Canon PowerShot SX30
Fully drivable by open code over the stock firmware.
CHDK runs on it (Canon firmware 1.00E, 1.00H, 1.00L, 1.00M, 1.00N, 1.00P): RAW/DNG, Lua and uBASIC scripts, manual exposure, motion detection.
Get started
One known way to put open firmware or software on this device, easiest first. Each one links to the project's own instructions.
- Back up your data and settings (and the stock firmware, when the guide says how).
- Check the exact model, hardware revision and firmware version against the guide: a close model may not work.
- Charge the battery or use a stable power supply; do not unplug during the install.
Install CHDK from an SD card
Install: easy
Install CHDK from an SD cardNo tools, the device stays closed · CHDK
- You need
- SD card, Card reader
- Device opened
- No
- Brick risk
- Low
- Reversible
- Yes
- Firmware
- Canon firmware 1.00E, 1.00H, 1.00L, 1.00M, 1.00N, 1.00P: pick the build matching the camera's version (CHDK's ver.req file shows it).
Load it once with Firmware Update from the camera's menu, or make the card bootable to load it at every start. Nothing is written to the camera; without the card it starts as before.
No install report yet. · Report how it went
OpenDeviceDB links to each project's own instructions and tools; nothing is flashed from this site. Flashing is at your own risk and may void the warranty.
- ID
- canon/powershot-sx30
- Category
- camera
- Vendor support
- Unknown
- Updated
- 2026-11-01
Being worked on
No live claim. If you start working on this device, claim it so nobody duplicates your work.
Interfaces
No interface documented yet.
Projects
| Project | Kind | Origin | License | Freedom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHDK sx30 port | firmware | community | GPL-2.0-only | Still non-free: stock firmware · Cloud: noneCHDK loads from the card next to Canon's firmware, which stays and does the imaging. |
What "still non-free" and "cloud" mean
What "still non-free" and "cloud" meanWhat stays proprietary or depends on the vendor's cloud once the project is in use, from the project's own documentation.
- vendor blobs
- proprietary files extracted from the stock firmware
- stock firmware
- the stock firmware stays on the device; the project only talks to it
- modem
- cellular modem firmware
- GPU
- graphics driver or firmware
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi driver or firmware
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth firmware
- camera
- camera driver or image processing
- sensors
- sensor hub or sensor drivers
- bootloader
- boot firmware
- other
- another proprietary part
- Cloud: none
- works fully locally
- Cloud: only at setup
- a vendor account is needed once, e.g. to obtain a local key
- Cloud: optional
- cloud features exist but are not needed
- Cloud: required
- does not work without the vendor's cloud
- Cloud: unknown
- not known
Verification
Not verified. A "verified on hardware" badge requires a replayable test (hardware-replay) run on a real device with a stated firmware version.
Provenance
- CHDK (GPL-2.0-only, fetched 2026-11-01) · about this source
AI assistance not stated.
Status and claims as of the build date (2026-11-04). Data licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; imported data keeps its upstream license.