High Def Edition – HD Video, DSLR Filmmaking, Cinematography and Photography

Guys, it’s with a very heavy heart that I must share with you this bad news. . .There really is no other way to say it so I might as well just be out with it.

Jonny Petts was not successful in his attempts to hack the 500D and he has put the project to an end. There will be no 500D firmware hack. At least not from Jonny Petts anyway, but to my knowledge there is nobody else still working on it.

For those of us who were hoping and praying for this to come to fruition, it is a tough blow and to the 500D owners out there still hanging for Manual Controls, I’m sure it is gutting to hear but I hope this will at least will give you some kind of closure.

I think it’s all got a bit difficult, with the advent of the 550D, now the 60D and the inexorable march of technology it seems it’s inevitable that the 500D will remain as it always was, a great but somewhat limited camera that is still capable of some fantastic images in the right hands.

I have extracted the following from Jonny’s most recent message to me and will share it with you here. Don’t hate on the guy though, he did give it his best shot and tried to lead the charge in a task that was immensely challenging, even for the most knowledgable hackers.

Well, from the start I had alot of issues. I had no real experience with these programs, I made small amounts of progress and began to understand what I was doing and so on. I mean, this is why i did not want any payment for it. This was meant to be a little project I could work on and learn from. I mean I am still working it, rarely, but I doubt i will get anywhere. I appreciate all your support and interest, it means a lot to me, you took a big risk in doing so, I have tried my best to produce it, but as you know I am no Trammel Hudson who has this database of knowledgea and has all the resources. I know I’ll get a wave of hate comments for this but i didn’t wish to get peoples hopes up, I just think that the 500D really is for point and shoot with some creativity, but I really think that if you want these manual controls we will need to get the 550d. Which is what I am currently saving up for (that or a 7D). My message to 500d users is to use what you have! I got drawn into hating on Canon for not giving us manual controls, but a photographer recently told me, that it’s the vision you have that makes the shot not the gear, and with the 500d i have found work around for these issues.

I really feel the 500d is a great camera, and I do love it, it produces some great shots but this camera is not for pro’s. It’s for the small time beginners like me, but as i have learnt so much I feel i want these features so I am ready to upgrade.

Sorry mate,

Jonny

So there it is, straight from the man himself with some wise words that ring true no matter what the profession. It’s not so much the tools as the vision of the creative behind it. . .

I’m sorry to all of those that feel they have been misled, it was neither Jonny’s nor my intention to mislead anybody at all. It’s a real shame it hasn’t come off, but don’t let it dishearten you. Go out, shoot great pictures, enjoy what you have and keep smiling!