Magic Lantern was originally written for the
Canon EOS 5D Mark II[3] by Trammell Hudson in 2009 after he reverse engineered its firmware.[1] He ported it to the
Canon EOS 550D in July 2010. There are now versions for many other Canon DSLRs and the current principal developer is known as A1ex.
Since installing Magic Lantern does not replace the stock Canon firmware or modify the ROM but rather runs alongside it,[3] it is both easy to remove and carries little risk.[4] The camera checks a "
bootflag" in its re-writable memory, and if set, reads from a
memory card to get the additional firmware routines. Each time the camera is started, there is an option to disable Magic Lantern.
Dual-ISO for increased dynamic range[12] up to about 3 EV, with trade-off of somewhat less resolution and more complicated post processing involving cr2dng
Auto-Dot-Tune on some DSLRs for automatic micro-focus-adjustment to calibrate lens and body (5D Mk II, 6D, 50D, 5D Mk III and 7D)
Because installing Magic Lantern does not replace the stock Canon firmware or modify the ROM but rather runs alongside it, it is both easy to remove and carries little risk.[4] Canon has not made any official statements regarding the add-on firmware, either on the subject of warranty or on the features.[13][unreliable source?][14][unreliable source?] In response to emails Canon has stated that while their warranty doesn't cover damage caused by third party firmware it will cover unrelated issues such as malfunctioning buttons even if third party firmware has been installed.[15]