100KM

step 1 get cheap camera your not afraid to frystep 2 carefully remove back cover (be VERY careful not to touch any circuitry used by the flash or it will ZAP you )step 3 locate button on circuit boardstep 4 use volt meter to determine the voltage polarity across the bottun (positive reading when red it touched to something positive)step 5 carefully solder leads to both sides of button(at this point you can put batteries in and touch the lead together and the shudder should click)step 6 cut hole in case for wire to escapestep 7 carefully reassemble cover and add some hot glue to wire exit to securestep 8 attach to you favorite microcontroller neg lead to ground pos lead to pin ,to trigger bring pin low

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  • The microcontroller.
  • I have one suggestion about this hack! why not use a transistor to trigger the camera!
  • I love it, explaining how to use a voltmeter in a project which requires the use of a microcontroller.

    So that's why I'm late to the party, I spent to many years just figuring out the damn voltmeter ;)

    - kidding - I'm really just acknowledging the endless effort to find the right balance of technicality when explaining technical projects. Been there, done that, got the headache.
    Ben
  • Here is the system I used, utilizing a sub micro servo to actuate the shutter button. Works well, self titled the "Orion 1.1 / 1.2" system. Works well on the Parkzone Radian electric sailplane.

  • Great write-up.

    Can I suggest:

    step 1.1 remove battery
    step 1.2 wait 1 hour

    I'm guessing an hour would be enough time for the flash capacitor to discharge?

    To be honest I would do:

    step 1.1 remove battery
    step 1.2 get impatient after 10 mins
  • I used a refurbished Kodak C913 ( 9.3 megapixel camera. ).. after figuring out the the button to trigger the flash. .i soldered wire to it. the cool part is that I got a small micro switch and attached a micro servo to it.. and glued it all together.. ( Camera, Servo and Microswitch ). I plugged the servo into the retract port of the reciever.. and now when ever i trigger the retract button.. the camera flashes... Microswitch was about $1.29 from Fry's electronics.. and microservos are about 8 or 9 bucks..
  • if you want a pic based controller for RC aerial camera control use see

    http://rc-cam.com/project1.htm

    I have used this for several cameras. Samples of the photos and how the camera is mounted are here:

    http://www.lobstercove.ca/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1160323567

    Jim H
  • so how woudl the microcontroller know to take a picture of something you want a picture of, say your doing recon or something, then your like oh i want a pic of that, how does the microcontroller know you want a pic of it? are you sayin you hit a button to activate teh cam?

    im confused, im not to clear on this micro controller thing.
  • What about just adding a servo on? On a seperate channel?
  • Breaking open the camera is the most fully functional way but makes it more fragile. U get direct control of the shutter button in the least weight. For the cheap Canon's there's CHDK, which can trigger the shutter merely by applying 5V to the USB V++ pin. U can't download by USB of course.
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