Hi,
Im about to get an arduino but i need help on this project idea first. i have just started looking into electronics but this is what i what to do.
i would take this remote
(its a nikon credit card style remote with a button cell batttery it wont let me post a link yet)
and control when it fires through the arduino. (i would like to a switch for different times ie: 1 min, 2, 6mins.)
how i would control it is the question. i was thinking i could force or jump the button switch on the remote and remove the button battery and run the remote from the arduino power. i dont believe that it would use all 5v, likely 3v. so would i need a voltage regulator? if so how would that be used?
maybe im getting ahead of myself but it doesnt sound too far out of my abilities, i hope.
How does the remote control communicate with the camera? If it uses infrared, you may be able to connect an LED to the Arduino and have the Arduino act as a remote control.
If you go to the Arduino home page and search for "infrared", you'll find several references.
From your description of the remote I'm assuming this is for a Nikkon DSLR, if so then it is very easy to make your own remote with just an arduino and an IR led (i did it in about 30mins), then once you've got the remote working you can easily add things like timers, time lapse etc.
I'm working on this same project. I have the code nearly finished, and I had planned on using software to fire an infrared LED in the correct sequence. Unfortunately, that part has failed. I plan to use the Nikon remote, as you are planning. I haven't acquired a proper relay yet, but I plan to use the arduino to fire the relay, which will provide the contact at the contact points on the remote control circuit board. The relay should have a pretty consistent delay time, so I don't think it will throw too much of a wrench into things. I'm using buttons and an LCD screen to choose millisecond and microsecond delay timing. Once an input, such as a light beam, triggers the arduino, it waits for the specified time and then fires the remote, which fires the camera.
As to the remote control input voltage. It is a 3VDC lithium battery. You could use the 3.3V power supply on the Arduino to power it with not problem.