grate news. i wonder how shoul a hacked EM5 be like. The sensor seems well yielded, but no to much talking about its video mode. Any way, congratulations and good luck with your proyect.

Quite interesting also to me... give us updates if you find out more.

The video codec settings sure could use some hacking! :)

Other things like IBIS with video when using an adapted lens might be interesting to hack in as well. The IBIS works with adapted lenses for stills - but not video as I understand it. Big bummer! I guess there are other areas which need improvements as well. And the OM-D is certainly a camera worth hacking IMHO.

I'm really looking forward to a working hack for this camera!

DPR recently gave it their Gold Award: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusem5 and the camera gets lots of "exceptional" reviews from pro and semi-pro still photographers. Here's a few threads to skim which might reveal some hack ideas at the same time.

http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/4-3rds-cameras/37126-setting-up-om-d-simple-folks.html

http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/4-3rds-cameras/37062-omd-vs-nex7-resolution-discuss.html

http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/4-3rds-cameras/34386-olympus-om-d-discussion.html

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1099720

And so on... Other (open minded) photography boards show similar threads and opinions.

Anyway, I didn't think the GH2 was enough of an upgrade from my GH1 but I think the OM-D EM-5 is... If that's saying anything!?! :)

EDIT: Removed about 8 other links from the same two sites. If interested in other user opinions and OM-D usages/experiences/hopes just search those sites with "OM-D". :)

Here's a couple more:

http://admiringlight.com/blog/olympus-e-m5-vs-panasonic-gh2-dynamic-range-battle/

EDIT: Oh, just saw your comment VK. OK, will do. Sorry.

I am also very curious, I am looking to buy a camera to shoot something over the summer and will have a hard time waiting for Photokina--GH3. The features/body of the E-M5 look very intriguing, but the codec seems very poor. I am okay with purchasing the OM-D E-M5 if there is hope for a hack though. Is anyone looking to hack this? :)

Sure! if Vitaly or anyone else hacks the bitrate of the OMD to solve the moire/motion problems with it's video in 1080p I'll donate, GH2 (and GH3) are nice but I prefer the color saturation and vivid image of Oly -I've always used Oly gear and now I'm starting to play with serious videography. C'mon Mr. Vitaly, go for it! :)

My respects for your work, Domingo

I didn't donate $$ for the GH1 or 2 cameras but I most probably will if he takes on the OM-D I think. $25 to $50 is pizza money and I could definitely go without one or two pizzas in order to see this happen. Especially if he planned on tricking out more than just the codec parameter defaults!

BTW, I don't think it's the case that not many people /can/ do this sorta thing. I think it's more to do with free time and caring enough.

Where are you with this project?

No response... yet fingers crossed

Welcome to reality. :-)

Too bad the op (Jove) has dissapeared from the site. I'd be most interested on helping him on his work. We should go forth and make a proper olympus hack scene (btw, I promised a mod on the sema1 mic adapter but it's been delayed looong time because of recent paternity!)

By the way, I suffered the e-m5 video issues the other day: panning on high detail scene, it gets crazy with artifacts... such a pity!!

Olly has heard it a zillion times that we want better vid, 24p, 25p, etc. Not only are they stupid, but they simply have a bubble-like corporate mindset that is permanently rooted in the pure camera culture. They make great cameras, they just don't "see" video. Eventually, they will have to catch up or lose market share. The new Canon mirrorless hopefully will push them in that direction.

I saw this interview with one of the head guys from Olympus, and basically, he had just an elitist, "we know best" attitude. And it's true it is a small minority of people who understand video frame rates anyway. I don't think they care what we think, but they do care if Canon or Sony has better features. Fact is, a lot of photogs I know would buy the latest OM camera because they have instant and effective IS for all of the lenses they own, plus great IQ, even if they use a Canon DSLR on a tripod in the studio. I'm stoked about the GH3, but I know it won't have the photo capabilities of the Olympus. But hey, I bought one of those $149 E-PL1, so I'm covered for a "photo" camera.

I have see this info: http://www.43rumors.com/olympus-e-m5-hack-clean-hdmi-422-and-focus-peaking-possible/ Possible hack: HDMI 4:4:2, focus peaking, 1080p 120p .

Vitality you think this is possible or only is a dream?

