OK, so this one started about 3 years ago. I had an old digital video camera (that also takes stills). Unfortunately the maximum video resolution is 640×480 and stills are taken at 3MP, so not a lot of use by today’s standards (my phone can do better).
So after a bit of pondering, I thought it would be cool to make a time-lapse camera by remotely controlling the power and shutter functions. Unfortunately, after soldering in the necessary connections to the camera, I had no suitable transistors to earth the button pad (and activate it) and some of my connections broke off internally.
At this point the project got shelved.
After completing the LED projector, i found in it’s project box some transistors that were surplus. So I thought it only polite to finish what I had started.
I wont bore anyone with the circuit details (unless you really want them, if so let me know) but the little breadboard (yeah I like things old school) connects the shutter and power button pads, through their perspective NPN transistor to earth. The LED is just there to flash periodically, and provide basic status information. The power for all this is pulled from the 6v camera batteries.
We #celebratephotography here at Adafruit every Saturday. From photographers of all levels to projects you have made or those that inspire you to make, we’re on it! Got a tip? Well, send it in!
If you’re interested in making your own project and need some gear, we’ve got you covered. Be sure to check out our Raspberry Pi accessories and our DIY cameras.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: New Python Releases, an ESP32+MicroPython IDE and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey