More info on 300D Hacks

[MrKnowNothing]

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1031&message=7502807

Kind of interesting.

Sorry if this is a repost.

[CyberDyneSystems]

No I had not seen this Mr,.. seems as if you do know something after all :mrgreen: lol

Thanks for the link!

Actually this is very cool,. when the 300D was first released there was lots of speculation as to how long it wiould take for a hacked bios to arrive on the scene...

And here it is.

In Summation.. for those that don't click the link,. A russian has a hacked bios to downlaod that will enable a menu of Custom functions similar to the 10D!!! :shock:

So check out that link!

Before attempting this,. read through those threads carefully,. there is at least one known "side effect" (a perpetually blinking "Red Eye" icon)

Also be sure to have the original stock Canon Bios on hand just in case.

Lastly I am sure if the Bios flash goes south,.. and you can't releoad the Canon Bios.. you may own a very pricey paperweight :(

[spock84]

What one should keep in mind though, is that many of these functions probably are dummy functions. IOW they won't have an effect since the actual camera hardware doesn't support such functions.

I'll be getting mine soon, but I probably won't try the hacked firmware. Ah.. I can't wait.

[fwhitesides]

The link listed to download the firmware hack at dpreview is getting hammered with requests. I traced back to the russian site that first posted it, and this URL is working much faster:

http://project2.online-mex.de/E3kr111.zip

Now all we have to do is make sense of all this.

[theoldmoose]

I think it's just plain hilarious that it only took a two byte hack (JNZ --> NOPs) to enable the custom function menu that was in the firmware all along.

To all those that poo-pooed my insistence that the 300D was most likely internally program-compatible with the 10D (in spite of going to a one-chip implementation from the 10D's four chips), I will now officially receive apologies.

8)

[Guillermo Freige]

Apparently most of the functions (2nd courtain sync, flash used as assist only, registration point, etc) are not working, because the lack of supporting hardware or buttons (as the assist button). I'll test it tonight.

[fwhitesides]

Apparently most of the functions (2nd courtain sync, flash used as assist only, registration point, etc) are not working, because the lack of supporting hardware or buttons (as the assist button). I'll test it tonight.

Apprently the mirror lock-up feature doesn't work either, if preliminary test results are accurate. I'm going to wait and see how this pans out before I flash the ROM. I'm holding out for FEC and most importantly, selectable metering. If a hack for those become available, I'll flash that puppy in a heartbeat.

However, reducing the embedded JPEG size in RAW files does sound appealing.

[CyberDyneSystems]

The stuff that doesn't work is most likely hardware realted.. the mirrors are different etc...

[theoldmoose]

Funny that no one seems to get mirror lockup to work, although there seemed to be confusion as to just how it was supposed to function among those not familiar with MLU on the 10D. Considering that the 300D sports a 'sensor clean' menu selection, which most certainly locks the mirror up, I'd say that it is not a hardware limitation.

It appears that most (all?) of the custom function selections set/reset flags in specific memory locations, to notify other software in the camera how to behave. Either some of that software is missing, or is looking in other 'drop-box' locations, or is written with different hardware in mind.

Case in point: the Rebel series of bodies don't contain what is usually considered a focus assist lamp. Instead, they flash the internal flash multiple times (if necessary) to briefly light the scene to increase contrast during auto-focus operations in dim light. Any reference to 'assist' in the 10D menus refers to the built-in near-IR assist lamp in the 10D body. Interestingly enough, though, adding a flash with near-IR assist lamps to a 300D doesn't seem to change the hacked 10D menu behavior on the 300D much. Choosing various combinations of assist lamp usage still seems to be ignored. This might be hard, or it might be easy to fix, depending on why this doesn't work.

For my usage, I had gone ahead and purchased a 550EX flash, figuring that the bird in hand (FEC, 2nd curtain, near-IR flash assist/assist only [put the 550EX in TTL mode to suppress the flash], FP sync, etc) was worth paying for at the moment, since I could use the flash on a better body if nothing else panned out in the 300D firmware hacking effort. Besides, the 550EX forms a nice basis for a multi-flash system, if/when I decide to go that route.

That leaves me wishing for four main items, one of which is currently working with the hack:

1) Selecting something other than the default medium/fine JPEG when using RAW+JPEG recording mode (works). Some folks want small or none; I want a full-size one for proofs or for those times when the original snap is just fine and I don't feel the need for tinkering with the RAW image.

