Magic Lantern Software for Canon Cameras Is Back

Magic Lantern, the beloved suite of software enhancements for Canon cameras, has returned with a new group of developers hard at work on improved software.

Started in 2009 by Trammell Hudson and later chiefly developed by developer a1ex, Magic Lantern is free, open-source firmware enhancement software designed for specific Canon DSLR cameras that adds new filmmaking and still photography features. The original release was for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, a legendary DSLR that transformed DSLR video creation and helped pave the way for the excellent hybrid mirrorless cameras of today.

Versions of Magic Lantern unlocked a diverse range of features, including time-lapse photography without an intervalometer, HDR video recording long before that was an official feature, more granular exposure controls, waveform display, focus peaking, and much more. While some of the features and tools Magic Lantern added are commonplace today, they were far ahead of their time a decade-plus ago and helped turn prosumer and enthusiast-level cameras into extremely capable professional tools.

Magic Lantern’s Return

The new lead developer, names_are_hard, announced Magic Lantern’s return yesterday on Magic Lantern’s forums, seen by Reddit r/cinematography users and confirmed on the official Magic Lantern website.

“It’s been a long journey, but official Magic Lantern builds return, for all cameras,” names_are_hard writes. They add that this means that there will be new, regular releases for all supported cameras and new cameras will be supported. As of now, the supported cameras are almost entirely DSLR models, save for tools for the original EOS M mirrorless camera.

However, one of the members of the core Magic Lantern team, which comprises developers g3ggo, kitor, and WalterSchulz, says the team is looking at supporting cameras with DIGIC X processors, which includes mirrorless EOS R models.

“It would be awesome if they start supporting new cameras. Imaging unlocking Open Gate on the R5/R6 lines, or RAW on cameras that don’t have it (like R6, R7, etc.),” writes Redditor user machado34.

“I believe it will be possible. They say they’re exploring up to DIGIC X,” adds 3dforlife.

“In fact we are,” developer kitor replies. “Just DIGIC 8 is stubborn and X adds some new (undocumented) hardware on top of that.” Kitor is listed as the chief DIGIC 8 and DIGIC X hacker on Magic Lantern’s forums, plus kitor is chiefly in charge of the revived website and Magic Lantern’s social media presence.

If the team can crack mirrorless cameras, it would be a boon.

“Glad Magic Lantern is back, kinda bummed that their newest release is for really old cameras that hardly anybody uses these days in the profesional world though,” adds Redditor DaVietDoomer114.

It’s hard to overstate how transformative the software has been over the years for Canon DSLR users, though. Redditor aris_apollonia recalls buying a Canon EOS 5D Mark III “purely because of the RAW video capability through Magic Lantern.”

“Recently I re-processed some of my material from over 10 years ago, using a CST to an ARRI color space, and I was blown away by how amazing those files look before you even do any creative grading,” aris_apollonia writes.

Other users chimed in with their experiences using Magic Lantern-enhanced Canon cameras, even entry-level models, to do professional, award-winning work that would have otherwise been impossible or at least prohibitively expensive. Others add that they were able to score important jobs early in their careers thanks to Magic Lantern.

What Has Changed

The new Magic Lantern core team of devs, plus many other key players who are involved to various degrees in bringing Magic Lantern back to life, have built a new repo, formalized the code base, and developed a new, efficient build system.

“Around 2020, our old lead dev, a1ex, after years of hard work, left the project.  The documentation was fragmentary.  Nobody understood the build system.  A very small number of volunteers kept things alive, but nothing worked well.  Nobody had deep knowledge of Magic Lantern code,” names_are_hard writes. “Those that remained had to learn how everything worked, then fix it.  Then add support for new cams without breaking the old ones.”

“We have an updated website.  We have a new repo.  We have new supported models.  We have a new build system.  We have cleaner, faster, smaller code.”

The team is now using Git, building on modern operating systems with contemporary tools, and compiling clean.

“This was a lot of work, and invisible to users, but very useful for devs.  It’s easier than ever to join as a dev.”

Alongside the exciting return, Magic Lantern has added support for numerous new Canon DSLR cameras, including the 200D, 6D Mark II, 750D, and 7D Mark II.

Risks and Warnings

While this is exciting news and it will be fascinating to see what the new Magic Lantern team can do, especially if they can unlock new features and performance in modern Canon mirrorless cameras, it is worth noting that Magic Lantern, like it always has, requires users to essentially hack their camera.

Magic Lantern is not endorsed or approved by Canon in any way, and its use can void a camera’s warranty. There is always a risk that a camera could be bricked by installing third-party software. Because of this, PetaPixel cannot officially encourage anyone to attempt installing Magic Lantern software on their cameras. Those who want to take the risk should do so carefully and only after reading all available instructions.

Image credits: Magic Lantern