Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- faq [2021/04/23 22:07] – [Why can't I see feature X in the menu?] Walter Schulz
+++ faq [2025/05/04 23:36] (current) – [How do I record/stream for more than 30 minutes?] Walter Schulz
@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 ===== Is it legal? =====
-This is a ''clean room'' / ''black box'' reverse engineering effort and as such should be OK. [[http://www.chillingeffects.org/reverse/faq.cgi|Frequently asked questions about reverse engineering]] addresses the [[http://www.chillingeffects.org/reverse/faq.cgi#QID195|legality question]]; producing an interoperable product is one of the explicit allowances enshrined in law.
+This is a ''clean room'' / ''black box'' reverse engineering effort and as such should be OK. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20140207082343/http://www.chillingeffects.org/reverse/faq.cgi|Frequently asked questions about reverse engineering]] addresses the [[https://web.archive.org/web/20140321133324/http://www.chillingeffects.org/reverse/faq.cgi#QID195|legality question]]; producing an interoperable product is one of the explicit allowances enshrined in law.
 Magic Lantern **does not contain any Canon code**. Also, **we do not distribute any copyrighted code or cryptographic secrets**, neither from Canon nor from any other third party. All the knowledge used for development was obtained by analyzing ARM code, by experimenting, and from lawfully obtained documentation.
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 In practice, we are doing our best to prevent these situations, and thousands of users are enjoying it without problems. However, this does not represent a guarantee - **use it at your own risk**.
-As a precaution, the installer asks you to make a backup copy of your ROM files on the PC. That way, if something goes wrong, we have higher chances of being able to diagnose or fix he issue.
+As a precaution, the installer asks you to make a backup copy of your ROM files on the PC. That way, if something goes wrong, we have higher chances of being able to diagnose or fix the issue.
 Actually, using Magic Lantern we have successfully [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130622070509/http://vimeo.com/groups/magiclantern/forum/topic:255083|unbricked a 5D Mark II damaged by a USB remote controller app]].
@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 Despite this tight integration, **Magic Lantern software does not contain any Canon code**. It is entirely a clean-room implementation that runs along side the official Canon firmware as a separate DryOS task.
+===== Is Magic Lantern available in other languages? =====
+Currently, Magic Lantern releases do not have multiple languages built in.
+You can find a work in progress module that aims to translate menus [[https://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=26228.msg236617#msg236617|here]].
+PS: We know there is a chinese version in the wild which is payware. This ML project team has no affiliations with it and neither endorse its usage nore support it.
+===== Is this FAQ available in other languages? =====
+No. If there are any they are not supported/updated/maintained and may be outdated/incorrect.
+PS: If you feel encouraged to offer your assistance to translate this FAQ ... we have no way to maintain it properly. It has been discussed but until we find a sustainable way to keep it up-to-date with limited man-power we have to decline your offer.
 ====== Usage ======
@@ Line 142: / Line 152: @@
     * Technically, there's no 12 minute limit. There's a 30 minute limit and a 4 GB limit, whichever comes first. With default bitrate settings, the 4 GB limit is reached after around 12 minutes (more or less).
-===== How do I record for more than 30 minutes? =====
+===== How do I record/stream for more than 30 minutes? =====
   * H.264:
     * There is no flawless way to achieve this but a workaround:
-    *  Use [[#id3|`Movie restart`_]], but you will lose a few frames until a new file is created.{{wiki:movie_restart_1.png?20}}
+    * Use [[#id3|`Movie restart`_]], but you will lose a few frames until a new file is created {{wiki:movie_restart_1.png?20}}
   * RAW/MLV:
     * Can record continuously until the card gets full (no 30-minute limit).
     * File sizes are huge; you may want to reduce resolution and/or FPS; also use a large card.