Many thanks

Or it could be an strategy to get hits into the website, now that "rumors" are over. Anyway, as a em5 user, I would love this to be true :) Btw, about the OP of this thread, I found him (more like traced him) and asked him about his firmware hacking work. He said he had no time atm so we can probably rule him out as a source of this news. ;)

Good news to E-M5 hack, bin files of firmware 1.5 disposables to modify: http://www.43rumors.com/more-e-m5-hack-news-will-be-a-challenge-to-really-do-it

i try but receive this error in IDA pro: http://i.imgur.com/0E191.jpg

@invaders: Sensor readout exclusively for AF, perhaps?

@coroander

Please, zip it first :-)

Vitaliy you think feasible activate 60,120,240FPS some day? or is something idyllic?

unlocking HDMI could be a serious cool feature that for sure convince me to buy the OMD, not the GH3...

hi i am very interested in the hack to record at 25p. my knowledge is limited. is there any link to download the firmware and power instalarlobdirectamente OM-D in E5. thanks in advance

Regarding the 120/240FPS strings found, that's the sensor readout linked with AF performance and viewfinder frame rate (normal=120, Fast=240).

Olympus is coming out with a new 'Travel' Camera, SH-50. This will be out next month, and has more in terms of video features and frame rates. Leads me to think that they will enable this in the OM-D at some point. :) The SH-50 also has the superb 5-axis stabilization. http://www.photographyblog.com/news/olympus_sh-50/

" First seen in the Olympus OM-D E-M5 compact system camera, the manufacturer’s 5-axis Movie IS allows users to record shake-free video footage even when hand-holding the camera - and also helps when taking still photographs. Other highlights include 1080/60i/30p Full HD movie recording with sound as well as 720p HD with 120fps or HVGA with 240fps high-speed movie "

@Vitaliy_Kiselev

"720p120 is also long time present in Panasonics."

In Micro Four Thirds cameras?

Very impressed by OMD EM5. It has beautiful colors outdoor. But GH2 get better indoor colors at hard led's colored lighting at events. All new HD lenses that looks too video at GH2, got new look at EM5 because very flexible picture style an built in curve. I never really liked Leica 25mm 1.4 at GH2, but at Olympus I can't stop shoot with all digital lenses.

@invaders oly_fw_tools won't work (on two W7). It closes DOS window. Please share hacked .bin

I'd prefer donate for clear hack of 24p and or 25p1080, it not so hard upload ready hacked firmware... With "how to" info, please!

Sorry, but people above done the hack manipulation. Sorry them won't help...

@Vitaly_Kiselev My question is why are you not interesting at hack for Olympus EM5 or EPL5?

After EM1 we loose any hopes for official Olympus update dedicated for video needs fo EM5. And I think, prices by EM5 will drop down soon. And your experience can make future hacks of EM1 easier.

Now EM5, EP5 and EM1 are unique cameras and for me OMD make very good complain ti my continuously work with GH2. 5AXIS stabilization make every shot successful, it make me better videographer, because even unexpected shots looks more professional. I know that sensor by GH2 make better job at indoor and complicated colored lighting, but sensor of Olympus(Sony) make grate work at daylight, skin tone is very very good, green and blue colors so impressive at daylight, it lack at GH2. And there are better than GH2 low light capabilities as well, but very bad picture at colored light at EM5.

There are two points for hack. Bitrate is first. If you can only help us better bitrate it could be enough.

Second is framerate, as we heard some people made changing for 25fps if it not fake. Everybody (except PAL TV guys) will be happy with 24fps without 30p. It could be good if user can decide what framerate will be after hack if we can choose only one.

Firmware update for this camera makes only with USB cable through PC, so technically it looks easier than make real *.bin file for GH2. If you need for hack operation money for hardware dumping, we can open request for donations.

Thank you for your great input for modern video. Without your great job we could stay with only Canon DSLR's.

I have no skills, but would love to see a talented hacker work on this

Thanks Kuban , but not for HDMI :-(

@Vitaliy_Kiselev

And with utmost respect, do you have time to hack the gh3?

...

(also, it's simple: we have two cameras, one it's just fine but without ibis. The other one, the em5, needs some hack but has a fantastic ibis. So, with the hack you can't put an ibis on the gh3, i guess. And you can't do Raw or ProRes, i guess. So, wasting time with gh3. You have to reach 250mb/s? For What? You have all intra 72mbps, it's fine already. Someone maybe believes it's a dream to run to take nothing, but that's all. On the other hand, we could have THE PERFECT CAMERA, just putting 24p-25p, and maybe push up a bit the frame rate. Ok, i can't do it because i don't know how, but if it's there someone that could and just says "no time, cause i choose the gh3 to hack" (when?), i guess someone is in mistake).

