CHDK: Get More From Your Canon PowerShot
Unlock More of Your Camera's Potential
Have a Canon PowerShot camera? You might be surprised by what you can do with it!
CHDK, the Canon Hack Development Kit, is a community-developed firmware enhancement for supported Canon compact cameras. It can unlock additional features and give you more control over how you take pictures, including options for RAW photography, scripting, remote shutter operation, and time-lapse photography.
When I first started experimenting with CHDK, I wanted to get more out of my Canon PowerShot SX30is without buying a bunch of expensive accessories or upgrading to a different camera. That curiosity turned into a series of tutorials covering installation, photography techniques, DIY hardware, and a few creative experiments along the way.
Welcome to the BigNate84 CHDK project!
Whether you're discovering CHDK for the first time or looking for a particular technique, this page brings together my original six-video tutorial series and the resources that go with it.
Watch the Complete CHDK Video Series
The playlist contains all six videos, starting with installation and progressing through RAW photography, a DIY USB remote shutter, time-lapse techniques, and creative photography.
Watch the CHDK playlist on YouTube
The Six Tutorials
1. How to Install CHDK
Before you can experiment with CHDK, you need to get it running on a compatible camera.
My original installation tutorial introduces CHDK and demonstrates the firmware-update method on a Canon PowerShot camera. This is the starting point for the rest of the series, because the RAW photography, remote shutter, and intervalometer techniques in later videos rely on CHDK features.
The video walks through the installation process and helps introduce the CHDK interface, including how to enter CHDK mode and access its menus.
What you'll learn:
What CHDK is and why you might want to use it.
How CHDK works with a compatible Canon PowerShot camera.
How to access CHDK's menus and features.
How to get started exploring the additional capabilities available on your camera.
Before you begin: CHDK compatibility and installation procedures depend on the exact camera model and firmware version. My video is an older tutorial, so consult the current CHDK documentation before following its installation steps.
2. Shooting in RAW With CHDK for Beginners
JPEG is convenient, but what if you want more flexibility when editing your photographs?
In this tutorial, I share my first attempts at shooting RAW with CHDK, including a side-by-side comparison of JPEG images and unedited RAW DNG files.
I also walk through the settings that initially tripped me up. Simply enabling RAW capture wasn't enough to get the results I wanted. I needed to enable DNG formatting and work through the camera's RAW parameters.
The tutorial grew out of a question from a viewer who was having trouble opening RAW images in Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3. I had run into a similar problem myself, so I demonstrated the approach that worked for me.
What you'll learn:
The basic difference between JPEG and RAW image files.
How to enable RAW capture in CHDK.
Why DNG formatting matters when working with compatible photo-editing applications.
What the bad-pixel file creation process does in the older workflow I demonstrated.
How RAW and JPEG images can differ in appearance and usable image information.
I used a Canon PowerShot SX30is for my examples. My sample RAW file was approximately 20 MB, compared with a roughly 2 MB JPEG. Those numbers are specific to my example, not universal file sizes.
One interesting observation was that my RAW image appeared to show more of the scene around the edges than the JPEG. That was part of my experiment, not a guarantee that RAW images from every camera will have a wider field of view.
The original video uses older software, including Preview and Aperture on a Mac, and refers to older versions of Photoshop and Lightroom. Modern applications, camera compatibility, and CHDK settings may differ.
If you're interested in getting more control over your photographs and exploring what happens beyond the camera's standard JPEG output, this is a good place to start.
3. CHDK USB Remote Shutter Release
Why spend $30–$50 on a camera remote when you might be able to build a simple alternative yourself?
In this project, I modified a standard USB cable and a small LED flashlight keychain to create a wired remote shutter release for my Canon PowerShot SX30is. The total cost of the parts was less than $6 in my original build, assuming you already had the necessary tools.
The goal was simple: trigger the camera from a distance without touching it. That's useful for long exposures, tripod photography, and situations where you want to minimize camera movement.
I also explain the electrical connections, demonstrate how I used a multimeter to check the wiring, and show how the modified keychain becomes the remote's push button.
What you'll learn:
Why a remote shutter release can be useful for photography.
How CHDK's USB remote feature works in the setup I demonstrated.
The basic components of my homemade remote.
Why checking cable connections with a multimeter matters.
How the button's press-and-release sequence triggers the camera.
Where to find the remote settings in the CHDK menu.
The tutorial also explores the concept of synchronizing multiple cameras, although that goes beyond the basic remote I built.
A safety note: This is an old DIY electronics project, not a universal camera accessory. The wiring and voltage requirements must match the supported camera and its documentation. Incorrect polarity, excessive voltage, shorts, or faulty connections can damage equipment. Do not connect an improvised remote until you've verified the circuit and compatibility for your particular camera.
My original build used a Canon PowerShot SX30is with a specific historical CHDK release. Modern versions and other camera models may behave differently.
The project is a fun example of how a little ingenuity can turn inexpensive parts into a useful photography tool.
Download the USB Remote Shutter Wiring Diagram
Want to build your own USB remote shutter release? I've put together a wiring diagram to go along with my CHDK USB Remote Shutter Release tutorial. You can download it in whichever format works best for you:
The diagram illustrates the circuit used in my DIY project, which features a USB cable, a push-button switch, and a small battery-powered LED keychain light.
Important: This is the design shown in my original tutorial using a Canon PowerShot SX30 IS. Camera connectors, pinouts, and electrical requirements can vary, so verify compatibility and voltage requirements for your specific camera before building or connecting a remote. Incorrect wiring or voltage can damage your equipment.
