Firmware hack Rebel XTi /400D enables ISO 3200, Spot metering!

[raingrove]

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLY AWESOME!

Guys at CHDK made it again! (Thanks thaibv and foldsea @ CHDK!!!)

A firmware hack for Rebel XTi / 400D that enables additional features such as ISO 3200 (and other ISOs in between like 500, 640, 120, 1250 etc) and SPOT METERING (yes! spot metering!) has been released and it works pretty darn well!

For more information and the required files, please refer to:
http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php...,3290.135.html

Use testfir.fir to make your 400d bootable from CF and then make your CF card bootable using cardtricks. (choose CF boot sector option) Copy the hack file (autorun.bin) into the CF.

Once all is done correctly, insert the CF and turn the camera on. The print button will light up (blue) momentarily to show that the hack has been loaded.

To change ISO, go to ISO menu to choose baseline ISO and then push the print button several times to switch to other ISOs. (ISO number in the screen will change accordingly)

100 - 100 / 125 / 160 / 80
200 - 200 / 250 / 320
400 - 400 / 500 / 640
800 - 800 / 1000 / 1250
1600 - 1600 / 2000 / 2500 / 3200

To use spot metering go to metering menu, and then push print button. Camera will beep and spot metering will be enabled.

To start the camera without the hack, insert other non-hacked CFs or just format the CF.

--------DETAILED HOWTO--------

1. use a fully charged battery. you need CF card reader and windows. on a mac, use windows under bootcamp/vmware fusion.

2. update to latest firmware (1.1.1) by downloading the latest firmware, copying it into the root of CF, and running "update firmware" in the setup menu.

3. empty your CF, download testfir.fir from http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php/topic,1618.0.html and copy it into the root of your CF.

4. insert CF, and then run firmware update again using testfir.fir the screen will go blank. wait 5 minutes, turn off, take battery out and back in.

5. insert CF into card reader and perform a quick format.

6. --------------- UPDATED INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOTH < 4GB (fat16) AND > 4GB (fat32) CARDS: ----------------------------

download cardtricks 1.45 : http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php/topic,4214.0.html (first download link). Run it to self extract the archive. Run the binary extracted, choose CF drive, tick "cf boot sector" and then click "make bootable."

7. download latest autoexec.bin from here: http://code.google.com/p/400d/downloads/list rename it to autoexec.bin then copy the file to CF card.

8. safely remove CF, insert it into camera, if the blue print led of the camera briefly lights up when the camera is turned on, the hack is successfully loaded.

9. to use additional ISO values, choose one of the 100,200,400,800,1600, and then push the print button to access more ISOs. (80/100/125/160/200/250/320/400/500/640/800/1000/1250/ 1600/2000/2500/3200)

ISO levels 16/32/40/50 can also be enabled if you go to menu and turn "shoot without CF" ON, but not sure if they really work (i see no difference.)

10. to use spot metering, go to metering selection screen, then push the print button. to go back to "evaluative metering", you have to select other metering modes first, and then back to "evaluative metering", because the camera thinks you are at "evaluative" although you are at "spot metering".

11. to view shutter actuation count, which was only viewable by canon themselves, go to menu, push print button, push menu button again twice, ("factory menu" appears), enter factory menu, then push print button to enter "debug mode". after a beep, go back and set spot metering. and you will see the camera writing something to the CF (CF light). eject CF, insert it into card reader, you will see a file called STDOUT.txt, search the textfile for "Release". there you see a number and that is the shutter count.

thanks very much thaibv and Foldesa of CHDK for this wonderful hack.

- raingrove

[raingrove]

preview:

[WT21]

Cool!

[KCmike]

I can't seem to find it?

[woos]

Incredible...the 450d and 1000d also run VxWorks right, not DryOS?

So in theory if this gets developed further it should be fairly easy to get going on a rebel xs or xsi as well! Always made me sad that the xs and xsi don't have an in camera iso 3200 option as their high iso performance is so good.

Unfortunately getting video to work on the xsi (ie dumping the live view data as a mjpeg avi to the sd card) would be way, way, more difficult so don't get your hopes up for that lol.

[Mashimaro]

that's pretty neat!

[monty28428]

Originally Posted by KCmike

I can't seem to find it?

go here -> Link

[raingrove]

moved it to the top of the thread

[Paul Li]

WHAT!!! What about the 1000D?

[griptape]

CHDK has put out some pretty awesome stuff, but spot metering on a 400D is pretty incredible. The expanded ISO 3200 is the same as taking a shot at ISO 1600 and raising the exposure a full stop in post processing, so I'm really not impressed by that. But good for them. Now how about video on my 50D? Not that I'd really use it, but I could at least feel better standing next to someone with a 5DII.

[JAcosta]

My wife will like this. She has a 400D that she wishes had spot metering.

[BlackPuma]

Very nice hack!

[TeamSpeed]

That is simply very cool, finally a great use for that print button, let's rename it to the "direct-hack" button!

[BlackPuma]

Originally Posted by TeamSpeed

That is simply very cool, finally a great use for that print button, let's rename it to the "direct-hack" button!

I agree! Direct-Print is almost useless anyway...

[sd850is]

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet imma try this when i get home tonight