF, which means considerably improved auto-focus, especially for video. Also it can run Doom.
Are there any ML features in particular you're interested in?
I was hoping it was these guys: https://youtu.be/x3Y1dAcHK5Y
But this is actually really cool because, as it turns out, I've got an old Canon Eos DSLR that I haven't used for a long time and didn't know this thing existed before.
Uh, sure, maybe in a professional setting where you’re getting paid. But this was unpaid volunteer work. If, as a community, we start enforcing professional grade standards on people who are just contributing their free time to give us neat toys and tools, I kinda worry it makes the whole thing the whole thing less fun or sustainable. And if that happens, we probably stop getting these free toys altogether.