Magic Lantern 0.1.5 release
 

Release 0.1.5 of Magic Lantern is available from the wiki: Magic Lantern firmware download and Frequently asked questions.

New features:
* Config file (magiclantern.cfg) support
* Lens zoom and focus distance readouts
* Only re-writes the AK4646 registers when necessary to eliminate the 1 Hz clicks
* Power save disabling
* Preliminary HDMI support (overlays are not all in the right places)
* Auto-liveview can be disabled to support problematic cards
* Larger menu font
* Preliminary Sobel edge detection for "video peaking"

An instant "sticky" -- thanks Tramm,

I have been working with 0.1.5 now a bit, and you will find the new changes adding a lot of workability.

I love the larger menu script.... I can now take off the extra set of readers I had stacked on my nose.

A bit of a warning. Entering the menu to make changes has some bugs still, that Hudson is working on. You can get locked up, and have to shut down and reboot, especially if you make changes over and over. Use it sparingly.

You can avoid a lot of menu entry by setting your setting in the config file. Essentially, in addition to the firmware, Tramm provides a config file for you to make changes to. The firmware looks for it in the root of your CF card. You currently have change config settings on your computer, using a text editor like note pad. That config file will load the setup you think will fit your needs. Then if you have to change a parameter after the fact, do it in the menu system.

I find it truly amazing how far Trammel Hudson has taken this in just this first couple of week. And I can tell you he is hard at it.

As someone who just bought a 5DMkII, this is very exciting! I just have one trepidation; do we have an exit strategy for the ML firmware. Can I go back to the Canon firmware easily? Also, does installing the ML firmware instantly void the warranty? (probably yes, I'm sure)

Anyhoodle, thank you Tramm for the trailblazing work you are doing and the possibilities you are opening up! You must have a background in CS?

-Steve

Steve, ML runs from the CF card, once you take the card out then there's no trace of it left in the camera. You can exit ML easily by powering the camera down. Turning it back on won't reload ML -- you'll have to go to Menu > Settings 3 > Firmware Ver. > Update in order to load it again. So you could actually have ML sitting on the memory card and operate the camera normally without it if you choose.

Hmm, great! So there is no overwriting of the Canon firmware at all? Thanks Chris!

I've played around with ML a little bit tonight and had no problem bouncing back and forth between it and the Canon ver. 1.1.0 firmware.

Magic Lantern doesn't overwrite the Canon firmware; instead it runs alongside it. For more info see http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ

One thing that isn't clear in that FAQ is how to get into the ML setup menu. I found it by pressing the Picture Styles button... use
the joystick to navigate the menu items and the Set button to select. Picture Styles button again to exit the ML setup menu.

That's almost true. :) Remove the battery to completely remove the ML firmware from RAM. But the idea is right. Magic Lantern doesn't touch the flash memory where the Canon firmware is stored.

Audio gain wrong in first recording
 

I just did some testing and found that the first recording will have the wrong audio gain. It's an easy enough work around. Each time you launch the ML firmware, do a quick throw-away recording before you do any keeper takes. This is only required if you're recording audio, of course.

Have been following the progress on ML ever since I heard about it. Wonderful work done by Tramm. This may be asking too much but was just wondering if a fully functional ML will be round the corner soon? And will the ML be a firmware upgrade or as it is now, running off the Canon firmware?

As a hobbyist and a noob videographer, I am very interested in the ability of ML to disable the AGC so I can use an external preamp like Juicedlink which I understand the off switch is built into 0.1.4 ML firmware (Just don't like the sound quality recorded into the 5D2 with the stock mic). Can I just use this function (disabling AGC) alone leaving everything else as is in the Canon firmware without crashing? I am doubtful though as I am reading here, there are still a lot of bugs Tramm has to sort out for the other additional functions built into the ML. Thanks.

Alex

That was a rather large oversight in the FAQ. I've updated it and added it to the instructions on the download page.

Are you trying with the official 0.1.5 release or the -rc2 from yesterday? I think this has been fixed in the release and the first 1 second of audio will be bad on the first take, but it will be switched to the correct settings after that point.

I forgot to mention two new features:

# CMOS temperature readout (maybe; not certain of units)
# Semi-Transparent zebra stripes

I thought I would give the new ML a try. Everything works ok. So far no lock up. But what I notice is that the CF card and the area around the CF card compartment gets quite warm. I shut down and pulled the CF card out and it felt warm as well. I don't get this under normal use. Is this normal or something is up? I am using Sandisk Ultra II 1.0GB.

I'll do a clean test tonight. I downloaded the firmware minutes before doing the test, and it had the large font, so I'm pretty sure that I did things correctly.

If I get the same behavior, I'll let you know exactly what I had in the config file and the order of events leading up to the test...

I think I am going to make the plunge!!