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Samsung NX300, NX500, NX1 Cameras Hack
  • PV FAQ section, will be updated regularly - http://www.personal-view.com/faqs/start#samsung-hacks-information

    Samsung NX500 / NX1 Mods

    KS pack page and downloads:

    https://www.facebook.com/NXKS2/

    Otto team hacks pages:

    Firmware format info - https://sites.google.com/site/nxcryptophotography/diy-firmware


    Developers menu access information - http://www.personal-view.com/faqs/samsung-hack/developers-menu


    Samsung NX300 Open Source Hack

    As most of you probably know, Samsung has released the source code for their NX300 camera. This camera produces an amazing picture, as good if not better than the GH2/3.

    And here's the link to download the source code:

    http://opensource.samsung.com/

    Type "NX300" in the search box and you'll go to the download page.

    The archive is 2.2 GB and it expands to 4.55 GB with 282,385 files in 16,329 folders. It's massive. I have no idea how to navigate through this thing. I hope somebody more knowledgable will take a look at it. In particular, where is the code for the H264 compression?

  • 80 Replies sorted by
  • 1.45 Hacked for recording time limit and file 4gb limit. Does dev mode limit removal do this anyway?

  • @Dobbie

    What kind of firmware?

  • Anyone got a link for the nx300 firmware?

  • Older NX200 and NX100 dev menu

    Turn power on. Select "Smart auto mode"

    Press buttons in sequence:

    1. UP
    2. OK
    3. DOWN
    4. OK
    5. RIGHT
    6. EV + OK (press OK while pressing EV button)

    The additional developer menu settings will be available.

  • NX300 dev menu

    1. Create a text file named nx_dev.adj with smart_camera content, length should be exactly 12 bytes.
    2. File must be in the root of SD card.
    3. Put SD card in camera.
    4. Set wheel to Auto.
    5. Power on the camera.
    6. Press in succession: down, OK, up, OK, right, press and keep pressed the exposure compensation button, press and release OK, and now release the exposure compensation.
    7. You should see the new menu on the screen.
  • Does anyone here know it custom LUT/ SLOG Gamma curve is still coming or not?

  • Note that second hack thread is kicking and improving still

    https://www.facebook.com/NXKS2/

  • @shoe_e

    For NX500 I suggest any normal card and using normal or slightly higher bitrate, no need for all extremes. It is efficient HEVC codec.

  • what sd cards do people recommend for the nx500 NX-KS hack? I've tried the Transcend uhs 3, class 10 64gb, which works perfectly on my Panasonic GH4, and worked with my hacked gh2, but I'm only getting 3 minutes on the time counter, and it stops recording after 9 seconds saying the card is too slow. Any advice?

  • Thanks @Vitaliy_Kiselev. I had that impression. I'm not yet done exploring all the features of the NX-KS hack, and I wonder about applying different hacks to the same camera, but I have multiple NX500s so I may experiment with Vasile's on those. I'll look for the earlier post you mentioned about how to install it. I remember starting the process but got stuck on the telnet interface connection.

  • As far as I know Vasile hack is more advanced, install is more risky, but it is one time thing, see above.

    Later you just add parts (mostly scripts and GUI part) that can not hurt camera.

    GUI is not made by Kino Seed as I understand.

  • Does anyone know what, if any, are the differences between Kino Seed's NX500/NX1 hack and Vasile/Otto's hack? I was following their collaborative efforts on dpreview, then the suddenly diverged paths. I've been following Kino Seed's work on Facebook, because his installs and GUI are user-friendly. But has anyone tried the other hack team's work and can comment on it?

  • As far as I know there are only 3 guys doing this with no firmware dump to help.

    They do not need any dumps, it is not encrypted and they can get any file.

    My good help really require big time spent on this, I make regular overview but do not have so much time.

  • I'm sure they are open to your help, V. As far as I know there are only 3 guys doing this with no firmware dump to help. But you\d know far more than me about what's required. If only someone from samsung would sneak them the code of this dead camera...

  • @chauncy

    Please understand my post is not about link or such, we have them mostly above my posts and at first post.

    the nxks2 guy has a safe installer and concentrates on lots of features

    As I know it is same as previous otto group installer, and it is not safe anyway.

    He may have just enabled 4k60p output through hdmi. But more tests are needed.

    As I know all he did is changed property of file, so it playback at 60fps.

    Vasille, has a dangerous first install(not really if you follow instructions) that needs to be done only once. Features are installed with a second safe mod install. All updates are of the second kind and safe.

    Anything that can brick body and where risky time is measured in minutes is dangerous.

    Both uninstall without issue. There are nx1 and nx500 hacks with small differences.

    As I know none of them uninstall automatically, as they still leave all file system changes.

    Both uninstall without issue. There are nx1 and nx500 hacks with small differences.

    I think it is due normal hackers error - they tend to quickly go to github or similar place as their main residential. Plus it is really not much camera owners and most hacks are quite exotic for most (including bitrate!).

    The hacks are not as professional as the gh2 or magic lantern. But they're pretty good.

    Hacks are done very good, but install must be as I described, more safe and more user friendly.