@Vitaliy_Kiselev

Done, but even if i don't read, i know maybe you could. I know you are able to do it. No gifts, clear, but it's a general "economic speach" about choosing the right camera (ok, i would like it, i hope for it..who knows? in the future..maybe..)

Fortunately internet is still a "free country" .

I think to make not just 24p projects with 30p-24p conforming of clips by Olympus and other footage 24pGH2, but make whole projects with GH2 at 29.97p, but my favorite editing software Avid MC not allows me use HBR GH2, because I'm not able to conform HBR to progressive with any transcoding software, it simple throws second field and footage became less sharp than 720p. So I bought second Olympus for B-Cam, EPL5 for normal speed 29.97p projects.

Donations for EM5 / EPL5 useless for Olympus hack because VK said that not interested to hack it because lack of time. Just cross fingers for EM1 official framerate update. Just sorry that Olympus can't make that serious step for DSLR video, like Canon 5DmkII firmware update at 2010.

Just a slight correction to the post above, I meant the OMD EM5. Someone here on the forum had a look at some of the threads in the firmware and found references to 120 and 240, which when looking at the new olympus stylus may refer to the frame rates on the new olympus albeit at much reduced frame rates, I still think the OMD EM5 is a prime candidate to hack and turn into a decent video shooter, it's size, build quality colour rendition and dynamic range hopefully ignite your interest.

If this camera can be hacked it's a dream come true!

I hope but nothing serious seems to move here..

I'm curious how someone would get started in researching how to create a hack for a camera. The OMD-EM5 is worthy of a hack to at least increase the bit rate. What would someone look for in the code? I'm not capable but am very curious how someone goes about it. Perhaps I can get some friends involved who have more technical know how if I can point them in the right direction.

The funding is not the problem, but finding engineers with the right knowledge. Besides, the need to hack the Oly cameras is getting less and less relevant as Photokina 2014 is getting nearer. Olympus will announce a very capable camera there with higher bitrates, more frame rates and other improved video features.

@Vitaliy You are right, that is the problem; companies bringing new versions of their products on market at ever growing phase. What these companies should be doing instead, is to make products that last, and provide improvements on those (firmware updates etc.). It's absurd that if I'd like to get better video quality I should buy a new camera, even though my E-M5 could - as I've understood - be made a much more suitable for videography by modifying the firmware.

And here's where I see you and other intelligent people can make the difference, fight back the whole ideology of constantly releasing new products, and show the companies that with some hacking, the current ones can be made into much better products, and you don't necessary need to buy new equipment all the time.

I don't know how many units of OM-D E-M5 have been sold worldwide, but I am sure it's quite a big number, so a lot of people would be grateful to get the camera more suitable for videography. Or is it so, that Olympus firmware is more difficult (impossible?) to hack than e.g. Panasonic?

@act

Olympus instead that makes very minor changes and stuck at low bitrate 30p video, because their cameras never been hacked.

LOL. no. Video is just very small niche still.

@XThunder Very interesting. There is all about EM10, as I see.

Guys: it's a job, someone has to work on it. If something can really be done, of course. At photokina Olympus seems is gonna update em1 firmware for some more video options... So, we have to find just the right guy/s (Vitaliy or someone else, some serious guys of course), give them the right money, and maybe we'll have the olympus hack.

I'm in with some euros, in case.

@XThunder Great work! Finally someone with the brains and audacity to take on this challenge. Let's all donate to Jonathan's Paypal account. I've just transferred 15 euros. Will do more as the project progresses.

@XThunder Adding more applause to your efforts. 24p and a bitrate bump on the OMDs will have an impact. Maybe Oly gives us this gift a month from now in Cologne, but it's far from a sure thing. I too will donate if this goal seems realistic.

I am also willing to donate if you are able to imporove the bitrate and bring more options to frame rates. Really glad someone is finally trying to do something!

In case anyone on this forum missed this: Olympus have released a new firmware for the EM-1 during Photokina in Cologne, but it totally lacks video improvements. Leaked pix suggest that a 4K and multiple framerate firmware exists, but Olympus apparently doesn't want us to have it.

If anyone on this forum has the 4K firmware: please post it! Or donate to XThunder who's working on custom firmwares. We depend on him, because Vitaly has always refused to look at Olympus gear. For whatever silly reason.

I asked an Olympus manager about this and there is no 4K planned for ther nearer future. I wanted an interview about the new video aspects of the olympus and he did not want to give me that interview, because there are no new video features worth talking about.

