Triggering a camera with light

[Arnaud]

Folks,
I am looking for an easy electronic circuit that close a switch. Here is what I want to do...

I would like to take pictures of lighting storm. My idea is to trig the opening of my camera when light from the storm is detected. So, I need do build a circuit that does the following :
- 1 - detect visible light
- 2 - close a switch (= the switch of my ML-L3 Nikon wireless remote control, not the switch of my camera...)

Well, this project is surely not difficult for most of you but I am not very good in electronics... I guess it takes a diode to detect the light, a transistor to amplify the output current of the diode and a electro-mechanical switch.

Thanks for your help,
Arnaud (from France!)

 

[alec_t]

By the time the light has been detected and the switch actuated the lightning flash will have ended

 

[Arnaud]

Of course, by the time the light has been detected and the switch actuated the lightning flash will have ended but... I hope a second flash will come right after. The camera can be setted to stay open for some second to capture even several following flashes.

I found several "circuits controlling switches" on the web but none of them can be trigged by milisecond curent pulses coming from a photodiode.

Arnaud

 

[ronsimpson]

About 40 years ago in an electronics magazine here was an article about this. They used a old AM radio to detect lighting. The radio, tuned to no station, produces a strong output and triggers a 555 that holds the camera open for 2 seconds.

 

[Boncuk]

By the time the light has been detected and the switch actuated the lightning flash will have ended

No!

As soon as the sensor is hit by a lightning it should trigger the camera shutter with no delay.

I have used cheap slave flashes to be activated on a master flash. The photos showed that the speed was OK and the pictures were just great.

Lightnings don't burn for a split of a second, but normally between one and several seconds.

You'll have to decide if you use either an LDR, a photo diode or a photo transistor for sensor.

Check out the datasheets to find out the most effective speed for your project.

Good luck

Boncuk

 

[Arnaud]

I think I found my answer there : http://www.glacialwanderer.com/hobbyrobotics/?p=16

Thanks again for your help.

Arnaud