I'm a pro photographer and would like to make my own timelapse slider using an Arduino as the brains of the unit. I have some programming knowledge and breadboard experience but I have never looked into real life application of these. I would like to make this look really nice and plan on getting the Arduino put into a 3d printed case once everything is working.
I have been researching everything that the Arduino can do and it's easy to say that this is the best choice for what I'd like to do. Now, I need some help in deciding exactly what parts could do the job.
From what I can tell I need the following:
Frame: (I plan on using the Makerslide with a base plate that I can screw on a pivoting head that will support all major DSLRs)
Arduino: I have no idea what kind I need. I'd like to have this unit connect to my camera directly and fire it so that way I will not have to plug in a remote shutter but I do not know how difficult it would be to program the unit to do shutter speed. I would like it to have a LCD screen and be able to program how long I would like it to take from start to finish and how much time between steps I know this will be done with my code
Stepper Motor: I need it to be able to pull about 5-6 pounds.
Battery: Has to be rechargeable but I don't know much about voltage or what would be needed to power this kind of motor
Belt: I need something to pull the plate from one end to the other end but I don't know how to go about doing this.
I've been looking online for a while and there seems to be tons of ways to go about this but they all look really sloppy and have wires going all over the place. Most of them do not stop between the times the camera fires and I would like mine to do this. They also all move in about 5 minutes from one end to the other and I would like mine to be able to go over the course of an hour if I choose so.
Thank you all in advance for assisting me with this. I have tried to search as much as possible before making this post but I could not find anything that answered my questions.
This is all doable. I suggest you get an UNO to start with, then download the Arduino IDE and go through all the examples it includes.
When you have specific questions ask for help.
With a stepper motor, a higher voltage battery gives you more speed but not more pulling strength. You should probably experiment using corded, DC "wall warts" to find out what voltage is sufficient before purchasing a battery, but if you use a stepper driver based on the A4988 (and you should) it will be in the range of 8V to 30V. I would suggest that the most sensible solution would be a 11.1V, "3S" lithium polymer battery somewhere in the 2000mah range and any decent RC toy store would have what you want.
A prototyping shield to hold it all together: http://www.adafruit.com/products/55 with male and female pin headers (Pololu and Adafruit both sell them)
You'll also need various buttons, potentiometers, resistors, wires, soldering iron, a breadboard for testing, etc. Electronics is a little like getting pregnant; you're either all in or nothing
Thank you for taking the time to come up with some kind of list for me. I am definitely all in on this project. Again, I'm sorry for the dumb questions but I'm still learning all of this; how do I know what kind of resistors I would need and where to place them. Can you recommend me to any good websites for learning the basics of voltages and connecting things to the Arduino board?
For my design I am thinking about having a few wheels mounted onto the plate where the motor (and DSLR) is. I'm going to use a small belt that will spin the wheels and move everything then. I think having a smaller belt will save me trouble and money in the long run of this project.
What kind (brand) camera are you using?
Do you intend to have Arduino "control" the DSLR...settings and all? ....or just act as a shutter release/timer?
1ChicagoDave:
What kind (brand) camera are you using?
Do you intend to have Arduino "control" the DSLR...settings and all? ....or just act as a shutter release/timer?
I will be using a Canon 1D Mark III but I would like it to work for most of the Canon DSLR line. It would be great if it could work with Nikon too. I'd like to be able to just plug in different cables to a 2.5mm jack or whatever size I need for it to work with most triggers. As far as the Arduino operating the camera all I really think it would need to do is to be able to tell the shutter to go in between the movement so that way there is no blur. Obviously, this all would be by my code.
Ok. I don't know anything about Nikon or others. I shoot Canon.
In case you haven't already figured out the trigger part, here's a nice simple write up on how it works -
You basically just have to short together two of the contacts. This could be easily accomplished with a small relay, transistor, or opto-isolator. I used a tiny relay in my design.
You basically just have to short together two of the contacts. This could be easily accomplished with a small relay, transistor, or opto-isolator. I used a tiny relay in my design.
Wow, thank you for all your help!
If anyone else has suggestions as to how to tackle this project please feel free to give me input. I can't thank you enough for everyone who has taken time to help explain this stuff to me. I'm excited to start work on this project!
