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Closed Digital Cameras - Does Anyone Care?

Posted by Cliff on from the one-trick-picture-ponies dept.

Karamchand asks: "Free Software and open standards are ubiquitous in the server and even desktop area. But why does nobody seem to care about openness in digital cameras? I couldn't find a single hint as to what main processor my camera uses (I guess many use ARMs and others use TI DSPs), and while searching for information about (re-)programming digital cameras, I had to give up (apart from the scriptable Digita OS which was used by some discontinued cameras by Kodak, HP et al). Do you know of any efforts in this direction, whether they are actual disassembling/programming of cameras or asking vendors to get more open?" I still have my Kodak DIGITA-based camera from several years ago and I loved the flexibility, even though the performance is poor by today's standards (long cycle times, poor battery life, etc). Why are digital camera manufacturers keeping the lid on the capabilities of their products, when digital cameras could be so much more than their film-based counterparts?

4 of 506 comments (clear)

  1. Does anybody care? by Dionysus · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Apparently not

    --
    Je ne parle pas francais.
  2. You're too late... by JustNiz · · Score: 1, Redundant

    MAME has already been ported to a camera!

    http://digita.mame.net/

  3. I have heard of a Canon hack by G_of_the_J · · Score: 1, Redundant

    It supposedly adds some features to the Digital Rebel that are only supposed to be available in their more expensive camera (D20?).

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    Even if it is not broken, hack it anyway! You'll learn something in the process!!
  4. Re:Umm no by rbinns · · Score: 0, Redundant

    My Canon 10D has had 2 firmware upgrades since purchase. Most, if not all, Canon SLR's have had firmware upgrades. In fact, there was a hack for the Digital Rebel (300D) that enabled some features that made it a "virtual 10D" instead of the stock rebel, IIRC it increased the buffer limit and allowed some color temperature variations or something like that. Of course firmware won't stop me from laughing at someone who paid $1000 for a piece of plastic with some 10D guts.