For quite some time now I’ve been messing with the newest version of CHDK for Canon G11. CHDK is a firmware add-on which brings advanced features to Canon cameras. It is model specific, meaning that you must get a specific CHDK version for your Canon model.
Not every Canon camera was privileged enough to get a CHDK version. The Canon G10, for example doesn’t have one! Fortunately, my initial request (back in November 2009) was accepted by some talented developers. The Canon G11 today is much more advanced and feature-rich than its predecessor, the Canon G10. CHDK makes a big difference.
Highlights
Longer exposure times than 15 seconds, shoot video with optical zoom, Super-Fine, live over-exposure view, live edge view, file manager, advanced scripting.
A few words about installation
I will not discuss the process of CHDK installation in this article. I have not mastered this process yet. I can say that it is not a straight-forward process. There are certain limitations to using CHDK such as the requirement of using memory cards sized 4GB or smaller. As far as I can tell, using memory cards bigger than 4GB requires a complex procedure which I have not looked into as of yet.
Even when using a 4GB card, you need to mess with the memory card lock switch. These limitation are due to the fact that “The G11 CHDK DOES NOT support the manual loading method through the firmware update mechanism!” (stated on the CHDK G11 web page). It means that you cannot use the firmware update option to load CHDK into memory. I hope it will be changed in the future.
CHDK is an exciting firmware extension for Canon cameras (GPL licensed). Using this extension you can give your camera the power of longer or faster exposure times (for example 60 seconds exposure instead of the 15 seconds limit). The same goes for aperture levels. You can also run personal scripts to capture a photo every few number of seconds to create a video-like photo-set, and more.
The thing is, the Canon G11 is one of the most feature-rich cameras in the market, so it needs this extension less than other cameras.
This was one of the reason CHDK was not released for Canon PowerShot G10. In fact, there is a CHDK for Canon G9, which means there can also be a CHDK for Canon G11.
If you have experience with Assembly or C programming, you may be able to help getting CHDK to the Canon G11 as well. Check out the links.
