# Magic Lantern on the 6D



## cheeseheadsaint (Sep 23, 2015)

Hi guys! I've long heard about the wonders of magic lantern but have never gathered up the courage to risk bricking my camera until now. I'm trying to do more video and the lack of focus peaking has definitely made Magic Lantern more appealing.

I'm reading around but still confused. Websites recommend only downloading the stable version but on Magic Lantern's website, I cannot tell which one is the stable version -there is just a link to the nightly builds. Also the nightly builds are for the newest firmware update 1.16, and my 6D has 1.13. Would it be safer for me to download the latest nightly build for the 1.13 or should i update to 1.16? if so, how do I know which one is the stable one?

Also, whats a good memory card for least problems with Magic Lantern?

Finally, what are good practices with using Magic Lantern? I'm just reading a lot right now, and randomly finding out that you should turn off the auto sensor cleaning function and use Magic Lantern on a user custom mode -are there any other tips like these that I should be mindful of?

Thank you for your time!


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## cayenne (Sep 23, 2015)

cheeseheadsaint said:


> Hi guys! I've long heard about the wonders of magic lantern but have never gathered up the courage to risk bricking my camera until now. I'm trying to do more video and the lack of focus peaking has definitely made Magic Lantern more appealing.
> 
> I'm reading around but still confused. Websites recommend only downloading the stable version but on Magic Lantern's website, I cannot tell which one is the stable version -there is just a link to the nightly builds. Also the nightly builds are for the newest firmware update 1.16, and my 6D has 1.13. Would it be safer for me to download the latest nightly build for the 1.13 or should i update to 1.16? if so, how do I know which one is the stable one?
> 
> ...



I don't know about the 6D...but I am, hoping to try to put ML on my 5D3 this weekend.
Yes, their site is a bit hard to navigate for a noob. I basically spent a couple weeks ago, reading all 57 pages of the main ML 5D3 forum (they do seem to have special threads for each camera).

I'd recommend investing the time in that, for your 6D. It will give you an idea of where it came from up to where it is now.

As for the 5D3....they abandoned the "stable" moniker long ago, and the nightly pretty much ARE the stable versions from what I gather.

There are threads on there where they rate the best memory cards, does the 6D use CR or SD cards? How many slots does it have?

I'm planning to put ML on my SD card and use my CF card only for video/stills capturing...I'm primarily wanting to do ML so I can shoot full blow RAW video.

I'd say take a read of the install manual:
http://wiki.magiclantern.fm/install

http://wiki.magiclantern.fm/userguide

And the downloads page:
http://builds.magiclantern.fm/#/

The main thing seems to be, make sure you have the right canon firmware version to coincide with the proper ML version.

I'm not that worried about bricking the camera, although anytime you mess with firmware, that is a risk, but you could brick it if things went wrong with a canon firmware update if it stopped in the wrong place. So, one of the main warnings is to have a genuine Canon battery, fully charged..so that you don't lose power in the middle of things.

The ML project has been going quite awhile now, and I've not heard any horror stories of bricked cameras. I personally have been waiting years just to make sure...I rarely believe in testing out the water with both feet...I much rather let others try things first.


There are links on good memory cards, if shooting RAW video, you need FAST and somewhat $$ cards. Here's one thread here:

http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=12630.0

There are some 3rd party sites out there with tutorials and some on YouTube. Just search for the newest videos out there...that's what I'm doing.

It seems install is pretty straightforward, moreso than it used to be..you basically have the right firmware on your camera. Get the proper build for your camera, unzip and copy all those files onto a freshly formatted (in camera) memory card (SD in my case), and pop it into camera, and go to the canon camera menus to point to that card for a firmware update....it runs, you reboot and it is on there.

I'l try to remember to update when I try this myself, but that should give you somewhere to start. It just takes a LOT of research and reading....they don't seem to have time/interest in putting up and maintaining the definitive guide....

