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Hack your Cannon Point-And-Shoot Camera to get DSLR Features

Unlock the Secret "Pro" Features of Your Canon Point-and-Shoot with CHDK
You may like photography and/or may be looking for a new camera with better features, BEHOLD! You can turn your Cannon Point and Shoot Camera into a super Camera with DSLR features! Want features like Motion Sensing, Time Lapse, RAW Images, Control Over Exposure and Shutter Speeds, Etc., Read Ahead!
To get these features, you have to apply a firmware enhancement known as CHDK, or Cannon Hacker’s Development Kit. It adds many features like mentioned previously, particularly those available in Professional and expensive DSLRs. It’s very easy to install and doesn’t modify anything on your camera. Another plus point is that it works on a ton of different cameras.

Features

You will get the following features with CHDK :
  • Shutter-priority (Tv) exposure – via shutter value override feature
  • Aperture-priority (Av) exposure – via aperture value override feature
  • Shooting in RAW, with RAW Average, RAW Sum, and RAW Develop features
  • DNG (Digital Negative) in camera conversion, and USB download options
  • Bracketing -Tv, Av, ISO, and Focus bracketing, using scripts, or in continuous or custom timer modes
  • Live histogram (RGB, blended, luminance and for each RGB channel)
  • Zebra mode (a live view of over and under-exposed areas of your picture) for many cameras
  • Depth-of-field (DOF)-calculator, Hyperfocal-calculator with instant Hyperfocal and Infinity focus-set, and more
  • Battery indicator with percentage
  • RAW and Video space-remaining gauges with custom low-limit alerts
  • USB cable remote shutter release
  • Motion-detection trigger – automatically fires camera on motion detection. – Ability to capture lightning strikes.
  • Adjust Video quality and size (compression) adjustable while recording
  • Elimination of 1 Gig video-size limit (for most DIGIC II cameras)
  • Zoom during video function – for cameras without this feature
  • Shutter, Aperture, and ISO Overrides
  • Ultra-long shutter speeds – at least up to 64 seconds – and longer for supported cameras
  • Ultra-fast shutter speeds – up to 1/10,000″ and higher
  • High-speed Flash Sync at all speeds up to 1/64,000 second
  • Custom, user-editable visible grids for framing, cropping, and alignment (not all cameras)
  • File browser
  • Text reader
  • Text editor
  • Calendar
  • Games
  • Fully customizable CHDK display, info placement, user colors, fonts in menus, etc.
  • Multi-language Interface – CHDK supports many languages
  • Custom CHDK User Menu – for instant recall of up to 10 favorite functions
  • Scripts execution – including intervalometer, motion detection, etc
  • And many others.

Installation

Installation of CHDK is simple as pie. First, here’s a list of supported cameras :
Okay. So you found your camera’s on the list. Excited? Not so fast…. First, you have to check if your firmware is supported. To do this, make 2 text files on the root of your SD Card. Now, open the 1st, and without typing anything click on save as. In the save as type, select ALL FILES. Name the file ‘ver.req’ (Without the quotes). Do the same with the other file but name it ‘vers.req’ (No quotes. Remember, you must, must not let the file be like ver.req.txt. NO. The file must be ver.req and vers.req. Now, put the SD card back into the Camera. Start the camera by pressing the play button (The button you use to view photos) and not the On/Off Button. Now, press the FUNC. SET Button and then press the DISP button. You will now have access to some info. which includes the firmware no. Compare the firmware no. with the list above. If it’s there, you can start getting excited!
Unlock the Secret "Pro" Features of Your Canon Point-and-Shoot with CHDK

Now, you gotta download CHDK for your Camera. Click here and download the latest stable build. Extract the contents into the root of the SD card and put it in your Camera. Start up the camera using the PLAY button and press MENU. Go down and select FIRMWARE UPDATE and press OK. Don’t worry. It isnt permanent. CHDK just fools the camera into thinking it’s a permanent software update.Unlock the Secret "Pro" Features of Your Canon Point-and-Shoot with CHDK
Now, press some buttons here and there (start with the unmarked button on your camera till the ALT written on the bottom of your screen disappears. (That’s cause the buttons mentioned on the CHDK website never worked for me.). Now, Press the shutter button and you’re in the shooting mode. To access the super features, Press the same button you pressed before to go in the ALT mode (the mode when ALT is visible at the bottom of your screen). Now, press MENU and ahoy! Lots of options for you to toggle. So… here we are. CHDK. The thing is that every time you startup your cam, you have to update it’s firmware. However, if you wanna make it permanent, (It did not work for me), you can try out this method.

Unlock the Secret "Pro" Features of Your Canon Point-and-Shoot with CHDK

Mansehej Singh
Mansehej Singh is a 14 year old from New Delhi, India. He is interested in the latest tech., etc. and has knowledge about android hacking, application development, etc. He also likes photography, witing poems, stories, etc.

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