-    * exFAT recommended; otherwise, when creating a new 4GB segment, the speed drops a bit and recording may stop. Don't forget to enable ExFat option in MLV menu.{{wiki:Files_4GiB_1.png?20}}
+    * ExFAT recommended; otherwise, when creating a new 4GB segment, the speed drops a bit and recording may stop. Don't forget to enable ExFat option in MLV menu.{{wiki:Files_4GiB_1.png?20}}
   * External HDMI recorder or HDMI capture device connected to PC + recording software:
-    * Enable the ''Clear Overlays'' feature to hide focus box in AF mode and 16:9 bars.{{wiki:clear_overlays_1.png?20}}
+    * Enable the [[camera_help#clear_overlays|Clear Overlays]] feature to hide focus box in AF mode and 16:9 bars.{{wiki:clear_overlays_1.png?20}}
     * Make the half-shutter button sticky (Prefs menu) to prevent the camera from turning off LiveView after 30 minutes. This method is kind of outdated. It is recommended to use:
-    * [[https://builds.magiclantern.fm/experiments.html|Experimental lua_fix build]] and setting "30-minute timer Disabled" in Prefs menu -> PowerSave in LiveView{{wiki:30-minuten_timer.png?20}}
+    * [[https://builds.magiclantern.fm/experiments.html|Experimental lua_fix build]] and setting "30-minute timer Disabled" in Prefs menu -> PowerSave in LiveView {{wiki:30-minute_timer.png?20}}
   * USB with EOS Utility and liveview:
-    * Enable the ''Clear Overlays'' feature to hide focus box in AF mode and 16:9 bars.{{wiki:clear_overlays_1.png?20}}
+    * Enable the [[camera_help#clear_overlays|Clear Overlays]] feature to hide focus box in AF mode and 16:9 bars.{{wiki:clear_overlays_1.png?20}}
     * Make the half-shutter button sticky (Prefs menu) to prevent the camera from turning off LiveView after 30 minutes.\\  This method is kind of outdated. It is recommended to use:
     * [[https://builds.magiclantern.fm/experiments.html|Experimental lua_fix build]] and setting "30-minute timer Disabled" in Prefs menu -> PowerSave in LiveView {{wiki:30-minute_timer.png?20}}
@@ Line 168: / Line 178: @@
     * There is no 30 minute limit and therefore no need for ML to interfere!
     * Output is clean, there are no overlays!
+(Some new cameras support UVC/UAC:\\
+Cam works as webcam via USB without the need of additional software or drivers. Just plug cam into USB port and you are ready to go. Works with Windows, macOS and Linux.\\
+Supported cameras: R1, R5 Mark II, R6 Mark II, R8, <del>R10,</del> R50, R50 V, PowerShot V1, PowerShot V10.\\
+Resolution should be FHD =1920x1080 in 30 fps. Canon names it "2k". R50 V supports 4k, 30 fps)\\
+UVC=USB Video Class\\
+UAC=USB Audio Class
 ===== Will I get better HDMI resolution/bitdepth/... with Magic Lantern? =====
@@ Line 174: / Line 191: @@
 ML is able to bypass 29:59 time-out (see topics above) and is able to enforce VGA resolution. And of course it can force clean HDMI output: No overlays, no boxes/rectangles even with active AF.
-===== Can ML surpress black columns left and right in HDMI streaming? =====
+===== Can ML suppress black columns left and right in HDMI streaming? =====
-No. If your cam gives you 1920x1080 output via HDMI but "active" area is actually 1620x1080 (3:2 ratio)+ black borders left and right: Nothing ML can do about. You may have to use tools like OBS to grab a 16:9 frame from active area and stretch 1620x911 to Full-HD.
+No. If your cam gives you 1920x1080 output via HDMI but "active" area is actually 1620x1080 (3:2 ratio)+ black borders left and right: Nothing ML can do about this. You may have to use tools like OBS to grab a 16:9 frame from active area and stretch 1620x911 to Full-HD.
 ===== What can Magic Lantern do to enhance "EOS Webcam Utility" performance? =====
 Sorry, nothing ML can do about it. It's 576p for all cams.
+Remark: In case you are wondering about "576p" and high-res options in subscribtion based "Pro" version: 720p and 1080p are in fact just upscaled by software algorithms.
