CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video..

On Nov 6, 8:46 pm, Neil <n....DeleteThis@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> In message <1194339549.263408.288....DeleteThis@z24g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
> mark.thoma....DeleteThis@gmail.com writes>Kevin, given your frequent posts and fervent support of this software,
> >when are you going to post some actual *examples* demonstrating your
> >use of chdk?
>
> Personally I don't mind being kept up to date (I'm waiting for the
> version that will support my camera's firmware, I'd really like the RAW
> function).


Fair comment, Neil. I'm just having a little dig at "Kevin", who has
some 'interesting' posting habits on usenet. You may not have
recognised him elsewhere, but let's just say his views are often
stridently given...

If I was the author of CHDK, I would want someone else doing my
advertising...

(O;
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video.. 

In message <1194339549.263408.288880.RemoveThis@z24g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
mark.thomas.7.RemoveThis@gmail.com writes
>Kevin, given your frequent posts and fervent support of this software,
>when are you going to post some actual *examples* demonstrating your
>use of chdk?
>
>
Personally I don't mind being kept up to date (I'm waiting for the
version that will support my camera's firmware, I'd really like the RAW
function).

As to "examples" CHDK adds some functionality to the supported camera,
but doesn't really change the nature of the beast. The finished photos
are likely to be pretty nearly the same with or without CHDK.

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK_in_Brief

"Main features:

* Save images in RAW format
* Ability to run "Scripts" to automate the camera
* Live histogram (RGB, blended, luminance and for each RGB channel)
* Zebra mode (blinking highlights and shadows)
* An "always on" Battery indicator

Additional features:

* a depth-of-field (DOF)-calculator
* File browser
* Text reader
* Calendar
* Some fun tools and games "

Regards,
--
Neil Pugh
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video.. 

In message <1194349878.780504.310870.RemoveThis@i38g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
mark.thomas.7.RemoveThis@gmail.com writes
>
>
>Fair comment, Neil. I'm just having a little dig at "Kevin", who has
>some 'interesting' posting habits on usenet. You may not have
>recognised him elsewhere, but let's just say his views are often
>stridently given...
>

I didn't know that, I'll try harder to keep up to speed.....

Regards,
--
Neil Pugh
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video.. 

On Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:59:09 -0800, mark.thomas.7.TakeThisOut@gmail.com wrote:

>Kevin, given your frequent posts and fervent support of this software,
>when are you going to post some actual *examples* demonstrating your
>use of chdk?
>

He'll probably do that just as soon as you post anything more than highly
immature attempts for attention.

Neither of you should hold your breath waiting.
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video.. 

Off topic.

On Nov 7, 6:56 am, edward_danks <edanks_spambl... RemoveThis @nospam.net> wrote:
> On Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:59:09 -0800, mark.thoma... RemoveThis @gmail.com wrote:
> >Kevin, given your frequent posts and fervent support of this software,
> >when are you going to post some actual *examples* demonstrating your
> >use of chdk?
>
> He'll probably do that just as soon as you post anything more than highly
> immature attempts for attention.
>
> Neither of you should hold your breath waiting.

edward, meet Kevin. Kevin, edward.

Oh.. you've met??? (O;


(Neil - that was an example... you'll notice 'edward' also posted
from easynews, and suddenly appeared out of the blue, having never
posted before.. as do all of 'kevin's sockpuppets.)
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video.. 

KevenGaston wrote:
> See this page for further details about anything mentioned below.
>
> http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK
>
>
> New Cameras Supported:
>
> Canon Powershot A560 fw v1.00a
> Canon Powershot A570 fw v1.00e
> Canon Powershot A720 IS
> Canon Powershot SD500 fw v1.01a (IXUS700)

I don't think the A720IS is supported yet. They seem to have been able
to download the firmware from the camera, but there is no CHDK build for
it yet, unless I missed it somehow.
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video.. 

On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:06:10 -0800, SMS ???• ? <scharf.steven.RemoveThis@geemail.com>
wrote:

>KevenGaston wrote:
>> See this page for further details about anything mentioned below.
>>
>> http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK
>>
>>
>> New Cameras Supported:
>>
>> Canon Powershot A560 fw v1.00a
>> Canon Powershot A570 fw v1.00e
>> Canon Powershot A720 IS
>> Canon Powershot SD500 fw v1.01a (IXUS700)
>
>I don't think the A720IS is supported yet. They seem to have been able
>to download the firmware from the camera, but there is no CHDK build for
>it yet, unless I missed it somehow.


