Magic Lantern is a firmware overlay software for many of the recent dSLRs from Canon, and it's primary purpose is to add video capabilities to Canon dSLRs.

First, a disclaimer: Magic Lantern is not necessarily safe for your camera. This stuff is still betaware, and really can cause damage to the host camera. While it's true that there are no documented cases of camera damage, it can happen.

The biggest problem is that occasionally, and it's not known why, some cameras go into a runaway loop, generally after camera shutdown. If, after an hour or so after running a version of Magic Lantern, your camera feels warm or hot, or if you can smell the circuits of the camera, pull the main battery immediately.

If the camera ever runs down the battery overnight, you may wish to discontinue running Magic Lantern.

Many folks pull the main battery after every shoot when they used Magic Lantern.

In short, if you run Magic Lantern, you accept the risk and the possibility of permanent damage to your camera.

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All that said, I have played with Magic Lantern and took the precaution of removing the main battery after every test and my 5D MKII seems fine. I have not tested this latest version, however.

Another thing I would remind people is that if you use Magic Lantern, and if you like it, please consider donating to the developers. The developers are using donations to purchase camera bodies on which to test and develop new versions of Magic Lantern.

Magic Lantern has consolidated recent builds into a "unified" version in order to speed development. The latest version, ver 2.3, is in "stable beta" right now. (Do note that each Magic Lantern version correlates to a specific firmware version, and your camera body must have the correct firmware or you can/will get undesirable results.)

Important links to Magic Lantern:

http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/M..._Firmware_Wiki

Stable Beta for 5Dmk2 2.1.2, 50D 1.0.9, 60D 1.1.1, 500D 1.1.1, 550D 1.0.9, 600D 1.0.2 bodies
http://www.magiclantern.fm/releasenotes

Note that, at this time, they require a €10/$10USD 'donation' to download, but after August 13, 2012 it should be released as a free stable betaware.

Do you use ML Ziggy?

I am hoping that they will eventually be able to start work on a version for the 7D... I know there are some major obstacles in terms of programming that are causing problems. Perhaps one of these days!

Originally Posted by angevin1 Do you use ML Ziggy?

Not currently. I did download the latest Canon firmware for my 5D MKII and I donated to Magic Lantern so I could download this version early. I'll probably be testing this week.

Previously, I tested an earlier version. It was buggy (as I knew it would be), but it did not permanently affect the camera body as far as I could tell.

Originally Posted by ziggy53 Not currently. I did download the latest Canon firmware for my 5D MKII and I donated to Magic Lantern so I could download this version early. I'll probably be testing this week. Previously, I tested an earlier version. It was buggy (as I knew it would be), but it did not permanently affect the camera body as far as I could tell.

High marks for the donation. I think a lot of folks take too much for granted!

I have kept an eye on them ( ML) for some time, but still feel there is nothing there that can really help me. Lots of folks speak zebra's and aspect ratio and so on, but I just don't see much use for it. I haven't got back to the reading of their Wiki of late, but I did notice some blurb about improved imagery which if true however slight, that would be my first objective.

I upgraded to the Canon 5D MKII, ver 2.1.2 firmware, which went smoothly.

Then I tried to add Magic Lantern, ver 2.3, but I was using a third-party battery which is not recognized and that did not allow Magic Lantern to do the required first-install. I had to use a legitimate Canon LP-E6 to install Magic Lantern ver 2.3, but after the first-install I was able to revert to using the third-party battery for normal use.

You do have to use a card reader to load both the Canon firmware and Magic Lantern overlay. (Each is a separate installation too.)

Both installations strongly recommend fresh formatting in the camera before loading their respective "fir" files (and other support files, in the case of Magic Lantern.)

Both the Canon firmware upgrade and the Magic Lantern use a similar installation protocol.

Magic Lantern is now relatively persistent, loading segments into NV-RAM (Non-Volatile RAM). Stability seems rather good. Tons of capabilities and options.

Magic Lantern files, on the boot card, must be used to uninstall Magic Lantern. (You cannot just re-install the Canon firmware. The Magic Lantern components will persist and may not work properly afterwards.)

I'll probably test Magic Lantern tomorrow for some features (those interesting to me.)

Magic Lantern version 2.3 Promo

Test focus ramping / Magic Lantern v2.3

Trap Focus from Magic Lantern 2.3 rc1

Magic Lantern 2.3 Time Lapse Test

Downhill Test (A short test with the new Magic Lantern 2.3 on a Canon 550D.)

I never paid much attention to magic lantern, because I thought it was mostly for video and not worth the hassle. I had two intervalometers fail on me in the Sierras (successful shot before the failure in 'other cool shots'), and the intervalometer function in magic lantern might be enough for me to look into it.

I believe that Magic Lantern ver 2.3 is now available without donation. It is designed to work with the following Canon cameras and firmware versions:

5Dmk2 2.1.2
50D 1.0.9
60D 1.1.1
500D 1.1.1
550D 1.0.9
600D 1.0.2

http://www.magiclantern.fm/releasenotes