 ===== RAW/MLV: Can't set resolution to Full-HD: "1920 is not possible in current video mode (max 1728)" =====
-{{:wiki:raw_non-crop_message.png?400  }}
+{{:wiki:raw_non-crop_message.png?400  }}\\
-You have to enter ML's crop mode (see below) to activate settings above [[glossary#native resolution]].
+You have to enter ML's crop mode (see FAQ entry below) to activate settings above [[glossary#native resolution]].\\
+ \\
 ===== RAW/MLV: How to enter "crop mode"? =====
-Press magnify/loupe/zoom button.
+Press magnify/loupe/zoom button while in liveview screen.
-On some cam's you will find an additional entry "Crop mode" in Movie tab. Despite sharing the name the modes are not identical.
+On some cams you will find an additional entry "Crop mode" in Movie tab. Despite sharing the name those modes are not identical.
+===== How to do Open Gate recording with ML? =====
+You can not!\\
+Open Gate means\\
+- Using the whole sensor area\\
+**AND**\\
+- Using every pixel in it (as in photo mode without resolution loss by binning/skipping pixels)\\
+**WITH**\\
+- Reasonable frame rate (24 fps and up)\\
+Even for an 18 MPixel sensor it would require around 270 Megabyte/s bandwidth which is twice the fastest ML-cam can do. And there are other technical reasons restricting usage of Open Gate within ML supported cams.
+You may ask why there are people talking about Open Gate with ML if it is impossible? Answer: We don't know. Maybe they use their own definition of "Open Gate".
 ===== How do I get exposure times longer than 30 seconds? =====
@@ Line 301: / Line 337: @@
 There are major differences between both firmware versions. You have to choose which one fits your needs best. Detailed explanations in [[ml>forum/index.php?topic=14704.msg142089#msg142089|first post in "5D Mark III 1.1.3" thread]].
+===== Where can I find "Stable/V2.3" version? =====
+Stable v2.3 is outdated and no longer supported. \\
+Some years ago dev team switched to some kind of rolling release model: Each validated change to ML code (aka: "confirm") creates a new build. \\
+But - essentially - Nighlty Builds are frozen since 2018. Later all work on official experimental builds stopped, too. \\
+For those reasons it is highly unlikely to get another "stable build" in foreseeable future.
 ====== Troubleshooting ======
@@ Line 401: / Line 442: @@
 For details see [[ml>forum/index.php?topic=25656|Folders created by macOS Big Sur on exFAT cards are unreadable in Canon EOS cams]]
+===== Loading MLV_SND.MO failed "tcc: error: undefined symbol 'mlv_rec_[...]'" =====
+{{wiki:mlv_snd_tcc_err.png?350  }}MLV_SND.mo requires MLV_REC.mo to run.\\  Make sure to have MLV_REC.mo activated, too.
 ====== Technical ======
@@ Line 425: / Line 469: @@
 The function names are unlikely to be the same as the ones in Canon's source code, which we have never seen. We name functions based on what they seem to do, or debugging / diagnostic strings embedded in the function. It isn't perfect, but it is sufficient to locate the important things for task creation, file I/O and GUI operation.
+====== ML Development ======
+===== The project is dead, right? =====
+Not dead yet!
+Here is some status update for all users (and devs). Warning, long read! Posted April 2023: \\ https://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=26852.msg242979#msg242979
+Here is a dev/programmer oriented write-up about build concerns and stuff. Warning: Deep tech lingo! \\
+https://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=26814.msg245407#msg245407
+More updates in linked thread.
+===== Can't you use ChatGPT (or other AI) to help developing/porting? =====
+Nope, won't work!
+ChatGPT's fame in programming is largely based on having access to vast amounts of freely distributed data and code (as in Stackoverflow) accumulated over years. \\
+This doesn't apply to ML development. Canon never published its code or tools involved creating it. It is a very, very small community trying to make sense of what is found in camera (aka: reverse engineering).
+ChatGPT simply doesn't know what is going on.
 ====== Misc ======