Loading CHDK on a Canon Powershot SD780 IS / IXUS 100 IS
Edit: This article was written to cover installing the CHDK Pre-Alpha Build. I have kept it here for reference and historic purposes. I have posted an updated article here that covers using the CHDK Beta for the Sd780IS / IXUS 100 IS.
I have experimented with the Pre-Alpha build of CHDK for the Canon Powershot SD780 IS camera and I am very satisfied with it. The most recent build at this time (version 8 – Dec 3, 2009) already unlocks many popular features like the zoom feature while recording video, Zebra bars, basic camera scripting and countless others.
How to enable optical zoom using CHDK on a Canon Powershot SD780IS camera from Andrew Hazelden on Vimeo.
This video shows how to enable optical zoom using CHDK on a Canon Powershot SD780IS camera.
Optical Zoom using CHDK on a Canon Powershot SD780IS Camera from Andrew Hazelden on Vimeo.
This video demonstrates optical zoom on a Canon Powershot SD780IS Camera using the pre-alpha version of CHDK.
To get a copy of the Pre-Alpha version go to the CHDK Development thread:
http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php/topic,3995.msg37547.html#msg37547
Download the two files listed in the first post:
http://chdk.mydev.ca/IXUS100_SD780/PS_prealpha_v8.FI2
http://chdk.mydev.ca/IXUS100_SD780/DISKBOOT_prealpha_v8.BIN
Rename the downloaded files with their proper names:
PS_prealpha_v8.FI2 should be renamed PS.FI2
DISKBOOT_prealpha_v8.BIN should be renamed DISKBOOT.BIN
The extension on the file PS.FI2 is “F upper case letter i 2″ .
Insert the SD memory card into a SD Card reader.
Make sure to format your memory card as a FAT16 volume using either a disk formatting utility or by doing a low level format on your digital camera.
The next step is to make the memory card bootable.
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ#Q._How_do_I_get_CHDK_onto_my_camera.27s_SD_memory_card.3F
Here are Windows instructions for using Card Tricks to make the SD memory card bootable:
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK/Installing_with_Cardtricks
Here are Instructions for Mac Users:
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ/Mac
After you have made the card bootable you need to copy over the CHDK files.
Copy the two files PS.FI2 and DISKBOOT.BIN to the root directory of the memory card.
Eject the memory card.
Slide the lock mechanism on the memory card to LOCK. This tells CHDK to load automatically when the camera is turned on. If you don’t lock the card CHDK will not load on startup!
Turn on the camera.
Presto. CHDK should load a few seconds after the camera powers up.
Since the Canon SD780IS camera lacks an ALT button the developer of this Pre-Alpha version of CHDK has enabled the DISPLAY button to act as the ALT button when pressed for a short period of time.
The preferences for CHDK are accessible by quickly pressing the DISP button, then pressing the MENU button.
To enable optical zoom during a video recording select the Video Parameters menu item. In the Video Parameters window select Enable optical zoom.
January 30th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Thanks for the instructions, I made a sample and uploaded it to youtube, I also included a link to this site
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zG_y-rhqGA
February 15th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Andrew,
I really enjoyed reading this post. I just got myself an SD780 and it was difinitely one of those good news/bad news things as I had intended on putting CHDK on it right away. The two things I was looking forward to having were saving as/viewing raw files, and aperture-priority. Do you know if those features are in the current build?
Thanks very much for your diligence.
-KwM-
February 16th, 2010 at 6:42 am
Thanks for the very helpful guide, I’ve been meaning to try this out for some time.
One question though with regards to enabled features in the pre-alpha build – does it have the high speed synchronized flash photography enabled?
February 19th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
I see in your menu that there is a RAW option. Does this actually enable raw on this camera?
Thanks!
February 19th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
I just posted an article on how to enable RAW images on your SD780IS camera with CHDK:
http://www.andrewhazelden.com/blog/2010/02/enabling-chdk-raw-images-on-the-canon-sd780is/
March 5th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Any idea whether bracketing will be available with CHDK for the SD780IS?
Thanks
March 6th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
I haven’t personally had too much success with the commands in the extra photo operations menu such as shutter speed overrides or bracketing.
Hopefully this will improve in the next CHDK alpha release for the SD780IS.
Andrew
March 16th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
Andrew, is it possible -with CHDK- to improve the IQ of the movies by raising the video resolution? Does it make a difference?
Thanks in advance!
Regards.-
March 17th, 2010 at 8:00 am
The largest picture size during video recording possible on the SD780IS is 720p ( 1280×720). You can however improve the picture quality slightly by increasing the data rate of the movie. This will reduce compression artifacts. This is done by going to the CHDK ALT menu called Video Parameters and adjusting the Video Quality settings. I think a modest increase of the setting is all that a person would require. There is no need to set it to the absolute maximum value though as this would use quite a lot of storage space on your memory card.
Andrew
March 17th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Good to hear that. Have you tried it?
Is it appreciable the difference setting 99% (despite the space in memory card)?
March 17th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Have you noticed great difference between default rate and maximum value? Despite the memory space…
March 17th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
On my older Canon Sd400 I notice a big improvement in picture quality and data rate when I go to the highest quality setting.
