CHDK what? Help me, I'm a newbie!

acseven

Hello newcomer!

CHDK is a sort of complicated business, but some valuable members have made the trouble of making things simple for you...

See these threads for guidance:

Thread: Newbie issues, still - [CHDK for Dummies - The Very First Steps]
Thread (WIP): CHDK End-User's Guide 03 - 16-MAY-08
Wikia (WIP): User:Intrnst - CHDK Wiki

Also, and very important:

GrAnd
http://chdk.wikia.com
Sections: FAQ and Firmware usage.

Finally, [move]please ask your newbie questions at the board below, and here only!![/move]
The "Hello, I'm a NEWBIE - HELP!! (Newbies assistance, User Guides and thank you notes)" BOARD

Have fun!

adcz

Alright Newbies, do you want a step by step guide, with a video explanation on how to install CHDK? You've got it!

I just posted it to CHDK For Newbies - How To Install - CHDK Wiki.

NOTE to All: The video is up, but not fully (the last few parts got cut off :'(. I am uploading the not cut off version. The quality is not too great (since I am doing this in a somewhat dark room). I will upload a better version on Saturday, when I can do it in the morning 😀. If you find ANY errors/suggestions whatsoever, PLEASE post them (even if they are really small). I would like to make this video as easy as possible 😀

GrAnd

adcz
I just posted it to CHDK For Newbies - How To Install - CHDK Wiki.

I've just watched your video. Put couple comments at the discussion page.

adcz

Yeah, thanks 😀 DataGhost told me. I am planning to redo the vid this weekend (or next because I have SATIIs on Saturday)

GrAnd

adcz
I just posted it to CHDK For Newbies - How To Install - CHDK Wiki.

I've just watched your video. Put couple comments at the discussion page.

wontolla

Nice video! You speak very clearly, which is important for non native english speakers.

If you are going to redo it, I suggest you mention which cameras need cardtricks in the first place. I mean, your actual video doesn't apply for S3 users. It could cause confusion among newbies.

When it is finished, you can post it in s5users.com forum as well. It will be of great help there. Some people don't use CHDK because its very difficult to install.

adcz

wontolla
Nice video! You speak very clearly, which is important for non native english speakers.

Thanks 😀

If you are going to redo it, I suggest you mention which cameras need cardtricks in the first place. I mean, your actual video doesn't apply for S3 users. It could cause confusion among newbies.

I though CardTricks works with any camera...

When it is finished, you can post it in s5users.com forum as well. It will be of great help there. Some people don't use CHDK because its very difficult to install.

Yup 😀 I certainly will. I hope it helps ppl to get CHDK 😁. And it seems that even I am learning something from making this video. I finally figured out the thing with version numbers 😛

GrAnd

You speak very clearly, which is important for non native english speakers.

+1
It was one of the rare cases when I did recognize all words from first try. 😁
(Heh... I wish me to speak English fluently like adcz... 😳 But I'm afraid it's impossible for me without living in English-speaking country and because I'm already too old for that. Adcz mentioned he knows Russian. Are you from Russia? How long are you living in US?)

adcz
I though CardTricks works with any camera...

Yes, it does. But for VxWorks-based cams it is unnecessary to make SD-card bootable. Therefore it is not needed to format it as FAT16 if you do not want use autoboot feature in future.

adcz

Thanks GrAnd 😀.

I was born in Moscow, Russia, then when I was 3 I moved to the US (now 15, almost 16). I talk a lot of Russian @ home because my mom's horrible in english, and I can write a bit in translit (nada kogdata pogovorit' po irc po translitu 😀), even though my spelling is way off. Well I am glad that at least I have one useful quality for CHDK 😛

GrAnd

You speak very clearly, which is important for non native english speakers.

GrAnd

You speak very clearly, which is important for non native english speakers.

+1
It was one of the rare cases when I did recognize all words from first try. 😁
(Heh... I wish me to speak English fluently like adcz... 😳 But I'm afraid it's impossible for me without living in English-speaking country and because I'm already too old for that. Adcz mentioned he knows Russian. Are you from Russia? How long are you living in US?)

adcz
I though CardTricks works with any camera...

Yes, it does. But for VxWorks-based cams it is unnecessary to make SD-card bootable. Therefore it is not needed to format it as FAT16 if you do not want use autoboot feature in future.

+1
It was one of the rare cases when I did recognize all words from first try. 😁
(Heh... I wish me to speak English fluently like adcz... 😳 But I'm afraid it's impossible for me without living in English-speaking country and because I'm already too old for that. Adcz mentioned he knows Russian. Are you from Russia? How long are you living in US?)

Yes, it does. But for VxWorks-based cams it is unnecessary to make SD-card bootable. Therefore it is not needed to format it as FAT16 if you do not want use autoboot feature in future.

Hmm..that's nice to know. (which cams use VxWorks btw 😁)

whim

@adcz

- DL the trunk sources https://tools.assembla.com/chdk/browser/trunk
- unzip to folder of your choice
- in the 'include' subdirectory, search for camera.h
- property #defines for supported cams are in there, look for
CAM_HAS_DRYOS, or sth like that (sorry, no source handy at the moment)

wim

fe50

@adcz

also in the wikia Cameras overview...

adcz

whim
@adcz

- DL the trunk sources https://tools.assembla.com/chdk/browser/trunk
- unzip to folder of your choice
- in the 'include' subdirectory, search for camera.h
- property #defines for supported cams are in there, look for
CAM_HAS_DRYOS, or sth like that (sorry, no source handy at the moment)

wim

thanks whim! That looks handy...I never even knew that site existed O.o. what more is there to CHDK that I don't know 😁

@adcz

also in the wikia Cameras overview...

Oooh that looks easier 😀 thanks!

