Continue to Site

Welcome to our site!

Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

  • Welcome to our site! Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

Wireless time-lapse camera controller from 433 Mhz remote trigger.

Status
Not open for further replies.

misterT

Well-Known Member
Most Helpful Member
4 months ago I bought a new camera. A compromise between a tourist pocket camera and DSLR: Olympus PEN mini E-PM2. This camera has no build in support for time-lapse photographing. So, I bought this simple remote trigger for it (Hähnel HW 433 OL80). The list price was 69 Euros, but I got it for 25.. when I opened it up, I thought even 25 EUR (32 USD) is a little bit expensive. But, the camera has a proprietary connector, so maybe it was worth it.

**broken link removed**

Looks like the transmitter is very simple. Some kind of encoder chip with no markings and a very simple On Of Keying (OOK) radio transmit circuit (433 MHz crystal oscillator signal controlled with couple of transistors and passives).

I Measured the signal coming from the IC (pin 1, the left side of "273" resistor) to the radio circuit transistors. And, yes, the signal is also very simple.

**broken link removed**

The signal shown repeats as long as the trigger button is pressed. The signal is the Shutter trigger. There is also another signal for Auto focus (standard double-action button. Press half-way for focus and all-the-way for shutter trigger).

What I'm planning to do is to buy a cheap 433 MHz transmitter (any suggestions for good modules for this?) and build a wireless camera controller for time-lapse photographing.
I don't really have any specific questions. Just want to know if somebody has experience with DIY camera controls, or just cool ideas beyond simple time-lapse control. I will update this post.. I hope.
 
Last edited:
Linx TRM-433-LT. I used this module (with other frequency) and it worked well at a good distance though walls and trees. In fact, I have a big (and growing) network of them on my property.
 
Thanks for the tip NG. I'm looking for fast and easy solutions, so I ordered two cheap readily assembled modules:
**broken link removed**
https://www.dx.com/p/433mhz-rf-transmitter-receiver-link-kit-green-221225#.VCkC0vlCXbM

Not sure how good they are, but I'll find out when I get them. Roman Black's article helps me with this: https://www.romanblack.com/RF/cheapRFmodules.htm
I will post results of the project with a time-lapse video (any ideas what should I shoot?).

The idea is to get "full control" of the camera trigger. I'm planning to write a code that triggers the camera somewhat randomly.. 10 second intervals +/- one second. This is a video that I took just by hand. Taking pictures by hand over one hour. I like the roughness in the video. Looks almost like old film.. almost. I want to replicate that with automated control.
 
Last edited:
I noticed ghosts! They appear very quicky, and then you cannot see them the very next moment.
 
Hola misterT. You seem informed enough.

Cameras with access to the trigger seem to pertain to the high end of the catalog.

Such a feature seems impossible to find in the point & shoot variety, right?
 
For time-lapse is it usual to leave the camera powered-up continuously? Are high-end cameras designed to allow that? Point-and-shoot cameras I've had aren't intended to be powered continuously (there are dire warnings in the manual about over-heating).
 
When you say "trigger" are you talking about a remote shutter release? Well what I have always called a remote shutter release anyway. I did find this on your camera:

Does Olympus offer a remote control for this camera?

The RM-UC1 Remote Cable Release is compatible with this camera.

The RM-UC1 connects to the same USB port on the camera that is used to connect the camera to a computer. The RM-UC1 has a sliding lock to lock the cable release for BULB exposures.

The RM-UC1 is available from authorized Olympus dealers and also online directly from The Olympus Store. To order the RM-UC1 (Item #260237), click here.

Along with that I did find this little video where the RM-UC1 remote cable release is used with a small transmitter/receiver. While they seem to use the phrase cable release the operation is done through the USB port using the RM-UC1. Doing time lapse photography can be fun. I messed with it a little years ago. I would just set the camera on a tripod in a fixed position and let it automatically take a picture every so many min. Then take all the still frames and put them together.

Also a Google of "rm-uc1 remote pinout" brings up some interesting data as to what pins do what that may be of some use to you.

Ron
 
For time-lapse is it usual to leave the camera powered-up continuously? Are high-end cameras designed to allow that?

Mine (Nikon D700) is. You can configure it to take pictures at any intervals and leave it. Of course, the battery wears off rather quickly if you do that, so some sort of battery pack is needed for longer times. But the shutter is rated for "long life" of 150,000 pictures. So it is only about hour and a half of time lapse video until the shutter wears off.
 
So it is only about hour and a half of time lapse video until the shutter wears off.
So then you have to buy a new camera ? :confused:.
 
Sorry for not responding for a while. I'm still waiting to get my radio modules.
I don't know much about different camera models etc. This Olympus e-pm2 is my first "good" camera and it is "between a point-and-shoot and a full-fledged DSLR"
While they seem to use the phrase cable release the operation is done through the USB port using the RM-UC1.
The connector is not a standard USB. It is a proprietary connector. The simple cable is very expensive (80 USD). I don't want to pay that much for a connector and a button and then cut it open and mess with it. So I bought the wireless remote shutter release for 30 USD. When I build my own radio transmitter to control the shutter release there is no need to mess with any hardware.. I still have the original manual remote shutter release plus the automated release that I build.

Lifetime of the mechanical shutter is a big concern. I'm not going to do much time-lapse things. That was just the first idea.. I could set up a sensor to trigger the shutter to shoot squirrels etc. The main motivation of this project is to have more creative control (or freedom).

One drunken set of pictures just for fun
I will update this project..
 
Last edited:
I actually really liked the video, really cool in my humble opinion.

Yeah, I know the connector and cable are proprietary which sucks as to cost. Once you get things cooking post back. Cool stuff.

Ron
 
I usually buy shutter release cables etc. on eBay. The genuine ones might be better, but how can you beat 30 times difference in price?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest threads

New Articles From Microcontroller Tips

Back
Top