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Canon Digital Rebel Hacked Into A Pseudo-10D

Reverb9 writes "When Canon introduced the Digital Rebel, the world's first entry-level Digital SLR camera, many remarked on its similarities to the 10D , its $500 more expensive big brother. In fact, the two cameras share much of the same technology and so Canon implemented a number of software-based limitations to avoid destroying sales of the professional-oriented 10D. Now, a new hack that restores a previously hidden menu along with a few additional tricks has added nearly all of those 10D features to the Rebel, with an arguably superior user interface to boot. Canon has so far said little on the hack but certainly cannot be happy with its potential effect on sales. This is, however, a reality that more corporations are having to confront. In an era where programming labour is relatively cheap and computer connectivity more frequent can artificial, marketing-driven, barriers between technology products, last?"

12 of 585 comments (clear)

  1. hacking a camera?!??? by beatnitup · · Score: 5, Funny

    picture that...

  2. I, don't know by eln · · Score: 3, Funny

    But, the article, submitter, sure has a thing, for commas.

  3. Re:Makes you wonder by ForestGrump · · Score: 3, Funny

    yea, but these "features" cost money. The hack doesn't.

    That big ass spoiler, adds 20 hp.
    That unpainted body kit on your riced out civic. 10 hp, but it looks like crap, IMHO.
    And who the heak thought a coffee can made a good exahust sound?

    -Grump

    --
    Is it true that more people vote for the winner of American Idol, than vote for the president? -Ali G.
  4. Re:Stickin' it to the man by SilentChris · · Score: 3, Funny

    What part of the normal music market will learn to download MP3s off the internet? Probably almost none of it, if they can find or understand them. So that leaves the likes of the Slashdot crowd, and that really isn't a big enough group to put a dent into cultural acceptance. Oh wait...

  5. Re:Makes you wonder by prockcore · · Score: 4, Funny

    just how many other devices have similar "hidden" features, just waiting to be hacked. I suspect it's a lot.

    The Nissan Sentra has the same engine and frame as the more expensive 200SX, but for the life of me I can't find the software hack to change the body panels of my sentra.

  6. Re:Not 100% the same by Kenja · · Score: 4, Funny

    But the software hack changes the plastic body to a magnesium one, then you just need to paint it black.

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
  7. Re:Makes you wonder by superbondbond · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have one of those Motorola digital cable boxes. One afternoon my one-year-old nephew was crawling around and put his hand down on the remote. He apparently pushed just the right combination of buttons to access some sort of set-up menu. There was all sorts of settings that were obviously above my head, thus I was too chicken to make any changes for fear of really screwing up something, or worse. So I cancelled out of it and have yet to find out how to access it again. Makes me wonder what sort of stuff I could have tapped into had I known more about what I was doing.

  8. Re:Makes you wonder by stefanlasiewski · · Score: 3, Funny

    He apparently pushed just the right combination of buttons to access some sort of set-up menu.

    Yes, but that was intentional. I think your nephew has been hacking around in Emacs behind your back...

    --
    "Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
  9. Re:Time to buy. by valkraider · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, because I frequently need to stop bullets or pound nails and stuff with my $1000 camera.

  10. Shush, shush, all of you! by LiberalApplication · · Score: 3, Funny
    Take down this /. article right now!

    I'm all for artificially imposed limitations, owning both a Minidisc player and a Radeon 9800SE. Let's all keep this nice and quiet and pretend we know nothing about the disabled functionality. If we're lucky, they'll keep putting more of said functionality in without charging us for it.

    1. Re:Shush, shush, all of you! by Total_Wimp · · Score: 4, Funny

      Consumers are getting the shaft any time they buy these crippled products. They shouldn't HAVE to hack something to unlock built-in features.

      Exactly. I had to "hack" the crippled Windows Server 2003 to accept multiple connections by telling it I had 1000 licenses in the License Manager. The product is exactly the same, but with this one little tweak I got just as much functionality as I would have with the much higher priced, 1000-CAL product.

      Shouldn't I be able to buy one, non-crippled version without jumping through these hoops? It's unconsionable.

      TW

  11. Re:Little Nits by TheLink · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah. I'm still puzzled why some people prefer to be called disabled instead of handicapped.

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