Canon 7D to get RAW video support from Magic Lantern soon

The Magic Lantern team has revealed that it has begun investigating the possibility of releasing a custom firmware that would bring RAW video recording to the Canon 7D.

Magic Lantern is a hacker team known for releasing custom firmware that reveals the true video power of DSLR cameras. Their main focus is Canon’s EOS lineup and the next device that might receive special treatment will be the 7D.

Canon 7D will become the company’s next EOS camera to get RAW video support, courtesy of Magic Lantern.

Magic Lantern’s A1ex hints at future Canon 7D RAW video support

The Canon 5D Mark III, 5D Mark II, and the 50D among others have all gained RAW video recording capabilities thanks to Magic Lantern. According to A1ex, the EOS 7D is very close to getting such support, as the RAW image buffers have just been discovered.

The hacker added that the so-called silent photos are functioning properly, as well as RAW overlaying. This means that RAW video is possible in theory and that one last breakthrough is required to finally get it working on the EOS 7D.

Canon 7D’s dual-CPU architecture has been both a blessing and a curse

A1ex has confirmed that porting RAW video to the Canon 7D has been quite an interesting challenge. The reason for that is because the DSLR camera is powered by dual processors.

These CPUs are based on parallel processing and this means that hackers must find a way to crack them both. Of course, this is how you would explain it in simple terms, as the procedure is a little bit more complicated.

The benefit of dual-CPU architecture is that the DSLR is very fast. Additionally, the EOS 7D has the advantage of supporting Compact Flash cards, which are a lot quicker than conventional cards.

Canon 7D features a huge buffer, perfect for holding RAW image files for as long as possible

Another advantage of the 7D consists of the size of its image buffer. This feature has been designed for wildlife photographers, who are in dire need of a large buffer. However, it remains to be seen whether the 18-megapixel image sensor will be able to supply the required RAW image files or not.

Meanwhile, the Canon 7D continues to be available at Amazon and B&H Photo Video for a price of $1,499. Although it may be replaced next year, the shooter remains a very good camera. If it gets RAW video capabilities, then this will be another reason to buy it.