Unofficial firmware extension that makes Canon's EOS series mess up easily 'Magic Lantern'

" Magic Lantern " is unofficial extension software of firmware of " EOS series " which is a Canon SLR brand. It is a framework developed openly under the GNU General Public License and you can expand and add various functions of the official firmware just by installing it in the SD card.

Magic Lantern | Home
https://www.magiclantern.fm/

Magic Lantern v 2.3 - Install Guide English
https://wiki.magiclantern.fm/en :install

Magic Lantern was developed by independent filmmaker who filmed with Canon's EOS 5D Mark II . For example, in the EOS series, excluding high-end models for some movie shoots, movies taken are encoded and saved with the H.264 codec. In other words, the data that can be checked later is not actually captured video, but it is a part of data that has been deleted for compression. However, by installing Magic Lantern, you can shoot and save uncompressed movies.

In the EOS 5D Mark III, if you look at the following movie comparing H.264 encoding and shooting using Magic Lantern you can see the difference. It is said that the lens is using genuine Canon 24mm · F1.4 and 70-200mm · F 2.8.

Canon 5d Mark III Magic Lantern (Raw vs H.264) test 2 - YouTube


Magic Lantern extends not only movies but also photo shooting functions. For example, display exposure measurement and color distribution on the live view monitor ......

You can display overexposed and underexposed in zebra pattern ......

Add focus pattern ......

You can display crop marks or your own grid.

Besides that, Magic Lantern was equipped with a variety of extended functions such as detailed ISO setting, sensor temperature display, valve function that can release the shutter for up to 8 hours, power saving function.

Magic Lantern does not contain any code developed by Canon, and it has become a thing that development has continued on trial and error by voluntarily to the last. Therefore, although it seems that there is no legal problem, it seems that it can not say that it functions 100% safely. Although it does not overwrite Canon's firmware, since it changes some settings, it may be considered that it will not start if wrong values are written. Since malfunctions due to the use of Magic Lantern are likely to be out of guarantee, it is necessary to implement at your own risk.