2) Independently selecting exposure modes (a bonus would be to get something like spot metering, but we can dream, can't we?) 8)

3) Mirror lock up, which will probably eventually work (no reason discovered to date why not).

4) Being able to independently select servo focus modes. I hate being forced to use 'Sports' (w/no flash, JPEG only) mode just because I want continuous focusing.

[billhercus]

Couldn't agree more about Sports Mode. Hack that w/o all the fancy tricks for forcing the focus system, and you're on to something that will keep me happier with this camera for a lot longer.

Come on experts. It's got to be feasible :?:

[dtrayers]

Considering that the 300D sports a 'sensor clean' menu selection, which most certainly locks the mirror up, I'd say that it is not a hardware limitation.


The sensor clean function locks the mirror up and also opens the shutter. Isn't that the same as the BULB setting?

Just because it has a sensor clean setting doesn't mean it supports MLU. Of course, it's only logical that the mirror system is independent from the shutter system so MLU should be possibe, but a sensor clean mode is not a guarentee.

[ilya]

This is really quite remarkable.

The Russian guy who hacked the 300D two days ago -- "Wasya" -- is now very close to a rock star, in the west and the east.

The remarkable part - his first post on a Russian foto forum is very innocent "Does anyone need a fix for these following things ..... "

A few posts later, the significance of the event hasn't quite sunk in to other posters or Wasya; then Wasya asks "forgot to tell you that the red-eye indicator flashes in the LCD but it doesn't effect functionality. But is it worth it to anyone to put this fix out there, its kind of a bother" :shock:

A bit later as it starts to sink in "All I did was fix 2 bytes..."

This is second nature to some of these guys. I'm deeply in awe and respect of such intellect.

Most importantly ... "its only the beginning ... "

[Guillermo Freige]

First:
The redeye icon blinks only if any CF is changed to anything different to the default value, if you keep all CF at default, the redeye icon works fine again, so the blinking has nothing to do with the new menu, but with the settings selectes.

Second:
The CF settings has nothing to do with the hacked or original version of 1.1.1 firmware. I've just set the CF to my preferences, and reverted to the original 1.1.1 firmware, and the additional functionality is still there (including the blinking icon). Still the Set button works in Record mode, the camera doesn't take pictures without a CF card inserted, etc..
Why I've done that? Because now my camera is now using a "supported" firmware again, I can use multilingual menues again, and, if for some reason I must return the camera to Canon, I just must remove both batteries, and the camera will return to the factory settings :)
Of course I can't change CF settings anymore, but I prefer this setting.

[Kinger]

Couldn't agree more about Sports Mode. Hack that w/o all the fancy tricks for forcing the focus system, and you're on to something that will keep me happier with this camera for a lot longer.

Come on experts. It's got to be feasible :?:

i thought that was taken care of with the simple mono-headphone plug into the slot for the remote shutter cord. I could have sworn that there was a link or mention to this somewhere.

edit: ok here is the link I was talking about i hope it works for everyone. I know I plan on running to Radio Shack.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1031&message=6811025

[Guillermo Freige]

Regarding the non fuctioning CF functions, and the ability of the unmodified firmware to use the setting selected in the hacked one, it seems to me than the new firmware only change flags in memory, without adding any new code, except the CF menu. So, working functions work because the firmware actually is reading the flag, despite the original firmware doesn't have any way to set it.
Non working functions probably are more caused for a total lack of the function in the firmware than from hardware limitations, and except the code is still present but bypassed (as in the CF menu case), I doubt I'll be easy to add it, or port it from the 10D firmware. Also such a radical modification will be much more dangerous than the actual simpler hack.

[billhercus]

i thought that was taken care of with the simple mono-headphone plug into the slot for the remote shutter cord. I could have sworn that there was a link or mention to this somewhere.

edit: ok here is the link I was talking about i hope it works for everyone. I know I plan on running to Radio Shack.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1031&message=6811025_______________ __

Yes, I know about that but I still put that under the heading of 'fancy tricks'.

[Kinger]

Well I prefer that over hacking the firmware. i don't want to do something to the camera that I might regret and can't get back.

[billhercus]

I must confess to being very nervous about both. It's (for me) a lot of money to put at risk........

[theoldmoose]

It seems *fairly* safe to update the firmware in this camera. This is a kind of failsafe system of an initial program that is always launched first that checks to see if there is a new firmware image on the CF card inserted in the camera. If there is, it flashes that image into the camera's internal memory. If not, it jumps to the already loaded firmware.

