canon Remote control how to

M

manuka

Senior Member
Yikes-past my bed time. I'd initially fired there on a military style cannon, but -phew- it's instead a digital Canon SLR camera. A very nice web site, which I'm still reading. Things look PICAXEABLE.
 
S

sigster

New Member
digital Canon SLR camera :)

I have canon 450 and want to control the camara from PICAXE but need litle help with this please
 
hippy

hippy

Ex-Staff (retired)
The control seems to be open-collector, active-low so it should be possible to use just a single diode ...

Code: 
  PICAXE       Diode
.-------.
|       |      | /|
|    Ox |------|< |-------( Tip / Ring
|       |      | \|
`---.---'             .---( Sleeve
    |                 |
   _|_ 0V            _|_ 0V
The software needs to bring the output low to activate the shutter so, similar to the original code, for a 5 second exposure ...

Code: 
ActivateShutter:
  Low 0
  Pause 5000
  High 0
  End
Alternatively, the opto-isolated circuit could be used with the opto being controlled by a PICAXE output line going high rather than a signal from the PC. Some of the resistor values may need to change because the PICAXE signal will be 5V whereas the PC would normally put out 12V.

Added

Actually, there's a problem with the simple diode circuit ... The PICAXE may set its outputs low when it turns on which would cause the shutter to activate when it wasn't meant to. Use a PICAXE-08/08M and Pin 1, 2 or 4 and that should work.
 
Last edited:
T

Tom2000

Senior Member
If your cameras use a 3.5mm stereo jack for its wired remote interface, you can use the connection diagram I've posted here.

I use a dual MOS relay to control focus and shoot independently. (The MOS relay is necessary for Panasonic cameras, which short resistors in their wired remote. Transistors should be OK for Canon cameras.)

Good luck!

Tom
 
M

manuka

Senior Member
Tom2000- a most impressive account! How have you found performance & reliability of that cheap "MadeInChina" 433MHz tx/rx combo however? Stan
 
T

Tom2000

Senior Member
manuka said:
Tom2000- a most impressive account! How have you found performance & reliability of that cheap "MadeInChina" 433MHz tx/rx combo however? Stan
Click to expand...
Stan,

As a ham radio operator, I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't tweaked it out. It seems rock solid out to about 15 meters or so. I haven't built anything that would let me see what the receiver's doing at longer range.

The reliability seems good. I haven't noticed it falsing at all, and the four channels operate when they should.

73,

Tom
 
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