PhyrePhoX

whim
@adcz

- DL the trunk sources https://tools.assembla.com/chdk/browser/trunk
- unzip to folder of your choice
- in the 'include' subdirectory, search for camera.h
- property #defines for supported cams are in there, look for
CAM_HAS_DRYOS, or sth like that (sorry, no source handy at the moment)

wim

no need for unzipping, my friend. https://tools.assembla.com/chdk/browser/trunk/include/camera.h here you can see camera.h directly 😀

adcz
thanks whim! That looks handy...I never even knew that site existed O.o. what more is there to CHDK that I don't know 😁

this is due to the fact that you havent read "into" the forum entirely, if you know what i'm trying to say. read, read, read 😀

edit: by the way, this trac/assembla site also offers a pretty good timeline, you can find the link to it in my sig. these changes you see there are changes the devs implement in the actual code. they are not neccessarily new features, but a lot of them will lead to new features, bugfixes etc. these changes somehow make it into an official build eventually (with an extra announcement), however you can find binaries that already include these changes in grands autobuild server.

GrAnd

One more way how to determine which camera is DryOs-based... 😀
For VxWorks-based camera the installation archive contain 2 files: PS.FIR and DISKBOOT.BIN. The DryOS-based - only the second file.
So, look at the list of distributives. If the file size is more than 200K - the camera is VxWorks based. It the size of archive is less than 100K - it's DryOS. 😀

adcz
I was born in Moscow, Russia...

He-he... Zemlyaki... 😁

punsoca

HELLO guys, newbie here 😀

I am very excited about using this CHDK - I was originally looking for an SX10 (cause I really like the 28mm feature which S5IS lacks, plus the battery and SD card slot are in two separate places unlike S5IS), but have been griping about the Powershot models (S5IS and above) not having the time lapse feature... until I googled and FOUND this wonderful website.

i've tried S5IS before (bought one for my uncle) and I dont want to wait for SX10 CHDK (could be waiting for another 6-8 months before CHDK for SX10 surfaces), so I am thinking about getting S5IS again.

However, while checking out the CHDK FAQ, I saw the following note:
FAQ - CHDK Wiki

"Many believe that using the CHDK does not harm your warranty, since it is said to be loaded into the memory only temporarily (turn off the cam and it's gone completely) and that it leaves the original camera firmware untouched."

How would I use CHDK for my S5IS given the following:

(a) I understand after loading the CHDK into an SD card, the SD card has to be write-protected

(b) I'll need to swap to another SD card when taking pictures but S5IS has this idiotic feature of having both the batteries and the SD card slots in one compartment, so opening the compartment will turn off the camera i.e., wiping out the CHDK 🙁

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

punsoca

Sorry guys, I saw this following statement on the same FAQ CHDK Wiki page:

"You will have to write-protect your SD card everytime you want to use CHDK, but this will still allow you to take pictures. "

I read further and found that CHDK is good for FAT16 - and FAT16 works for up to 4GB SD cards only (I say SD since S5IS uses SD cards 😁). Then I poked around further and found THIS page :

MIND - FIELDS: careful where you stand: Canon S5 IS CHDK hack step-by-step tutorial

Just wondering if anyone has ever tried those steps for their S5IS CHDK card (8GB and above)?

fe50

Hello punsoca, welcome in the CHDK forum !

The 'write protection' is only a software thing, with CHDK your camera CAN write as normal to the card. You can also prepare a card reader hardware to ignore the write protection, this way you can always use your card locked, in the camera and in your card reader... (Modify a card reader)

As many other cameras the S5 supports the 'multi partition support', this means: SDHC cards with a capacity > 4GB can be used.

With MS Windows you can handle such a card in 2 ways (Windows only shows one partition for SD cards in a card reader):

Swap between the partitions, e.g. with the installer tool from the StereoData Maker ('SDM' - a CHDK version specialised for stereo photographers), see here.
Use a special driver for your card reader to let Windows handle all partitions on a card, as described in the article you've posted.

whim

here Autoboot with 8GB and HDHacker Possibillity is a large thread that kind of describes what various
people have tried to get support for large cards (including the method used in your link)

hope that helps

wim

punsoca

thank you thank you guys! Now I get it 😀

Next step - find a store that actually sells S5IS at a decent price. I just checked Circuit City here in my area and they are selling it for $349.99. I asked the store clerk and he said to wait for 2-3 months and there might be a better deal.

I totally missed the OfficeMax sale from last Memorial weekend! But then I only learned about CHDK now.

Am so totally looking forward to use the Intervalometer (time lapse) script.

Speaking of time lapse - have you guys used the Time Bandit for S5IS? I know the concept is the same as the Intervalometer but with a difference - heard that Time Bandit can group the shots together into a mini-AVI movie file, is that true?

Again thanks so much for the warm welcome and generosity (in sharing)!

fe50

punsoca
...heard that Time Bandit can group the shots together into a mini-AVI movie file, is that true?

No, that's NOT true, it's not possible to create the movie in the camera, you have to create it outside, e.g. on your PC with VirtualDub or a similar sofware.

Pier

Help Me Please,
I made a big mistake.When I made 2 Gb SD card for my A460 bootable with 29_winbootable.exe -
FAT 16, I forgot to select true letter G for the card, and sellected C drive Die !!
I haven't drive anymore - with very important info.I'm not newby with computers and
try to turn things back with several Rescue software but no rezult.
The answer is -The Drive is not Formated !
Please tell me what to do.File system was NTFS (Have NTFS4DOS diskete for acces the drive), but when
try, the Partition ( C) is not highlighted, and lettere C not exist (there is ? for lettere) only D partition on the drive is acsessible (logical partition).
I realy need Help.Thanks in advance.