Connecting Canon T3 to Arduiono.

I know a T3i, 60D, and XSi do not need a focus trigger. I would guess a T3 does not either.

Does the T3 allow for the IR remote? You could also control it that way...

mmcp42:
I think you'll find most cameras need focus AND shutter to be grounded
does depend on model

Grounding the signal is what causes the camera to react. So why would have to be grounded?

KeithRB:
Does the T3 allow for the IR remote? You could also control it that way...

That's an interesting idea... No cables.
But wouldn't I need to know what data to transmit by IR?

Point the camera remote at a receiver connected to the Arduino,capture the data stream using the IR library and the just use what you have captured back at the ca,era. No need tomreally understand what it is as it usually looks like a long string of arbitrary 'stuff'.

marco_c:
Point the camera remote at a receiver connected to the Arduino,capture the data stream using the IR library and the just use what you have captured back at the ca,era. No need tomreally understand what it is as it usually looks like a long string of arbitrary 'stuff'.

One would assume that this is a serial data stream, and that there is an associated baud rate, start bits, stop bits, parity etc?

IR has its own standard. There are protocols that are used for these and they have to be tolerant of stray light getting in the way of the message. I captured data from my TV remote and the messages were generally the same but differed slightly in some of the numbers for the same thing.

It does not appear to be what you would expect, but there is definitely a packet format and message protocol, which often depends on the maufacturer.

There's a library for that!
http://sebastian.setz.name/arduino/my-libraries/multi-camera-ir-control/

As usual someone else is ahead of the curve :slight_smile:

BrianOBrien:

KeithRB:
Does the T3 allow for the IR remote? You could also control it that way...

That's an interesting idea... No cables.
But wouldn't I need to know what data to transmit by IR?

You should be able to get the control parameters from this site, that records many camera IR sequences: http://sebastian.setz.name/arduino/my-libraries/multi-camera-ir-control/

Another approach is to use a servo to press the shutter button.

You know what? I don't think there is an IR Receiver on the Canon T3.
I think there are infrared solutions to control it, but they involve a receiver that is connected to the camera.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please.

The T3 manual doesn't mention an IR receiver. Only a wired remote.
It looks to me as though the T3 has a simple 1/8 inch stereo jack which should be easy to connect to. (I have the 50D which isn't as easy to do because it has a non-standard plug).
I believe the jack is similar to what vwlowen showed for his Nikon although Canon might have the shutter and focus as he shows or swapped.
I would recommend that you use optoisolators as he shows. You could probably get away without them but it's an expensive risk to take.

Pete

Agreed. The opto decoupling is safest.

A thought occurs to me.. A simple Photo Resistor may do the trick at the camera side...
I believe the camera just wants the current loop closed...

http://playground.arduino.cc/Learning/PhotoResistor

But couldn't the photoresistor then fire on any bright light?

Pete

This Photo-Resistor came packaged with the infra-red diode.....

Well this doesn't seem to be working.

Using the MATCHED INFRARED EMITTER AND PHOTOTRANSISTOR DETECTOR I thought this would work but no... it's not.


Video of the IR emitter emitting but nothing happening at the camera.
Image of the setup Arduino connected to camera by mini jack and wires.

Shorting the red and black wires causes the camera to take an exposure, but the photo-transistor doesn't seem to 'short' the circuit.

The first thing I'd try is putting the two very close together, preferably with something around them to shield the receiver from ambient radiation but I doubt that it will help. The receiver is probably not seeing enough IR to drive the output hard enough to fire the camera. You could add a transistor on the output to amplify it.
But an optoisolator would work better. It might still require a transistor for the output but it would be more reliable than separate Tx/Rx.

Pete

That was the ticket... Having the transmitter face the receiver made it work hunky dorey!
:blush:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH4nx3fKoe4&feature=youtu.be