4. How to Take Time-Lapse Photos With CHDK
Time-lapse photography lets you compress a long period of time into a short sequence of images. Clouds move across the sky, shadows stretch across a landscape, and a sunset unfolds in seconds.
In this tutorial, I demonstrate how to use an intervalometer script with CHDK on my Canon PowerShot SX30is.
An intervalometer automatically takes photographs at a specified interval. Instead of pressing the shutter over and over, you configure the camera, start the sequence, and let the script do the work.
My original demonstration uses a script called Countdown Intervalometer and walks through loading it from the camera's memory card.
What you'll learn:
What an intervalometer does.
How the interval between photographs affects a sequence.
How the number of shots determines the length of a capture session.
How a CHDK script is loaded and configured in the workflow shown.
Why a stable tripod and sufficient battery life and storage are important.
How to save parameter presets when repeating similar projects.
The original tutorial covers downloading a script, copying it to the appropriate CHDK script folder, selecting it from the camera menu, and configuring the interval and number of shots.
Those steps reflect the software and script available when I made the video. Check the current CHDK documentation and script information before downloading files or following the old installation procedure.
A practical tip: Plan your composition and camera settings before starting. If you're photographing a sunset, for example, changing exposure settings halfway through can create abrupt brightness changes in the finished sequence. Battery life and memory-card capacity also limit how long you can shoot.
If you want to move beyond ordinary snapshots and experiment with automated photography, intervalometer scripting opens up a lot of creative possibilities.
5. How to Tell People You're Expecting a Baby
Not every CHDK-related project has to be about menus, firmware, or electronics. Sometimes the best use of a camera feature is capturing a special moment.
In this video, Stephanie and I share a creative way we announced that we were expecting our first baby.
We told my parents and sister that we wanted to take a family picture to try out our new camera. The plan was to let everyone think we were taking an ordinary group photo, then reveal the big news and capture their reactions.
The Canon PowerShot SX30is has a custom self-timer that can pause before taking a sequence of pictures. I set the delay to 10 seconds and configured the camera to take 10 photos automatically. After the first ordinary family photo, I announced the news and let the camera capture the reactions that followed.
What you'll learn:
How to use the camera's custom timer.
How to set a delay before taking pictures.
How to configure a sequence of photographs.
How to plan a surprise announcement around a camera's automatic shooting features.
How a little preparation can help capture genuine reactions.
The camera's built-in custom timer handled part of the sequence. I used CHDK to extend what I could do, producing a longer sequence than the standard timer's limit in my original demonstration.
This video is a reminder that learning about technology isn't just about making a device more complicated. Sometimes it's about using a feature creatively to capture a memory that you'll treasure for years.
A little planning goes a long way: Set up your camera and tripod in advance, check the framing, and think about where everyone will be standing. You want to be part of the moment, not stuck fiddling with the camera when the surprise happens!
6. Five Time-Lapse Techniques
Once you've learned how to automate a time-lapse sequence, it's worth experimenting with different ways to make the final result more interesting.
In this video, I head to Silver Lake in New Hampshire on an early Saturday morning to experiment with five approaches to time-lapse photography:
Manual time-lapse — Take a series of photographs by manually triggering the camera between shots.
Manual pan time-lapse — Move the camera in small increments between exposures to create a wider view.
Manual zoom time-lapse — Change the zoom between shots while experimenting with the composition.
Manual exposure time-lapse — Adjust exposure settings between photographs to explore how changes in brightness affect the sequence.
CHDK intervalometer time-lapse — Automate the capture process using a CHDK script.
The results illustrate both the creative opportunities and the limitations of each approach.
What you'll learn:
How camera movement affects the smoothness of a time-lapse.
Why small, consistent movements matter when panning.
How zooming can create a more dynamic sequence.
What happens when exposure changes throughout a sequence.
Why automated capture is often the best way to achieve consistent results.
One of the most useful lessons from this experiment is that physically touching the camera between photographs can introduce unwanted movement. Even a tiny shift in the tripod can become obvious when the images are played back quickly.
My favorite approach was the automated intervalometer sequence. In the video, I show 100 photographs taken 30 seconds apart during sunset. I also experimented with changing the exposure near the end, which caused an unnatural jump in brightness.
That experiment taught me something worth remembering: set it up, start the sequence, and let it run.
If you realize halfway through that the light is changing, resist the temptation to adjust everything. Unless the project calls for deliberate exposure changes, consistency generally produces a more natural-looking result.
Of course, manual techniques still have their place. If your camera doesn't support scripting, you can work with what you have. Experimentation is part of the fun, and each method can produce a different visual effect.
CHDK Resources and Further Reading
CHDK is a community-developed project, and the documentation is an important part of getting the most out of it.
Before installing or using CHDK, check these resources:
CHDK project documentation — Background information, features, and community resources.
CHDK supported cameras — Start here to investigate compatibility for your camera.
Make sure the camera model and firmware version match the instructions you follow. Features and installation procedures can vary, and some scripts or menu options shown in older tutorials may have changed.
CHDK is unofficial and is not an official Canon product. Follow the documentation for your particular camera, keep backups of important photographs, and take care when experimenting with hardware modifications.
More From BigNate84
This project started with a simple goal: get more out of the equipment I already owned and share what I learned with other people.
The six tutorials cover a lot of ground, from installing CHDK and exploring RAW photography to building a remote shutter and experimenting with time-lapse sequences. They also show how technology can help create something practical, interesting, or even personally meaningful.
If you try one of these techniques, I'd love to hear how it goes. What camera are you using? What have you been able to accomplish with CHDK? And what photography experiments should I try next?
Thanks for watching, reading, and visiting BigNate84. Happy shooting!