Building a DSLR Camera Wireless Controller #CelebratePhotography

This project from moving electronics features the Adafruit Feather HUZZAH with ESP8266 WiFi, FeatherWing OLED – 128×32 OLED Add-on For All Feather Boards and more!

I’ve been experimenting with time-lapse shots for a while now. Unfortunately, time-lapse shooting options on most DSLR and mirrorless cameras are somewhat limited. At the time of this writing, Sony doesn’t even include the feature on their high end cameras by default (you need to buy an “App” and download it to the camera).

Some time ago, I posted the setup I had been using for shooting time-lapses using a Raspberry Pi, a portable battery and a USB cable. It got the job done, but using a Raspberry Pi as a time-lapse controller seems a bit overkill. I also wanted to get rid of the cables and the need for carrying around a big battery pack. Thus, I came up with this little device.

The main objective of this project is to put together a device for controlling photo shooting sessions (i.e. time-lapse, timer, etc.) taken with a Sony A7II mirrorless camera. The device’s main features are:

  • Portable device with embedded/internal battery.
  • Wireless interaction with camera through infrared (IR). No USB cables or special adapters to deal with.
  • Multiple time-lapse options controllable through a web interface.
    Timer capabilities.
  • On-device screen showing current status.
  • Capability of doing lightning detection/photography. Although fully functional, it’s currently an experimental feature.
  • Magnetic attachment to metal surfaces.
  • Tripod mount.

Here is a video showing the initial connection and Timer feature:

See full project details!


Featured Adafruit Product!

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Adafruit Feather HUZZAH with ESP8266 WiFi; Feather is the new development board from Adafruit, and like its namesake it is thin, light, and lets you fly! We designed Feather to be a new standard for portable microcontroller cores.

This is the Adafruit Feather HUZZAH ESP8266 – our take on an ‘all-in-one’ ESP8266 WiFi development board with built in USB and battery charging. Its an ESP8266 WiFi module with all the extras you need, ready to rock! Read more!



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