True, a misread on my part. I mistook a report that the A720 firmware was
finally available for download (for analysis), not the working ported binaries.
Just as you state.

It appears now that the A650, A720, S5 IS, G9, and other Digic III cameras have
been compiled and are working on a whole other OS (DRYOS vs. VxWorks). While it
is possible, CHDK is going to have to be re-analyzed from square-one to make it
work with them.

Due to the overwhelming benefits of any camera that can run CHDK I suspect it
will happen, it's just a matter of when. Winter is a good time for the less
adventurous photographers to find something else to do with and for their
cameras. New CHDKs might be part of their snow-day activities.

When I think of the leaps and bounds that CHDK has taken in only the last 6
months, ever since that first little binary that allowed people to only save RAW
files, and on only one model of camera at that, 17 different cameras supported
presently. Now it's capabilities are all the way up to a selection of 7
different full-color live histograms, Zebra's real-time under/over-exposure
areas flashing in your EVF/LCD (in 6 different flavors and 255x255 different
color options, with user selectable under/over limit settings), programmable
motion-detection fast enough to capture lightning strikes, an unlimited number
of cropping and composition grids, an inexpensive and 100% adaptable USB remote
trigger, on-screen DOF calculations, full-frame high-speed stereo photography
done with two cameras linked by USB (all automated)..... I could also mention
the fun things like having a 10,000 e-book library on one SD card to read on
your camera's EVF/LCD while on vacation, but that's not photography related.
Aside: with the right font converted to RBF format it's actually pleasurable to
read an e-book using your camera and CHDK, I used it for that while tanning this
summer. (I've also already found a way to use my camera as an MP3 player but
it's a too-clunky work-around when MP3 players are so small and cheap now.) ....

I've no doubt that CHDK's availability and capabilities are only going to grow
exponentially. As it already has. It's becoming difficult to even keep up with
the weekly changes and new findings, huge sections of the Wikia pages haven't
even been updated with all the new features in the last month. (We're too busy
playing with our cameras' new, and until now unavailable, capabilities.) People
once thought that new video compressions were impossible. Now we have 98 VBR
options and another 10 CBR video quality options to choose from. Some of such
high quality that even the best SD cards available can't keep up with the
bandwidth needed. Need I mention the new set_prop scripting command that allows
me to take +/- 4 or more f/stop brackets, in high-speed multiples of 3-shot EV
brackets, with each f/stop in increments as fine as 96 steps if wanted? Or
unlimited automated DOF bracketing? I've yet to delve into the 96-steps per
f/stop flash-output options to fine-tune the flash for macro-photography. Using
a simple script it could read the camera settings automatically to set the flash
for the macro-photo distances. Or for high-speed photography studies that were
once only the realm of the laboratory. (Flash output intensity is controlled by
flash speed, the dimmer the flash the faster the relative shutter speed.) The
unlimited precision intervalometer options is child's-play compared to the new
things that CHDK cameras can be now be made to do.

CHDK is already well past the "HOLY F'n WOW!" stage of development. I don't
think the camera designers even realized what their cameras could be made to do,
nor how many have been waiting so long for something just like this.
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video.. 

KevenGaston wrote:

> CHDK is already well past the "HOLY F'n WOW!" stage of development. I don't
> think the camera designers even realized what their cameras could be made to do,
> nor how many have been waiting so long for something just like this.

The designers certainly knew, but to include all that capability implies
supporting all that capability, including software upgrades when bugs
are found, and of course delaying the product launch until all the
software is completely written and tested. You can't really blame the
manufacturer for being reluctant to include all the capabilities on the
lower end cameras, when so few users would ever use the extra features.
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video.. 

On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:50:04 -0800, SMS ???• ? <scharf.steven RemoveThis @geemail.com>
wrote:

>KevenGaston wrote:
>
>> CHDK is already well past the "HOLY F'n WOW!" stage of development. I don't
>> think the camera designers even realized what their cameras could be made to do,
>> nor how many have been waiting so long for something just like this.
>
>The designers certainly knew, but to include all that capability implies
>supporting all that capability, including software upgrades when bugs
>are found, and of course delaying the product launch until all the
>software is completely written and tested. You can't really blame the
>manufacturer for being reluctant to include all the capabilities on the
>lower end cameras, when so few users would ever use the extra features.

