[fingerz]

I've heard tell of there being firmware hacks for the 300D that enable you to take more than four shots in a row when using it in drive mode.

I know these invalidate the warranty so I'm not going to patch mine until it's expired but I did want to get hold of the file(s) required now in case they're not around by the time the warranty ends (what with the 350D being out now and all that).

Anyone know where I can get one? And are there any issues besides the warranty invalidation?

[Matty]

there are 2 'hacks'

one is 'undutchables' and one is 'wasia' though i think the wasia was discontinued and the undutchables carried on the good work, i dont know if it does continuos drive though,

google turns up:

http://www.gpi.dk/300d/

and

http://www.jjmb.nl/content/content.php?Name=wasia

the firmware is not supported by canon, so will invalidte your warrenty

[milou]

One advantage is mirror lock-up.

[Steep]

I've had wasia installed since the first week I owned my 300d, never had problem. The main advantages for me are, mirror lock up and the ability to reduce the size of the embedded jpg in RAW mode (means I gat more images on my card at once.

I didn't know the undutchables one existed and reading up on it there seems to be another great advantag with theirs. You can select RAW in all modes, including aport and program where with canons firmware you can only have jpg.

[fingerz]

IS mirror lockup what you use for cleaning the CCD?

I thought you could do that anyway. How are you meant to clean the sensor if you just use Canon's formware then?

It also mentions ISO 3200, which might be handy.

[Adrian]

Originally Posted by fingerz

IS mirror lockup what you use for cleaning the CCD?

I thought you could do that anyway. How are you meant to clean the sensor if you just use Canon's formware then?

It also mentions ISO 3200, which might be handy.

Mirror lockup is a function that locks the raises the mirror up on one push of the shutter, then the shutter fires on the second push, which you should make a few seconds after the first so any vibrations have died down. It's useful for reducing any camera shake caused by those vibrations when the camera's mounted on a tripod.

ISO 3200 is handy, as long as you have some noise reducing software as most images taken at that speed are almost unusable.

[Steep]

On the 300D the Mirror Lockup works on a timer basis. If you enable ML in the extra menu and have the timer set for 6 seconds what happens is... You press the shutter and the mirror flips up, 6 seconds later the camera takes the photo and the mirror drops again. The idea is that you cut down on vibration and get a sharper image.


Further to this, I installed the undutchable hack yesterday and it really does give you RAW in all modes! brilliant.

[fingerz]

If mirror lockup gives sharper images why wouldn't they include it on all good cameras? Surely it would be standard practice for all tripod shot so all cameras would have it?

Can anyone show me an example of a shot taken with mirror lockup and then the same shot taken without mirror lockup, so I can judge for myself before I go putting firmware hacks on my 300D?

[CT]

Originally Posted by fingerz

If mirror lockup gives sharper images why wouldn't they include it on all good cameras? Surely it would be standard practice for all tripod shot so all cameras would have it?

Can anyone show me an example of a shot taken with mirror lockup and then the same shot taken without mirror lockup, so I can judge for myself before I go putting firmware hacks on my 300D?

Mirror lockup always has been included in pro and prosumer SLRs. You have to remember that the 300D set a new price point for an entry level DSLR which is no doubt the reason it was omitted. Having said that, a lot of the features available in more expensive models are simply disabled in the firmware in less expensive cameras to justify the price differental. Being able to upgrade your 300D to enable mirror lockup is pretty damned cool, but you have to consider whether you're likely to use it.

I haven't used the mirror lock up at all yet on my 20D, but I've no doubt I will do. If you're taking a tripod shot of a stationary subject where high definition is required, eg an old document or engraving, then that's when MLU would be desirable. You probably wont see a 'night and day' difference, but probably an improvement in the critical sharpness and definition for the more demanding/discerning user. MLU is particularly important in scientific/medical applications, and in macro photography with still subjects. Landscapes with a long exposure time are another time when it would be desirable.

If you don't see yourself using it though, why rush into it? You can always download the hack as and when you need to.

[fingerz]

Cheers for the info. Much appreciated.