Nabil Fathi's twitter did offer some interesting info:

Take a look hiding secret of the firmware 2.0, how @getolympus fooling you with false informations... pic.twitter.com/IN2erhM4ju

— Nabil Fathi - NP (@nabilfathi15)

September 16, 2014

Does those codes really exist on the official firmware?

And this one for the sensor of e-m1:

In case you don't know Sensor Die E-M1 http://t.co/rcDuLmROYO and here what the Panasonic Sensor Die can do http://t.co/atP6yJtscm

— Nabil Fathi - NP (@nabilfathi15)

September 16, 2014

At least we know that E-M1 sensor is capable of 4K, I think this is the same sensor for GH-4.

Any chance for a hack? ;)

I'm so fed up with Olympus. The requests for 25 fps video have been posted here more then two years ago. Nothing happened ever since. Not a single engineer or marketeer in Japan seems to be listening to customers demands.

I've now invited programmers, hackers and the like to do it as a paid job. http://www.getacoder.com/projects/modify_olympus_camera_firmware_165828.html

I'll let you guys know when it's done.

this guy posts some new tweets , would be interesting if he really has a beta firmware and vitaliy could look at it.. I´m sure everybody would donate for new em-1 :)

https://twitter.com/nabilfathi15

@Kuban I agree that Nabil is a bit of a loose canon, but to his defence I would say that he does seem to have some engineering-level contacts within Olympus. He provided photographic proof of a beta-test that has been done with the 4K firmware, in which he apparently participated. He also knew an undocumented workaround to update a camera firmware without using a PC and shared that with the community (on the Lightsnow blog). I know that he's now working with Lightsnow on custom firmwares. So give him some credit and trust. Who knows what will happen.

@invaders, I have also contaced Lightsnow, and he confirmed that the code exists partly and he is now working with Nabil to mod it, so let us be patient and wish them luck.

Guys! He (Nabil) is not a fool. Olympus is the one to blame. The E-M1 is capable of 4k for sure and Olympus tested it. There are many different information out there, because Olympus tested this on different and also modified E-M1 versions. Some have a heating problem, some don't ( as far as I know). The mess of different information produced a lot of false positives. Also Olympus made some pressure.

We are making progress! Some modifications are easier than I thought some very difficult. A major problem is that we can't disassemble the firmware as normal. The mn103 processor is still used, but there are so many different versions of that panasonic cpu... Also Olympus changed some part of their firmware for the E-M1 2.0 version. We had to write/modify our own extraction tool.

My blog: http://lightsnowdev.blogspot.com/

@invaders

My understanding it existed for the time already with just text of button changed.

1. The Auto Focus in videos should be smoother.
2. Full Sensor read in video mode. No crop.
3. Better ISO performance in low light video situations
4. More Dynamic Range in video

This list is strange as it requires very big rewrites and advanced knowledge (if this can be done at all).

Maybe it's time you put in some effort and offer your knowledge instead of discrediting the work of these guys.

Where do you see me "discrediting the work of these guys"?

Instead I fully support anyone. I just pointed that list does not match with their current achievements and usual things that you can do with firmware.

Well test it for yourself, before you judge it. Since I don't have an E-M1 I'm only the developer.

All gone quite here, and I hate to say it but I told you so.

cool. I'll quote you on that

@invaders and Kuban: Any news on the OM-D hack? I donated to XThunder because of this thread and his page. Don't know if this was a good decision. On his page he announced an update for yesterday. Nothing happened.

@invaders: Any news from your getacoder.com action?

I just wonder why these people do this hoax.

@invaders and to motivate donations, you would need to deliver something that others could replicate.

@shahdoni XThunder is working on the EM-5 and two other hackers are working on the EM-10 Among them, a guy who has contributed to the hacked firmware for Nikon in the past. Work is progressing. Dissasembly and code analysis is underway. Long way to go still. Details will not be posted to this forum, for legal and other reasons. But I will post general updates now and then.

Hopefully, by now most people here have found out and seen through all the bull shit. those who followed Nabil and others on this forum. Some are well intentioned but full of bull shit none the less

The EM 5 successor is coming, and I'm reliably informed to expect some really cool stuff. the news will slowly leak over the next few weeks.

Can't say as I personally don't know any details, just told that some cool stuff is coming. And If I knew I wouldn't tell anyway. I love the EM 5, and like all of you hope the new one addresses some of the video spec wishlist

So the E-M5 Mark II seems to have all the video features I wanted to have on my E-M5. Could someone hack the Mark II firmware and perhaps bring some of those features to E-M5, or is anyone interested anymore?

