Hackable camera other than Canon - or at least with remote

[phaedrus]

As the title says I wonder if anyone's aware of anything other than a Canon that may be hacked, or is already capable of taking a remote shutter release?

The reason I ask is that my sole camera, an A430, does have a CHDK for it but one of the few things that doesn't work is of course the thing I really want - USB remote switch. Seems that development has stopped too.

I've been keeping an eye out for a Canon that would do but in my part of the world they're not all that plentiful (at least not at a reasonable price). Given the cost of secondhand I'd be happy to purchase a new A480 but as that has no CHDK, and presumably will take some time before it does if at all, I'm at a loss really to know what's best to do. Whilst I realise I could get a DSLR of some sort I should add that cost is a significant factor here and given I've been pleased with the 430 in every other respect I'd be happy with that end of the market I should think.

Oh, and just to complete my list of requirements it needs to take 'AA' batteries, none of these proprietary lithium things thank you!

Cheers, P.

[daniel_reetz]

From your projects thread, I get the impression that you're good with a soldering iron -- have you thought about just soldering to the shutter switch directly, or adding a small jack to do it? I posted pics from an A530 somewhere here on the forums. They're Flat Flexible Cables in there, and the switches are two position, but if you just short the two positions together at once the camera focuses and immediately captures.

[Antoha-spb]

Before to set my DSLR to make scans I was thinking about using old Olympus Mju-300 for this very purpose. Having disassembed the camera i decided not to risk demolishing the camera's tiny button without proper tools but to try an electric actuator that would press the button on the camera with enough force or to use a cord like those that used in the bicycle brakes. An actuator is a crazy idea, but a cord must be good, as such solution was used for the long time before electric remotes replaced it....

[phaedrus]

Hi Daniel, yes I had thought about it but I'm loath to mess around to that extent with my only camera, even though I'm fairly handy with a soldering iron etc (from another life!). Also if Igot some new cameras (say A480's) it'd be a year before I could safely do that without voiding any warranty.

I've also thought a bit about a mechanical remote shutter device but each time I keep coming back to the relative complexity of that vs the simplicity of a switch on the end of a USB cable (sigh). I guess I'll just have to continue to wait 'till something suitable comes up secondhand or someone releases something for the 480. There certainly are times I wish I was a reasonable programmer...

Cheers, P.

[daniel_reetz]

I have a GigaPan imager -- it's a panorama-robot that has a servo to press the camera button.

http://espegizmo.com/wp-content/uploads ... imager.jpg

It's definitely possible to use a simple RC servo to press the camera buttons. I don't like it much, because it has the potential to vibrate the camera, but it would be a universal solution, would avoid the need for firmware, and wouldn't be too awfully expensive. I could laser little mounts that would accept most cameras and position a servo there. The big problem would be that it would be rather close to the Gigapan solution.

[phaedrus]

A universal solution would be good, I even have a cord such as you're talking about Antoha-spb, but there's a certain amount of 'springiness' with them that I don't like and you generally have to hold them in a certain way to be the most effective.

For an electric actuator I'd thought more along the lines of a solenoid, something similar to the old-time door bell solenoids or even a small modified relay, I agree that a servo would likely cause some vibration. Also the controlling electronics and speed of operation perhaps render it less useful IMO.

Anyway I'll continue to think about this one, I'd not come across any other point 'n shoot cameras that have remote but thought it was worth asking in case anyone was aware of something but it looks to be a blank. I guess the other option is to try and learn whatever I need to learn to hack an A480 but as you might imagine that'd just go on the end of a long list of projects, by the time I did that the A480 would be very old school I should think!

Cheers, P.

[Misty]

I don't think you're going to find an off-the-shelf camera that meets your requirements. Remote release is usually on mid-end (prosumer like the Canon G series or Nikon P series) and DSLRs, and AAs tend to be a low-end feature - I'd guess because of the higher power draw of more advanced cameras. I guess one of the things about point-and-shoots is that they're targeted at an audience that points and shoots, so robust remote features really aren't what they're designed for.

[daniel_reetz]

I really like the bike brakes idea. All the parts already exist. It doesn't rely on a microcontroller or custom firmware, and it can be as gentle as you can be. It just needs a dash of hardware support....

[aku]

Camera control via Nintendo DS. Aka Open Camera Control.

http://www.hdrlabs.com/occ/index.html

via http://hackaday.com/2010/03/11/update-n ... a-control/