I just tested this feature on my Canon Powershot SD780IS. On the current Pre-Alpha of CHDK for the SD780IS I haven’t seen the data rate change between the normal quality mode and the highest mode. Maybe this is something that will be better implemented in the next build? Time will tell.
March 19th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
On my SD780, RAW images look exactly like your sample above.. alternating horizontal Magenta and Olive colored bands…… No matter what I seem to do… GRRR
Is there a way to shoot RAW with the current BETA for the SD780? that doesn’t have the magenta/olive color bands? …My goal is to shoot RAW with the SD780 and import them into Photoshop CS4. And what are the steps, if they exist. I’m assuming we need to convert the *.crw files into DNG before Photoshop will recognize them.
BTW THANKS! for this blog, and besides no RAW, the other features seem EXCELLENT.
cheers
-tom
March 19th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
The Pre-Alpha build of CHDK had working Raw + DNG support but not a lot of other features. The current Beta CHDK build released March 17, 2010 doesn’t appear to save a proper RAW image but has way more features like working extra photo operations and bracketing. I’m sure this will be fixed sometime soon. If you want to play with raw images in the mean time I could email you a copy of the old CHDK Pre-Alpha that that you could put on a spare memory card just to use for raw image support.
I wrote a previous blog post about raw images on the Canon SD780IS CHDK Pre-alpha here.
March 19th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
If these files listed below are not the correct files then please do email me the pre-alpha chdk for the sd780
Thanks
-tom
Download the two files listed in the first post:
http://chdk.mydev.ca/IXUS100_SD780/PS_prealpha_v8.FI2
http://chdk.mydev.ca/IXUS100_SD780/DISKBOOT_prealpha_v8.BIN
March 21st, 2010 at 8:27 am
The latest builds of CHDK – on Mar. 21, 2010 – currently ixus100_sd780-100c-0.9.9-882-full_BETA has working RAW + DNG support. The images can be opened up in Photoshop CS directly with no 3rd party raw converters required.
Andrew
March 27th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
I just got a SD780 and put the chdk Beta version files on my card. (I have run chdk on two previous cameras with great success.)
I can load chdk with the card locked, but the camera will not go into record mode. The lens will not open. It stubbornly remains in playback. I can go into the chdk menu and set parameters, but they don’t do much good if the lens doesn’t open.
I have not been able to load chdk with the card unlocked. I cannot get the “Firm Update” option on the Canon menu.
Anybody got this working with the Beta, please tell me how?
March 27th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
I just got the Canon SD780 and put the chdk Beta version files on my card. (I have run chdk on two previous cameras with great success.)
I can load chdk with the card locked, but the camera will not go into record mode. The lens will not open. It stubbornly remains in playback. I can go into the chdk menu and set parameters, but they don’t do much good if the lens doesn’t open.
I have not been able to load chdk with the card unlocked. I cannot get the “Firm Update” option on the Canon menu.
Anybody got this working with the Beta, please tell me how?
March 27th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
You might try resetting the options.
Go to the CHDK Main Menu. Select the Miscellaneous Stuff menu then select Reset options to default… If you try setting options like zebra patterns with the current CHDK Beta (Mar. 27, 2010) things like that can happen.
If that doesn’t help you might try formatting the memory card then installing the most recent build of CHDK from scratch.
Andrew
April 21st, 2010 at 3:39 pm
hi ya’ll,
you must put BOTH PS.FI2 and the CHDK folder into the SD card. THEN you can update firmware.
meanwhile, i don’t want DNG. i just want CRW or CR2 to work out of box. it currently doesn’t work (as of today, i just downloaded the auto-build. i think it’s 885 or somn.
-Jedi
April 28th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
I’m working on an updated version of this article that will cover the changes with the most recent CHDK beta for the sd780is / ixus 100 is.
September 6th, 2010 at 12:58 am
Thanks for posting the info on enabling RAW. I also have an SD 780 IS and have been playing around with the beta CHDK release. I have tried HDR using the bracketing in continuous mode. I set Tv bracketing value to 1 Ev. When you click on the shutter (helps to have a tripod) it will start taking photos… The first shutter will be normal speed (0 Ev) but as you progress it alternates between higher and lower Ev by the value set (+1 Ev, -1 Ev, +2 Ev, – 2 Ev, +3 Ev, and so on). If you set bracketing value to 2 Ev then it will alternate 0 Ev, +2 Ev, -2 Ev, +4 Ev, -4 Ev, etc.). So you may find longer shutter times (several seconds) as you keep going. As long as you hold the shutter it keeps taking these shots. At first I thought my camera was frozen after a few pictures but it is actually taking a photo with a very long shutter time as it gets to extreme Ev range on one end. I then use PhotoMatix to assemble the files into an HDR. Very easy to do.
To answer someone’s question above, regarding “stubbornly refuses to go into record mode, will only stay in playback”… Perhaps it is because they are trying to press the ON/OFF button to get into record mode, or they have the activated when pressing shutter (which only runs the script). To get into record mode, use DISP to make sure you get rid of the [ALT mode] and then press the shutter once and it will get into record mode.