Drew Fulton
New Member
Greetings,
I am a professional wildlife photographer looking to do some remote tripwire photography and create my own device. I know there are commercial products out there but I am hoping to save some money, customize the device, and learn more about electronics.
I have a background with basic physics and understanding of electronics from a high school classroom position but less of a realword experience. I would appreciate any help or even comments about the feasability of my project.
I am outlining a very complex device here with lots of options. The basics I need are a single laser or option for two lasers in paralell that when broken, a camera is fired. In addition, when the laser circuit is broken, the lasers must be turned off until the system is reset to prevent a red dot from showing up in the photographs. The delays and multiple camera attachments are not as important but if I can include them it will make the device much more useful. Additionally, the entire device including lasers (not cameras or flashes) must be powered by a battery of some sort, 12V will work if necessary.
COMPLETE PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
TERMINOLOGY:
Trigger - To fire either camera or flashes
System Reset - When system is prepared for another trigger. Turn on lasers, prepare camera(s) or strobe(s).
REQUIREMENTS:
1) I need a laser beam that when broken provides a trigger.
2) Ability to use two beams that when both broken, provides a trigger.
3) Optional: IR sensor that has broader beam than laser that when broken provides a trigger.
4) To Be Added Later: Sound sensor that provides trigger when loud noise is sensed.
BASIC OPERATION:
1) To fire a camera or flash, a circuit must be completed without any voltage passed through that circuit.
2) I would like to be able to fire multiple cameras with optional delay between cameras.
OPERATION MODES:
1) Standard Trigger - When Trigger occurs, camera or flash circuit is pulsed.
2) Bulb Mode - When Trigger occurs, flash circuit is pulsed. Meanwhile, camera circuit is completed and released on a variable timer.
3) MLU (Mirror Lock Up) - When Trigger occurs, camera circuit is pulsed to fire shutter. When System Reset occurs, camera circuit is pulsed again to raise mirror.
OPTIONAL TIMING SETTINGS:
1) Shutter Delay: Time between trigger and completion of camera or flash circuits.
2) Reset Delay - Time between trigger and system reset.
3) Pulse Length - Time that circuit remains completed after trigger occurs (used for shooting multiple images in bursts).
4) Bulb Interval - Used for bulb mode where camera shutter will be held open for X time then closed and open again. When Trigger occurs, flash fires.
5) Multiple Camera Delay - When multiple cameras are attached, provides amouont of time between the firing of each camera.
So that is it at the moment. Again, as of right now not all of these need to be built in to the system at this very moment but the more options and features included, the more flexibility this device will allow.
Thank you for all of the help and I look forward to learning from the experts here.
Best,
Drew
I am a professional wildlife photographer looking to do some remote tripwire photography and create my own device. I know there are commercial products out there but I am hoping to save some money, customize the device, and learn more about electronics.
I have a background with basic physics and understanding of electronics from a high school classroom position but less of a realword experience. I would appreciate any help or even comments about the feasability of my project.
I am outlining a very complex device here with lots of options. The basics I need are a single laser or option for two lasers in paralell that when broken, a camera is fired. In addition, when the laser circuit is broken, the lasers must be turned off until the system is reset to prevent a red dot from showing up in the photographs. The delays and multiple camera attachments are not as important but if I can include them it will make the device much more useful. Additionally, the entire device including lasers (not cameras or flashes) must be powered by a battery of some sort, 12V will work if necessary.
COMPLETE PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
TERMINOLOGY:
Trigger - To fire either camera or flashes
System Reset - When system is prepared for another trigger. Turn on lasers, prepare camera(s) or strobe(s).
REQUIREMENTS:
1) I need a laser beam that when broken provides a trigger.
2) Ability to use two beams that when both broken, provides a trigger.
3) Optional: IR sensor that has broader beam than laser that when broken provides a trigger.
4) To Be Added Later: Sound sensor that provides trigger when loud noise is sensed.
BASIC OPERATION:
1) To fire a camera or flash, a circuit must be completed without any voltage passed through that circuit.
2) I would like to be able to fire multiple cameras with optional delay between cameras.
OPERATION MODES:
1) Standard Trigger - When Trigger occurs, camera or flash circuit is pulsed.
2) Bulb Mode - When Trigger occurs, flash circuit is pulsed. Meanwhile, camera circuit is completed and released on a variable timer.
3) MLU (Mirror Lock Up) - When Trigger occurs, camera circuit is pulsed to fire shutter. When System Reset occurs, camera circuit is pulsed again to raise mirror.
OPTIONAL TIMING SETTINGS:
1) Shutter Delay: Time between trigger and completion of camera or flash circuits.
2) Reset Delay - Time between trigger and system reset.
3) Pulse Length - Time that circuit remains completed after trigger occurs (used for shooting multiple images in bursts).
4) Bulb Interval - Used for bulb mode where camera shutter will be held open for X time then closed and open again. When Trigger occurs, flash fires.
5) Multiple Camera Delay - When multiple cameras are attached, provides amouont of time between the firing of each camera.
So that is it at the moment. Again, as of right now not all of these need to be built in to the system at this very moment but the more options and features included, the more flexibility this device will allow.
Thank you for all of the help and I look forward to learning from the experts here.
Best,
Drew