    And as I said big reversing is required, I expect that it needs around 3-4 people working for 4 months each 8 hours a day to get really good understanding of video setup and more inner things. But it can be what 1-2 month will be enough.

    As I know most of team is very bad with reversing, most progress had been made using simple debugging.

  • Development has slowed only because one guy went on vacation for July. There are two camps that work mostly separately.

    This guy: https://www.facebook.com/NXKS2/ and the other guy, vasille, who is on vacation mostly posts here: http://www.dpreview.com/forums/1001 they both post to http://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/19099-petition-for-samsung-nx1-hack/

    • look in the last 3 months of post to that thread and you can read the whole history.

    they both upload installs to here: https://github.com/ottokiksmaler/nx500_nx1_modding With a little effort you can find the readmes and install instructions for both.

    the nxks2 guy has a safe installer and concentrates on lots of features. He may have just enabled 4k60p output through hdmi. But more tests are needed.

    Vasille, has a dangerous first install(not really if you follow instructions) that needs to be done only once. Features are installed with a second safe mod install. All updates are of the second kind and safe.

    Both uninstall without issue. There are nx1 and nx500 hacks with small differences.

    Among the rather stupendous accomplishment(especially since as V says they don't have any firmware rebuild)

    • both hacks removed 30min video limit
    • both can increase bitrate from 4k at 100mb to a consistent 160mb. More is possible but can cause lockups.
    • bitrate can be increased for every resolution setting the camera supports- including 1080p 120fps which can now record at 100mb/sec
    • focus stacking
    • nx500 silent shutter

    and some more stuff that is constantly being worked on. There are some differences between the nx1 and nx 500 mods.

    both installs are memory resident and stay without needing to be on sd card or to be reinstalled after battery pull. Same with settings.

    Both have a gui with buttons that appear with certain button presses on the camera. Changing any settings is easy. Vasille's gui is faster. Nx-ks has more features(mostly bells and whistle type) he adds to all the time.

    I've installed and uninstalled both several times. Nowadays I stick with Vasille. He takes his time and is working on some pretty sophisticated stuff that may or may not work out. That's mostly personal preference since I never use a lot of the minor features the nx.ks hack has.

    All of us in the community don't get why this isn't getting more attention. Of course since samsung abandoned the cameras, well...

    For myself, I only jumped on it after the nx1 was abandoned and hit that first panic price drop at camera stores. I got the nx1, the 16-50s lens the 50-150s lens and the battery grip for something like 40% off what it initially sold for.

    I still thing the nx1 sensor is an absolute beast. I'm not sure there is a better hybrid sensor. I take a lot of stills and with a good lens, the nx1 is an astounding stills camera. That's like a bonus. The hacks have no effect on stills themselves.

    The hacks are not as professional as the gh2 or magic lantern. But they're pretty good.

  • Some explanation about hacks status

    What OS camera is using?

    As far as I know it is two OSes - realtime OS running for many low level things and Linux responsible for file system images and for interface.

    What had been done?

    Few utilities had been made, hack installer written.

    Installer makes modifications of partitions as well as to hibernation image (it seems that late is made upon reboot only). Installer is quite risky one, but only during setup process, can brick body if something goes wrong in this few minutes.

    How hack work after install?

    After installer made all preparations hack itself is set of utilities and sh scripts. Scripts use this utilities as well as some Samsung apps. All this is low or no risk and does not change partitions or any build in things.

    All modifications of build in apps happen in memory only.

    Why progress slowed so much?

    Because reversing required for good progress is absent.
    It is required to reverse some core apps, including ones running under realtime OS, and it is very time consuming task.

    Also one of the members parted from hack, as they can not decide how to split fame. Well..

    How to make hack safer?

    To make it safer you need to include hack in normal firmware and use build in very safe upgrade process.
    Due to firmware format it means modifications of multiple file images and firmware rebuild. For now it requires Linux image and manual operations, as well as rechecking each stage, as any error can lead to bricked body.

    Good hack creation tool must be able to internally rebuild all file system images and remake firmware file, it is not easy to do.

  • Are you sure what you must get image?

  • interesting. I'm always watching the nx1 hack pages. Never even heard of this. It has potential but doesn't quite work. I could control the camera but never get an image on my phone. Was this an early test that got abandoned or what? no posts there in last 7 days.

  • Interesting info about Samsung long video damage issue

    I am fairly certain know how the "limit" works, there seem to be two kinds of bugs/memory leaks:

    • (probably audio) error after ~1:16:48
    • (video or something similar) error

    https://github.com/ottokiksmaler/nx500_nx1_modding/issues/46#issuecomment-226930233

    Check this link, as it also contains small tool to make auto restart of video (you will lose around 3 seconds)

  • NX3000 has really good internal design

    image

    image

    Main board have simpler and more integrated result compared to any Japanese company (and Panasonic is still leader among them).

    Plus they also throw out all flash related things.

    img623.jpg
    800 x 569 - 83K
    img622.jpg
    800 x 502 - 59K
  • No, it does not work with NX1000 for now.

  • anyone have any idea if this would work on an nx1000? I have a gh2, gh4, and a g7, but having another angle would be nice for some of the jobs I do, and I have an nx1000 lying around.