HTH,

cayenne


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## cheeseheadsaint (Sep 24, 2015)

Thank you so much!! That definitely helps! I'll try to update as well if I ever get it working


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## SpuTTer (Sep 24, 2015)

I'd upgrade to 1.1.6. They fixed a center point autofocus issue. The older 1.1.3 release of magic lantern should be fine also. The 116 branch just came out in the last couple of months. I moved to 116 and havent had any issues.


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## Jeff (Sep 24, 2015)

I've played with ML on a 6d all summer and I think ML has some *great* features. Features that Canon should without a doubt implement. That said I've taken ML off all my cards - it just never was a simple enough menu for when times get hectic. (+ a bit buggy) I am very interested in Raw video but directly from the manufacture not via work arounds on a secondary firmware. 

To answer your question in regards to best practices. ML recommends making sure you wait after you've turned off the camera before opening the card door. I also found having ML on multiple cards became somewhat problematic at times (the software is on the card) so adjustments didn't follow. And of course the next time you go back to a card settings could be different. I only used SanDisk extremes so I don't know about other varieties. If you are not shooting raw, I don't believe ML adds any quality benefit to the files, just some very nice features - but I'm a believer in KISS

Allow me go off topic for a bit. While focus peaking is nice I found it read too much of the scene to be in focus and not really tell me what was in _absolute critical_ focus (that one single plane of focus). I feel for me personally, to improve my focus for video, a good monitor, a good follow focus, and slowing the pace of production in order to have your talent actually hit marks and go to the next mark. I had one actor who we would ask him to stop at a place and then he would just dance all over the frickn place giving his lines. 

just my humble thoughts


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## cayenne (Oct 6, 2015)

Jeff said:


> I've played with ML on a 6d all summer and I think ML has some *great* features. Features that Canon should without a doubt implement. That said I've taken ML off all my cards - it just never was a simple enough menu for when times get hectic. (+ a bit buggy) I am very interested in Raw video but directly from the manufacture not via work arounds on a secondary firmware.
> 
> To answer your question in regards to best practices. ML recommends making sure you wait after you've turned off the camera before opening the card door. I also found having ML on multiple cards became somewhat problematic at times (the software is on the card) so adjustments didn't follow. And of course the next time you go back to a card settings could be different. I only used SanDisk extremes so I don't know about other varieties. If you are not shooting raw, I don't believe ML adds any quality benefit to the files, just some very nice features - but I'm a believer in KISS
> 
> ...



Do the 6D's not have 2 memory cards like the 5D3? I'm planning to keep ML on the SD card and just shoot on the CF card, that way, not having to switch out the card with ML on it.....

C


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## mrzero (Oct 6, 2015)

cayenne said:


> Do the 6D's not have 2 memory cards like the 5D3? I'm planning to keep ML on the SD card and just shoot on the CF card, that way, not having to switch out the card with ML on it.....



Nope, just a single SD slot. It would be nice to have dual slots in the 6D Mk II. Some question whether Canon views that as being too much of a "pro" feature for the lowly and humble 6D.


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## Lee Lounsbury (Oct 13, 2015)

I have been using magic lantern on my 6d for about a year and a half now.. Some features like focus peaking, dual iso, and built in intervalometer I now find hard to live without! About the biggest issue I've ever had is the camera occasionally locking up, which can be easily fixed by shutting off the camera and removing the battery. About any card you find that you can reliably record video on (no stopping to buffer) should work just fine. I personally prefer SanDisk (but that should't make any difference). 
Most difficult part is the installation, so just make sure you find a good video tutorial to follow, and enjoy!


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## cayenne (Oct 14, 2015)

Lee Lounsbury said:


> I have been using magic lantern on my 6d for about a year and a half now.. Some features like focus peaking, dual iso, and built in intervalometer I now find hard to live without! About the biggest issue I've ever had is the camera occasionally locking up, which can be easily fixed by shutting off the camera and removing the battery. About any card you find that you can reliably record video on (no stopping to buffer) should work just fine. I personally prefer SanDisk (but that should't make any difference).
> Most difficult part is the installation, so just make sure you find a good video tutorial to follow, and enjoy!



Thats kind of the problem at any given moment.

There are a TON of tutorials and videos out there, but hard to find which ones are the most up to date and relevant to the current versions out there.


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