Plusfoursmax
New Member
I am helping my brother with a project he has set up, to power, fire and review the pictures from 40 point and shoot cameras he has set into a rig. For a complete electronics newbie, he has done amazing things:
He has got the cameras to fire electronically (by disassembling and soldering) and using a cool piece of kit to fire the flash. He is preparing to wire up the camera video out to review the review picture from each camera in the 10s each is on screen after a photo is taken. He is also trying to power the cameras remotely, rather than charging up 40 batteries at the start of the day.
I know enough electronics to be very aware of how ignorant I am, but I have suggested the quickest way to wire up 3 wires for the shutter (ground, focus and shoot), provide 2 wire power and 2 wire video is to use RJ45 (I used to work for Brand-Rex so I remember that it can do signals {duh} power over IP and video). He is getting the kit together at the moment. He has got a cool DJ-style flight case for a 3U patch panel.
So thats the good news, the bad news is that each camera has a slightly different delay between shutter button press and shutter fire, which means that flash synch is very difficult without an oscilloscope. Knowing the delay for each camera and whether it is stbale would be very useful.
He is also getting shocks from (I think) earth loops and whatnot that can't be good, and the usual bugs and gremlins, without any tools to help sort them, beyond a DVM.
To provide power he is planning on using the 40 power bricks that came with the cameras and wiring each up individually (lots of heat and wasted energy - surely one could do it with a single big power supply?)
Lastly and as far as I can see, worstly, to review the 40 cameras outputs, he is planning a completely mechanical 40-way 2 pole switch with nails, a motor and an arm. I have heard tell of strange black boxes called multiplexers, but I couldn't wire one up - is there anything I can do to help him?
Oh, and I am in Edinburgh and he is in London, so he needs a southerner's help.
Any advice, pointers, addresses etc gratefully received!
Here is his website, with some early work: ObjectMovie.co.uk
Thanks,
Max
He has got the cameras to fire electronically (by disassembling and soldering) and using a cool piece of kit to fire the flash. He is preparing to wire up the camera video out to review the review picture from each camera in the 10s each is on screen after a photo is taken. He is also trying to power the cameras remotely, rather than charging up 40 batteries at the start of the day.
I know enough electronics to be very aware of how ignorant I am, but I have suggested the quickest way to wire up 3 wires for the shutter (ground, focus and shoot), provide 2 wire power and 2 wire video is to use RJ45 (I used to work for Brand-Rex so I remember that it can do signals {duh} power over IP and video). He is getting the kit together at the moment. He has got a cool DJ-style flight case for a 3U patch panel.
So thats the good news, the bad news is that each camera has a slightly different delay between shutter button press and shutter fire, which means that flash synch is very difficult without an oscilloscope. Knowing the delay for each camera and whether it is stbale would be very useful.
He is also getting shocks from (I think) earth loops and whatnot that can't be good, and the usual bugs and gremlins, without any tools to help sort them, beyond a DVM.
To provide power he is planning on using the 40 power bricks that came with the cameras and wiring each up individually (lots of heat and wasted energy - surely one could do it with a single big power supply?)
Lastly and as far as I can see, worstly, to review the 40 cameras outputs, he is planning a completely mechanical 40-way 2 pole switch with nails, a motor and an arm. I have heard tell of strange black boxes called multiplexers, but I couldn't wire one up - is there anything I can do to help him?
Oh, and I am in Edinburgh and he is in London, so he needs a southerner's help.
Any advice, pointers, addresses etc gratefully received!
Here is his website, with some early work: ObjectMovie.co.uk
Thanks,
Max
