4 ms·

Linux on Your Canon DSLR? Why Not?

78 points by fla 12y ago

dharma1 12y ago
On Gopro (and other cameras using Ambarella) you can also telnet into a linux shell
- lhl 12y ago
  The newest Gopros have a pretty decent API. Sadly, it's on an absolute crap wifi connection. While Canon's USB stack has its issues as well, it's still a heckuva lot more stable than any of the wifi-based cameras I've tested...
616c 12y ago
I think one of the people involved in the Magic Lantern project is a DC guy that is part of the HacDC collective. I was very inspired when he tangentially mentioned his invovlement with a custom Canon DSLR firmware. It seems they have certainly progressed leaps and bounds. The humilty and awesomeness of that guy made me want to splurge and buy a Canon DSLR that was compatible just to learn how to hack from this guy, but alas it was and now is again out of my budget range.
- ISL 12y ago
  You can still buy the original EOS M with a sweet 22mm f/2 pancake for sub $300.
- thebeardisred 12y ago
  This is absolutely correct! Philip came by and did some presentations a while back. The membership ebbs and flows a bit, though (for example, two ex-presidents now live in the Bay area, one in Münich, one in NYC, etc). A very transient bunch.
- rocky1138 12y ago
  For those, like myself, wondering what DC and HacDC are: Washington, DC, USA, and a hackerspace in that city.
chickenbane 12y ago
Soon I imagine most DSLRs will be running Linux, specifically Android. Android has dramatically improved their image rendering pipeline in the Lollipop release, and it's just a matter of time before the remaining camera manufacturers switch. Vendors can concentrate on their device pipeline drivers and apps, they get the associated benefits of a fully-featured OS.
- userbinator 12y ago
  A lot of the "smarter" cameras already are running Linux; here is an example (more of a "look at how bad the security is" post, but you get the idea): http://op-co.de/blog/posts/hacking_the_nx300/ http://op-co.de/blog/posts/hacking_the_nx300/ Personally I think this is a fun hack that shows how much processing power the hardware has, but I wouldn't want to run a full OS on my camera...
- toothbrush 12y ago
  I wonder; i am sceptical. I am a very satisfied owner of a Nikon D80, and have been since, like, 2007? 2008? In all, it's been super reliable (touch wood), but more than that, it has always worked. Instantly. Never needing reboots. Never crashing, never doing something wonky or glitchy that i didn't intend. I really, really value that, and i hope that the everything-must-be-an-general-purpose-computer craze will pass over my cherished DSLR. The same people who are proponents of smartphones can pry my "dumb" camera from my cold, dead fingers. Long live simplicity. EDIT: Something else it cannot do: update software (well, i can't anyway). I think this type of device would be much better served by writing some good firmware and using modern full-stack proof/guarantee/checking so that the software can be certified to be correct and bug-free, then put on the device, never to be changed again. That is something that would make me truly happy. In 2015, we should have aeroplane-grade stability in software for devices like cameras (and phones, mind you, but that opinion is less popular).
  - sliverstorm 12y ago
    Fortunately high grade DSLR's primarily serves professionals, a market that seems at least slightly less prone to whimsey. Also promising is the fact that things like shots-per-second and boot-time have been standard specs for ages right up there with megapixels- reassuring me that whatever the software stack choice may be, the manufacturers and customers both care about what matters.

78 points by fla 12y ago

dharma1 12y ago

On Gopro (and other cameras using Ambarella) you can also telnet into a linux shell

lhl 12y ago
The newest Gopros have a pretty decent API. Sadly, it's on an absolute crap wifi connection. While Canon's USB stack has its issues as well, it's still a heckuva lot more stable than any of the wifi-based cameras I've tested...

616c 12y ago

I think one of the people involved in the Magic Lantern project is a DC guy that is part of the HacDC collective. I was very inspired when he tangentially mentioned his invovlement with a custom Canon DSLR firmware. It seems they have certainly progressed leaps and bounds. The humilty and awesomeness of that guy made me want to splurge and buy a Canon DSLR that was compatible just to learn how to hack from this guy, but alas it was and now is again out of my budget range.

ISL 12y ago
You can still buy the original EOS M with a sweet 22mm f/2 pancake for sub $300.
thebeardisred 12y ago
This is absolutely correct! Philip came by and did some presentations a while back. The membership ebbs and flows a bit, though (for example, two ex-presidents now live in the Bay area, one in Münich, one in NYC, etc). A very transient bunch.
rocky1138 12y ago
For those, like myself, wondering what DC and HacDC are: Washington, DC, USA, and a hackerspace in that city.

chickenbane 12y ago

Soon I imagine most DSLRs will be running Linux, specifically Android. Android has dramatically improved their image rendering pipeline in the Lollipop release, and it's just a matter of time before the remaining camera manufacturers switch. Vendors can concentrate on their device pipeline drivers and apps, they get the associated benefits of a fully-featured OS.

userbinator 12y ago
A lot of the "smarter" cameras already are running Linux; here is an example (more of a "look at how bad the security is" post, but you get the idea): http://op-co.de/blog/posts/hacking_the_nx300/ http://op-co.de/blog/posts/hacking_the_nx300/ Personally I think this is a fun hack that shows how much processing power the hardware has, but I wouldn't want to run a full OS on my camera...
toothbrush 12y ago
I wonder; i am sceptical. I am a very satisfied owner of a Nikon D80, and have been since, like, 2007? 2008? In all, it's been super reliable (touch wood), but more than that, it has always worked. Instantly. Never needing reboots. Never crashing, never doing something wonky or glitchy that i didn't intend. I really, really value that, and i hope that the everything-must-be-an-general-purpose-computer craze will pass over my cherished DSLR. The same people who are proponents of smartphones can pry my "dumb" camera from my cold, dead fingers. Long live simplicity. EDIT: Something else it cannot do: update software (well, i can't anyway). I think this type of device would be much better served by writing some good firmware and using modern full-stack proof/guarantee/checking so that the software can be certified to be correct and bug-free, then put on the device, never to be changed again. That is something that would make me truly happy. In 2015, we should have aeroplane-grade stability in software for devices like cameras (and phones, mind you, but that opinion is less popular).
- sliverstorm 12y ago
  Fortunately high grade DSLR's primarily serves professionals, a market that seems at least slightly less prone to whimsey. Also promising is the fact that things like shots-per-second and boot-time have been standard specs for ages right up there with megapixels- reassuring me that whatever the software stack choice may be, the manufacturers and customers both care about what matters.