Camera software is an area that is frustratingly closed off, and where manufacturers regularly differentiate new/more expensive cameras with firmware differences: subject detection, auto focus, drive modes (pre-capture, higher frame rates, etc), file format support (HEIC, compressed raw, colorspaces), ui features (how custom modes work, menu systems, etc).
Competition in this space driven by a provider that doesn't have a motive to convince users to buy the next new camera (ie: open source software) would be very useful to users.
Sony and Panasonic cameras (and perhaps other manufacturers) are running Linux (and release some of the third party source code they include in their products, but the amount of reverse engineering that has been done on those camera's software.
Canon uses a custom RTOS (DryOS), and lots of work has been done to extend the existing Canon firmware to enhance its capabilities (Magic Lantern[1] and CHDK[2]), but as far as I know fully open software for these devices doesn't exist.
Camera capabilities these days are highly software dependent, and the functionality of dedicated cameras is held back by subpar software development practices and a lack of pressure to make things better.
1: https://magiclantern.fm/
2: https://chdk.fandom.com/wiki/CHDK
Competition in this space driven by a provider that doesn't have a motive to convince users to buy the next new camera (ie: open source software) would be very useful to users.
Sony and Panasonic cameras (and perhaps other manufacturers) are running Linux (and release some of the third party source code they include in their products, but the amount of reverse engineering that has been done on those camera's software.
Canon uses a custom RTOS (DryOS), and lots of work has been done to extend the existing Canon firmware to enhance its capabilities (Magic Lantern[1] and CHDK[2]), but as far as I know fully open software for these devices doesn't exist.
Camera capabilities these days are highly software dependent, and the functionality of dedicated cameras is held back by subpar software development practices and a lack of pressure to make things better.
1: https://magiclantern.fm/ 2: https://chdk.fandom.com/wiki/CHDK