Hi there,

I have made a set of modified firmwares for E-M1, E-M1ii, E-M5ii, E-M10ii and Pen-F. They are based on the latest official firmware versions, and in all of them the video time limitation is removed (in fact, it's just changed from 29:59 minuted to about 59 years which is enough for the most practical purposes ;) Also for the cameras with the Focus Stacking support (i.e. E-M1, E-M1ii and E-M5ii), the stacking now works with arbitrary autofocus lenses, instead of 8 Oly Pros and macro lenses.

Here are the links for the corresponding cameras with some additional comments:

• E-M1 - e-m1_v44.rar, not tested yet! Waiting for the tester's report.
• E-M1ii - e-m1ii_v21.rar, video duration limit removed for FHD and 4k video, but not for C4k; focus stacking works.
• E-M5ii - e-m5ii_v4.rar, video duration limit removed, focus stacking works.
• E-M10ii - e-m10ii_v13.rar, video duration limit removed.
• Pen-F - pen_f_v3.rar, video duration limit removed.

To install the firmware, you'll need to:

• Make sure the battery is fully charged.
• Extract the firmware file from archive into a folder called "DCOLYMP" on your SD-Card.
• Put the SD-Card into your camera. Start the camera while holding the OK button pressed. The focus assist LED should turn on - this means the firmware is installing, and you can release the OK button.
• When the installation ends, the focus assist LED will start to blink. Now you can switch the camera off, and then on again. That's all.

It's also possible to revert to the original firmware. The files and the instructions can be found here.

The discussion and users' reports are here and here in Russian.

Some technical info in case anyone needs it.

To load a firmware in IDA, you need to specify the following values as "ROM start address" and "Loading address":

• E-M1 - 0x6DAF1020.
• E-M5ii, E-M1ii, Pen-F - 0x60021020.

Oly_fw_manip tool available from Lightsnowdev.com contains a bug preventing from correct packing the firmwares 4.4 for E-M1. The bug can easily be corrected by changing

       if (hasXmlAttrib(block, "unknown3"))
            getHexSequenceFromXmlAttrib(blkHeadUnscrambled->zeroPadding2, 6, block, "unknown3");

in OlympusFwManipMain.cxx file to

       if (hasXmlAttrib(block, "unknown3"))
            getHexSequenceFromXmlAttrib(blkHeadUnscrambled->zeroPadding3, 6, block, "unknown3");

Please bear in mind this post doesn't resurrect the Olympus firmwares hacking. I'm just sharing my findings so some more experienced researcher could continue the work.

Splits recording must be due file size reaching 4Gb.

@gietrzy In focus stacking mode, the camera always makes 8 consecutive shots. It's possible to specify number of frames in normal focus bracketing only.

I'm re-testing the video time with my E-M5ii.

Just made a FHD SF 24p movie. Had to stop at 1:59:37 because of the battery drain.

After the recharge I'm going to repeat the tests with FHD SF 60p, and then with FHD All-I.

Thanks ABel for your reply.
Anyone knows some cheap DC coupler solution for M5.II?
Later I'm gonna check if unlocked in camera focus stacking works with FT 150 macro Sigma
According to BH US model also has 29:59 minutes :( Maybe it shutdown itself like Sonys to prevent overheating? The card is nowhere hot like Sandisks from hacked GH2 :)

Fantastic work ABe1. I posted the hacking instructions on this forum six years ago and didn't expect anyone to use them anymore. You did an amazing job.

Would you be able to share some details on how you figured out the structure and content of the firmware? Others may be able to learn from that and improve things or find new hacks.

Some preliminary results of making long video with my E-M5.2.

The camera has split the long videos into smaller "chapters", the length of these chapters depends on the video quality as follows:

• For FHD All-I max chapter length is 00:07:15.935.
• FHD SF - 00:10:45.144.
• FHD F - 00:18:49.628.
• FHD N - 00:31:44.402.

And here comes an additional limitation - the camera doesn't allow for having more than 5 chapters per movie, which essentially limits the total recording time to:

• FHD All-I - 0:36:14.
• FHD SF - 0:53:49.
• FHD F - 1:34:09.
• FHD N - 2:38:49.

It's quite possible that other camera models have different max number of chapters for different video quality settings.

Sounds like you have done some fantastic work. Has the firmware been updated for the M10iii?