RAW Support enabler for A620 / A610 / S3IS / S2IS

[undefined]

Let me first say that I do not own any of the camera models mention in this thread.

I just thought I'd share here that a nice Russian chap has created a hack to enable RAW output from the DIGIC II cameras (A610, A620, S3IS, S2IS). It's a bit involved, and there are some drawbacks to shooting RAW, but if you've always wanted RAW support from your Canon P&S here is your chance to get it.

Original Site with Firmware and Source

Blog entry of someone who documented clear steps to use the hack

DPReview Forum Thread Regarding the Hack

Comparison Shots - A610

More comparison shots

Comparison Shots - S3IS

Notes: This very well may void your warranty. Please be sure of what you are doing before trying this. Additional links and data will be posted as available.

Directions (from original site):

1. Format your SD Card

2. Copy PS_A610 to SD card using method (1) or (2)

3. Take your digicam, turn it on in VIEW MODE. Press Menu button. Choose CONFIGURATION. Set FILE No RESET to ON. Choose Play menu. Find the FIRM UPDATE. Press Func. Set. Choose OK (don't worry - it WON'T touch the firmware). After the camera reboot, you should see blue button blink. Make one shot (no raw may be saved). Now you can shoot to raw+jpeg.

4. POWER OFF the camera. Download all photos to computer. Large files files IMG_1000.JPG, IMG_1001.JPG, IMG_1002.JPG... are RAW CCD files

5. Convert them to DNG using this converter.
UFRaw supports A610,A620,S3IS,S2IS directly (RAW .JPG) and via .DNG
For educational purposes you can use dcraw converter "dcraw.exe -a IMG_1001.JPG" to convert to .ppm

6. Enjoy! (color reproduction must be calibrated in case of PowerShot S2 IS. If you have camera/scanner profiling color chart, shoot it in RAW at the daylight and send it to dcoffin please) (to David Coffin, author of dcraw).

Methods of copying to SD card:

1. Software for your camera. This is just a program runs on PowerShot hardware, NOT the firmware update. It enables RAW shooting. Copy PS_A610.FIR to the root folder of SD card using your card reader.
<follow link to access latest files

2. The uploader could be used to upload PS_A610.FIR files to the root of SD card (if you don't have a card reader)

3. Free command-line RAW files decoder dcraw.exe. DCRAW

4. Free, more user-friendly RAW files decoder UFRaw. UFRAW

5. DNGForPowerShot 1.0 alpha 6 dng-converter.

 

[eckybay]

Interesting.
Who wants to volunteer to go first?

 

[undefined]

If you check the DPReview link you'll find that a lot of people have already volunteering to "go first". So far no adverse side effects. This is not actually a new firmware, it just uses the firmware loader as a method of activating the hack.

 

[randini]

I've also been following that news. Apparently what happens is the canon cameras use a DOS based firmware. These russian guys were able to create a little program akin to a virus (but don't be afraid, it's not really a "virus") that the camera loads when you turn it on that enables it to save a version of the raw file to the memory card. Once you turn the camera off and cleanup the SD card, when you turn the camera back on the program is gone and the camera functions just as it did before.

Although some people did have some trouble getting it to work, I have not seen anybody have problems with their cameras after trying it (check out the discussions on DPReview). I'd be glad to try it, but have no camera to try it on (I ended up getting a nikon and am still waiting for its delivery to me in Chile).

 

[eckybay]

I might play around with it a bit if I get some free time.... I have an A620.
I'm not that picky about my photos at this point, so I'd probably not get much benefit out of having the extra data that the RAW files would give me.
And I'm pretty sure I'd get annoyed at having to re-load the program every time I turn the camera on.
But it is neat to know that the option is there.

 

[vondo]

I might play around with it a bit if I get some free time.... I have an A620.
I'm not that picky about my photos at this point, so I'd probably not get much benefit out of having the extra data that the RAW files would give me.
And I'm pretty sure I'd get annoyed at having to re-load the program every time I turn the camera on.
But it is neat to know that the option is there.

Where I assume it will really help is in fixing white balance. The RAW mode is 10 bits while JPEG is 8 bits. Usually in the JPG red channel there is something like 5-6 bits of info which makes the corrections look pretty bad. But this way there may be 7-8 which should help.

 

[undefined]

Vondo - Another Nashvillean on Scubaboard? Nice! Where in Nashville are you located?

Back to the subject - White Balance and shadow recovery are probably the only benefits to doing this. From the various samples it is clear that the use of Noise Ninja or some other noise reduction software will be necessary as the RAW shot fully bypasses the internal noise filtering routines.

 

[Tom Winters]

So who has done this on this board?

 

[vondo]

Well, I just tried it with some test shots. It does work, it actually gives slightly higher coverage on my A620. However, the noise is very high, so I need to figure out a way around that, with the Gimp I hope.

 

[the_cat_keeper]

I've got perhaps a stupid question... suppose I regret downloading the hack to my S3, is there a way to undo the configuration?