CHDK

[rothers]

Some might find this interesting:

http://lifehacker.com/387380/turn-your-point+and+shoot-into-a-super+camera

[mlav]

Yeah, DIGG had that posted.

Checked it before, no support for SD550?

[Jon]

See also
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=305198&highlight=CHDK
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=450666&highlight=CHDK
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=461601&highlight=CHDK
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=453793&highlight=CHDK
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=463756&highlight=CHDK
among other threads. They're constantly working on support for more cameras; it's worth checking back periodically.

[jscotti]

CHDK is wonderful - I've got the SDM (StereoDataMaker) version on my pair of A570is cameras set up in a stereo rig. The 1.60 version of SDM makes stereo shooting with the two cameras (and a USB switch to trigger them) a breeze. Here's a link to my photoblog post of an anaglyph of my rig (http://pixofmyuniverse.blogspot.com/2008/05/stereo-camera-rig.html) taken the old fashioned way with my 20D (take a picture and shift manually to take a 2nd).

Jim.

[new_user]

Installed a Allbest version for A530, set up to take raw pic's with it.

But I have yet to process any files since it is a bit confusing what to do to read the raw files.

Raw files are not supported in Elements 5, which these are different.

But I love the live histogram.:D:D

We'll see if I continue to use is later as this does not alter the camera's firmware!! You just delete these file from SD card and you are back to original!

I'm thinking I'll keep using it.

Goodluck yo-all

Vic

[Alexajlex]

Very interesting info.
I new about the RAW enable but did not know about all the other features.

One that caught my eye was the motion sensing picture mode.
If Canon can do this with a PS they need to seriously put this into their DSLRs.

Nikon and Pentax have had a focus trap system for quite a while now.

[Jon]

One that caught my eye was the motion sensing picture mode.
If Canon can do this with a PS they need to seriously put this into their DSLRs.That's only feasible in Live View, which, in the DSLRs, is power-hungry and heats up the sensor, increasing noise. If you really want a remote motion-activated camera either use a P&S (maybe the S5 or G9, with external flash) or use an IR beam or sound trigger.

[Alexajlex]

That's only feasible in Live View, which, in the DSLRs, is power-hungry and heats up the sensor, increasing noise. If you really want a remote motion-activated camera either use a P&S (maybe the S5 or G9, with external flash) or use an IR beam or sound trigger.


I just want Canon to do a focus trap system like Nikon and Pentax do it.
Prefocus on a spot and when the subjects enters that spot it takes a pic.

As far as I know on the Nikon and Pentax the LiveView is not required for this.

I think all that would be needed would be some firmware code to tell the camera that when you press the shutter button to hold off from taking a picture until focus has been acquired via the AF points you designated.

It would be great for quite a few thing (sports, auto racing, etc.)

[bsaber]

Installed a Allbest version for A530, set up to take raw pic's with it.

But I have yet to process any files since it is a bit confusing what to do to read the raw files.

Raw files are not supported in Elements 5, which these are different.

But I love the live histogram.:D:D

We'll see if I continue to use is later as this does not alter the camera's firmware!! You just delete these file from SD card and you are back to original!

I'm thinking I'll keep using it.

Goodluck yo-all

Vic

I had to use RAW Therapee to open the RAW files from my SD1000. Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom couldn't open it (DPP didn't work either).

[new_user]

Yeah, saw that link. I'm trying them out now. There also something called "dng4ps_1.1.4d".
I'm going to see if I like them.

Regards.
Vic

[Jon]

I just want Canon to do a focus trap system like Nikon and Pentax do it.
Prefocus on a spot and when the subjects enters that spot it takes a pic.

As far as I know on the Nikon and Pentax the LiveView is not required for this.

I think all that would be needed would be some firmware code to tell the camera that when you press the shutter button to hold off from taking a picture until focus has been acquired via the AF points you designated.

It would be great for quite a few thing (sports, auto racing, etc.)It works on a P&S because the AF uses the main sensor. AF sensors on the DSLR are separately positioned (at the bottom of the mirror box).

Do you mean to wait until the AF sensor gets an in-focus indication from the designated point while you've set the lens to Manual focus? Because in Single Shot AF, the shutter doesn't release until focus is achieved; this is also a configuration option in AI-Servo. That does rather presume that your subject comes through exactly where you expected it to, also. I'd prefer letting the camera AF as usual and have an external trigger circuit trip the shutter.

You need a sensor of some kind live for it, whether you have the LCD displaying anything or not. If you want to get the Zigview auxiliary electronic viewfinder, one of the higher-end models does offer motion-triggered shutter release capability

[Alexajlex]

It works on a P&S because the AF uses the main sensor. AF sensors on the DSLR are separately positioned (at the bottom of the mirror box).

Do you mean to wait until the AF sensor gets an in-focus indication from the designated point while you've set the lens to Manual focus? Because in Single Shot AF, the shutter doesn't release until focus is achieved; this is also a configuration option in AI-Servo. That does rather presume that your subject comes through exactly where you expected it to, also. I'd prefer letting the camera AF as usual and have an external trigger circuit trip the shutter.

You need a sensor of some kind live for it, whether you have the LCD displaying anything or not. If you want to get the Zigview auxiliary electronic viewfinder, one of the higher-end models does offer motion-triggered shutter release capability



http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?9,1126583

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00C1UJ

The first link is talking about the focus trap capabilities on a D200 and the other is a D2H.

Works in AF-S or AF-C on the Nikons.

They don't have any kind of live view.

I don't mean to have the lens in manual focus.

What I say to automatically release the shutter when focus has been achieve. As you mentioned in One-Shot mode the shutter won't release until focus has been achieve.

The way I want it is:

1)Press the shutter button and the system is activated.
2)When the focus is confirmed via AF it snaps the shutter and takes a pic in that instant.
All the bits are there and that is why I think some code is all that is needed.

This would be magical for birders so they can prefocus the bird feeder, press the shutter, and then when bird enters that filed of view it snaps a pic. The keeper rate would go through the roof.

I went back and even the Pentax Z-1 and Nikon
F90 had this capability. These cameras were released in the early 90s if I'm not mistaken.

The way Canon does it now is:

1)Press the shutter and if AF focus is confirmed it takes a pic.

[Jon]

That D2H description sounds like what the Canon "Focus priority" shooting gives you. Move AF to the "*", and pre-focus on your desired position, then use a remote to hold the shutter down. But if you pre-focus on the birdfeeder as in your example situation, that's always going to be in focus so the shot will be taken no matter what. You'd need to prefocus away from the feeder and the bird would have to move through the zone of focus for you to get the desired results.