"Lower end cameras"?? They don't even include 1/20th of these capabilities on
their $8,000 to $20,000 cameras. Show me just one DSLR that has built-in
motion-detection in it. Considering the noise this has made on the net (have you
done a Google hit count on the word CHDK lately? 151,100 hits), I'd be hard
pressed to ever use the phrase "so few users" when talking about those
interested in the features of CHDK.

Supporting all that capability? A handful of volunteers (maybe 5 active ones)
put up the Wikia for CHDK with all the information anyone needs to use it.
You're going to tell me that a multi-million dollar company can't even do that
much? And this was all done in less than 6 months by people who didn't even know
what they were doing at first. You could print up the CHDK firmware usage pages
and scripting-guide section in one small pamphlet, smaller than most of Canon's
"Basic User Guides". Upgrades and bugs? It takes the authors just ONE reply from
ONE person about any bug found in any build to have it fixed in all the next
ones to come, and within less than one day from the report to the fix.

ANY camera company could be offering what CHDK can do for all their cameras,
today if they wanted to, with one simple FREE firmware update. But they don't
because they make more money by selling cameras that are crippled, always
keeping the customer wanting more, or having to buy 5 different cameras all with
different features that could have easily been done by one. Then selling one
minor improvement next year as a brand new model to wow the "me first!" idiots
that don't realize they are being taken for fools, DSLR buyers especially.

Get real.
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video.. 

KevenGaston wrote:

> Supporting all that capability? A handful of volunteers (maybe 5 active ones)
> put up the Wikia for CHDK with all the information anyone needs to use it.
> You're going to tell me that a multi-million dollar company can't even do that
> much?

Multi-billion actually. They could do it, but they'd have to charge more
for the cameras because of the increased development and support costs.
And they can't charge more for the cameras because the price they charge
isn't based on the cost of manufacturing and development, but on the
market, which is looking primarily at megapixels, LCD size, and price.

Just be happy that enough buyers still understand the value of an
optical viewfinder, or Canon would have dropped it from every model,
rather than just most models.
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video.. 

On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:31:10 -0800, SMS ???• ? <scharf.steven.RemoveThis@geemail.com>
wrote:

>KevenGaston wrote:
>
>> Supporting all that capability? A handful of volunteers (maybe 5 active ones)
>> put up the Wikia for CHDK with all the information anyone needs to use it.
>> You're going to tell me that a multi-million dollar company can't even do that
>> much?
>
>Multi-billion actually. They could do it, but they'd have to charge more
>for the cameras because of the increased development and support costs.

Yeah, I guess that's why just a small handful of volunteers can do the same
thing for FREE in less than 6 months with no financial incentive nor financial
gain at all. (I don't think I've ever read such a stupid reply before.)

>And they can't charge more for the cameras because the price they charge
>isn't based on the cost of manufacturing and development, but on the
>market, which is looking primarily at megapixels, LCD size, and price.
>
>Just be happy that enough buyers still understand the value of an
>optical viewfinder, or Canon would have dropped it from every model,
>rather than just most models.

Now why would I be happy that people are still limiting themselves to last
century's optical viewfinder system with all its inaccurate framing and exposure
setting problems, as well as poor performance in low-light situations or
whenever you want to use any DOF preview feature with them? Understand the value
of them? They don't have a clue on what they are hindering themselves with.

I've not used an OVF for 10 years now, I don't miss them in the least. I
wouldn't bat an eye if Canon dropped that feature from every last one of their
cameras. In fact it would only encourage them to improve the already more
useful, adaptable, and configurable LCDs and EVFs. In fact I wish they would
quit wasting their time on that last century OVF nonsense that will never get
any better. At least with an EVF I can use one of my cameras to focus and frame
in total darkness by using IR light alone. Totally impossible using any OVF
system.

It's obvious now that you're just trolling or you'd know better than to say
things as stupid as you have so far. Time for you to go find a new thread to
manipulate someone else into replying to you.
 >> Stay informed about: CHDK NEWS: Ported to more Canon P&S Cameras, New CBR Video..