Hi I wanted know more info and advice on the installation and purchase of tiny servos to move zoom or focus on DSLR cameras lenses I know there are Digital and Analog servos I have a DX8 transmiter for the Gimbal and a Graupner Mx-20 for the kopter thanks
Hi JLO: I know I have seen someone out there who has added zoom control to a DSLR. I did some quick searching, but I cannot find the image. Apart from the small size, you're obviously going to need to modify the servo for full 360 rotation as it will take many turns of the servo to crank the zoom control around. I'll let you know if I do find that image....I've been using Google search terms like copter dslr "zoom control" But so far, I've come up dry....no good hits. Andy.
Thanks Andy here is the image http://forum.freeflysystems.com/index.php?threads/pictures-of-your-bird.13/ 1/2 way at the bottom and I did find several tiny servos that can be modify to turn continuously http://todbot.com/blog/2009/04/11/tiny-servos-as-continuous-rotation-gearmotors/ or http://todbot.com/blog/2009/04/11/tiny-servos-as-continuous-rotation-gearmotors/ http://www.servocity.com/html/hs-35hd_servo.html
Yeah, that's it. Trust Arthur to have solved the problem. Sounds like you're well on the way to solving the problem. Andy.
Hi Andy. I would quite like to rig up focus for the DSLR. When you buy that servo would it come with all the parts to drive the gear on the lens and RC (who posted in the first place) What lens gear are you using. I have seen that focus pull set up on Philip Blooms website but I can't remember which make it was....any thoughts much appreciated Katya
Hi Katya: Usually you get an assortment of servo arms (single, double, and/or plus shapes), but I think each servo vendor is different in terms of what kit they chuck in with the servo. I'm also interested in learning from Arthur where he got the zoom and/or focus ring for the 5D. There are quite a lot of hits in Google for: 5D focus ring or 5D focus follower I suspect that I'll need to hunker down with Mrs. Google for a while. Let me know if you find anything before I do, please, Katya. Andy.
Hi Andy. If you look up a guy called Philip Bloom he is the guru of everything to do with the DSRLs. He has posted about the focus rings and cheaper ways to get a follow focus rig on your DSRL lenses. I can't remember which company did it so thought RC would be able to jog my memory but will go and have a look either later tonight or tomorrow and post the name. There was a rumour that manfrotto were going to bring out a lanc controller for the 5D but not sure that ever materialised or maybe it is yet to come. I have tried the wifi module for the 5D and it kept loosing connection just sitting on the table so that was not the way to go! The C300 has a wifi module for remote control. I pre-paid for it in Feb this year but it is still to be released. Some kind of remote control of the DSLRs is the one thing that is missing but maybe next year Katya
Thanks, Katya. I was watching his comparison of the 5D Mark III with the Black Magic Cinema camera only a couple of days ago. I'll check out what he's done. Yeah, DSLR control is definitely, to use the term of art from the software business, RSN. (Real soon now.) Andy.
The post will be some time ago, as much as a year perhaps but just try follow focus in his search window and you should find it. I hope DSLR control it's RSN There is a company here actually that paid canon to release the USB pin sequence to them and they have a fully functional remote control unit for the 5D with video feedback. Saw it at the broadcast show in London last year. It was over £10,000 though, I guess it cost them a lot to develop but I have not seen anything similar since. From speaking to different people it is possible to control all of the cameras functions through the usb port but knowing which pin does which is a mystery but if you know what you are doing then you can apparently work it out by trial and error....we need a camera hacker! Katya
The USB port doesn't have that many pins, Katya. (Vcc, Data-, Data+, GND). Where the real reverse engineering needs to be done is to figure out the actually commands to which the camera will respond and what its responses are. This has been allegedly documented here, but the pivotal question is: Is this really accurate? And what are all the commands and responses? Then you could use Xbee technology for bi-directional serial data transfer of commands and responses to the camera. So, there you have it. Problem solved in theory. Now "all" we have to do is put it into practice, develop the product, test it, market it, sell it and support it. How hard can it be? Andy.
Would there be a way to use an Xbee as if you were tethered to a computer then run the canon software that allows you to control the camera? I have thought about this before but haven't seen an Xbee receiver that has the correct USB end to plug into the camera. Josh
I wondered about that, Josh. I suppose it depends on the degree to which the Xbee is "transparent" to the Canon software. The connector is a slight problem as you point out... Andy.
Im wondering how the pinout from this XBee receiver is compared to the pinout of the cable??? http://www.quadrocopter.com/Xbee-3DR-Radio-Set_p_551.html THats what I currently am using on the Copter (MK FC) side of things... but I would like to be able to move it down to the camera if it worked... might have to start playing/researching/hacking up USB cables... Josh
Ok Gentleman first I have done extensive search on the best gear ad on for still lenses or simply lenses that don't come with a built in lens gear on them and the best and less expensive easy to instal are this http://www.filmtools.com/half-inch-rails-3-lens-gear-set-medium.html all of the other ones are more difficult and heavier this are the standard film lens pitch of .32 that part is easy the one I was wondering is the small servo, if digital or Analog does it matter on a DX8 and any issues on the connection
I suspect it's more than just a cabling issue, Josh. On the one hand you're attaching to the 10-pin connector to either the FC or the NC board -- and it's not clear from the data I can find regarding the CPU, what you need to do to convert that to USB. I suspect whatever it is, is done by the MK USB board, though! Attached are the schematics for the FC board with the 10-pin connector highlighted. If you track the signals back you'll see that, apart from +5 and Ground, they go back to the Atmega CPU. Andy.
No I am thinking about trying to figure out how to bypass the FC completely and run the Xbee straight into the cameras USB port... Josh
Right -- but the XBee to which you linked is designed to interface to that 10-pin header on the FC, so by inference we** can figure out what signal conversion is required to make it USB/Canon compatible. Or so went my thinking. I could be wrong. Andy ** "We" means someone smarter than me!
The xbee only has 4 pins that plug into the 10 pin header... according to this the 4 pins out that it uses are the same as the 4 pins out on a normal USB pinout. Josh
Sounds like you're almost there, Josh. What can possibly go wrong? (Don't answer that.) Do you know about the Xbee utility called xctu -- I've not used it but it looks like it might be useful for testing. It's free and available here. Andy.