So, barring doing something that overwrites the failsafe file, which is on a different DOS drive letter (like being an a different floppy in an old dual-floppy computer), then you should alwasy be able to recover your camera by re-loading Canon's firmware.

Of course, YMMV. 8)

[billhercus]

If that's right, and I have no reason to suspect otherwise :!: then maybe I will take the plunge .......

[kevinteh]

Sorry of my ignorance but how do you install the downloaded hack files and also, how to backup the original Canon Bios file just in case something goes wrong? I'm very keen to try it cos I really missed able to select the focusing mode and the metering mode.

[Man-Fai Wong]

I guess this had to happen sooner or later. :D Always does w/ computer/electronics gear that has more potential than the manufacturer lets on. Just approach w/ caution though. See this 2004 prediction from Thom Hogan at http://www.bythom.com/2004predictions.htm:

At least one virus or trojan horse will be dispensed in a freeware digital photography software product. Malicious hackers go where the crowd is. Hey, if everyone's got digital cameras, how many would want a free utility that "magically improves every picture using NSA technology?" Why, quite a few, I imagine. And won't they be surprised when the software eventually improves every picture by erasing it from their hard drive? Be careful out there, folks, malware is coming.

He's talking mainly about computer software, but really, it can happen w/ camera firmware also although a smart hacker might make it more subtle, eg. randomly corrupt a shot here a shot there. No, won't be a virus/worm per se since it can't propagate from camera to camera (at least not until we start having the ability to link cameras for FX shots like in the Matrix :D ), but it doesn't need to be a true virus/worm to be destructive.

If you try this firmware, I would definitely do what Guillermo's doing. Use it only long enough to adjust the custom settings and then flash the original firmware back in place since it sounds like the new settings will still work that way. I don't own a D-Rebel so have no idea how annoying that blinking red-eye icon might be, but that's what I would do myself -- and maybe these hacks will help sway me a little away from going w/ the upcoming Nikon D70.

FYI, I'm definitely not opposed to using hacks/tweaks of this sort and do it w/ other gear that I own. But I always try to be cautious about it and not be the guinea pig at the forefront of these experiments. Sometimes, the gains are worthwhile, but other times they are not.

Happy hacking...

_Man_

[Guillermo Freige]

Sorry of my ignorance but how do you install the downloaded hack files and also, how to backup the original Canon Bios file just in case something goes wrong? I'm very keen to try it cos I really missed able to select the focusing mode and the metering mode.

Kevin:
Just download the original firmware 1.1.1 from canon site, if you hadn't done yet. If not, probably your camera has still the old 1.0.2 one.
Regarding your hopes, regretfully you can't select focusing or metering mode with the patched firmware. You can only select the Set button fuction, the RAW embededed JPEG file size and compression level, the ability of shooting without a CF card or not, the use of a fixed 1/200 shutter speed in Av mode, and the posibility (to some extent) to use 1/2 or 1/3 stop steps. That's all. You'll have another 12 CF but, they do nothing.

[kevinteh]

OK thanks for the info. Appreciate it very much.

[Mikesht]

Number one- I always knew that those damn Russians are good for something :-)) I was one of them 12 years ago and it takes one to know one :-))

Number two- maybe I am too naive, but explain to me, why Canon hide those features instead of showing them off and adding them to it's advertisements? You would think that every additional feature is a feather in their hat?

[dn7elson]

Number two- maybe I am too naive, but explain to me, why Canon hide those features instead of showing them off and adding them to it's advertisements? You would think that every additional feature is a feather in their hat?

Just a guess, but from a marketing perspective it seems to make sense.
1. Keeps 300D/DRebel separate from 10D so that sales of 10D are not significantly affected until replacement arrives.
2. Gives Canon something quick and easy to do if Nikon (or others) deliver on a competitive model to the 300D/DRebel. Firmware upgrade gives them another boost after competitors release models.

Then again, maybe they just didn't want to include them :shock:

[Man-Fai Wong]

Just a guess, but from a marketing perspective it seems to make sense.
1. Keeps 300D/DRebel separate from 10D so that sales of 10D are not significantly affected until replacement arrives.
2. Gives Canon something quick and easy to do if Nikon (or others) deliver on a competitive model to the 300D/DRebel. Firmware upgrade gives them another boost after competitors release models.

Then again, maybe they just didn't want to include them :shock:

Well, we should find out about this soon enough. Competitor is coming real soon. And rumors are flying about possible 10D replacement.

_Man_