how to: shutter sync two P&S cameras

photodoug

Anyone know of a slick way to sync the shutter release on two little point and shoot digital cameras?

We're experimenting with 3D when shooting action slow human motor skills can't press the trigger exactly at the same time.

With enough of them in place we also want to do a poor man's bullet time.

Thanks in advance

Art Scott

if all the little P/S are the same cameras then I would suggest some of the cheap but reliable (or so I have heard) wireless shutter releases from ebay ....I am strting to look for one for my cameras...just got a 16 ch. wireless flash trigger for under $30 shipped (one rec and 1 transmitter)........

Good Luck

EDIT: Here is a LINK to an ebay page from a search I just did on wireless shutter releases for Konica Minolta....prices range from 11.99 up........

claudermilk

For two cameras I know there's wired remote released that are in a "Y" setup for just that. I think they're mainly used with stereo photo setups. I've seen a couple of those rigs & that seems to be what they were using.

Art Scott

claudermilk wrote:

For two cameras I know there's wired remote released that are in a "Y" setup for just that. I think they're mainly used with stereo photo setups. I've seen a couple of those rigs & that seems to be what they were using.

True but does any p/s have a cable release socket?? Then again there may not be anywhere for an electronic one either on a p/s......

photodoug

yup, that is the focus: keep the rig size down.

claudermilk

Art Scott wrote:

True but does any p/s have a cable release socket?? Then again there may not be anywhere for an electronic one either on a p/s......

I don't know. Most probably not, though I would thinkthe more advanced ones might.

Worst case, you could adapt the classic old mechanical ones to push the shutter release button; my old 995 has/had a bracket available that did just this. Basically you just need to build some kind of bracket to hold the end of the cable over the button & have the cable push it.

photodoug

claudermilk wrote:

I don't know. Most probably not, though I would thinkthe more advanced ones might.

Worst case, you could adapt the classic old mechanical ones to push the shutter release button; my old 995 has/had a bracket available that did just this. Basically you just need to build some kind of bracket to hold the end of the cable over the button & have the cable push it.

claudermilk

Exactly! The rig my wife bought for me is a bit fancier, but the concept is exactly the same. So just take that & use a double cable release like this.

darkdragon

For multiple cameras you could build a little lever and put all the push-buttons facing down, then when you push the lever it would move up and push all the release push-buttons at the same time.

clear as mud? I have not tried this, but just an idea I came up with reading the thread and seeing those bracket pictures.

photodoug

maybe a P&S with a remote control, set to fire two cameras from one remote. Granted it's going wireless, but probably infrared...bright sun trouble with that?

photodoug

here's a radio controlled switch

break open a P&S bypass the shutter w/this.....two of 'em.....hardwired trigger.

darkdragon

photodoug wrote:

here's a radio controlled switch

break open a P&S bypass the shutter w/this.....two of 'em.....hardwired trigger.

Looks good, but what if you want to do 30? Actualy, I'm sure you could take the same idea and do 30 - though i'm no electronics expert (which is why my idea was mechanical)

photodoug

darkdragon wrote:

Looks good, but what if you want to do 30? Actualy, I'm sure you could take the same idea and do 30 - though i'm no electronics expert (which is why my idea was mechanical)

exactly....bullet time.

What bright ideas are there out there for disposeably-priced P&S models with say 2-4 megapixel resolutions?

darkdragon

photodoug wrote:

exactly....bullet time.

What bright ideas are there out there for disposeably-priced P&S models with say 2-4 megapixel resolutions?

Check Overstock.com for a bulk purchase, or contact a Hong Kong supplier and make a bulk purchase.

Maybe a bunch of Canon SD200 cams?

photodoug

I'm all over kite-photo sites now....they do remote trigger alot

ziggy53

I suggest using small solenoids/linear actuators. If you can find them cheaply, they solve a number of problems and you can get controllers to trigger them simultaneously or with delays between. A simple mechanical rig for each camera and you're home.

Pull type have some advantages over the push type, but push would probably be easiest to implement in this case.

Worse case you could even wind your own.

ziggy53

ziggy53 wrote:

I suggest using small solenoids/linear actuators. If you can find them cheaply, they solve a number of problems and you can get controllers to trigger them simultaneously or with delays between. A simple mechanical rig for each camera and you're home.

Pull type have some advantages over the push type, but push would probably be easiest to implement in this case.

Worse case you could even wind your own.

Does anyone know anything about Hunter sprinkler systems? I'm wondering if these might have the right properties?:

http://www.evergreensprinklers.com/store/product.php?productid=17040&cat=0&page=1

nmh

not P&S?

photodoug wrote:

Anyone know of a slick way to sync the shutter release on two little point and shoot digital cameras?

We're experimenting with 3D when shooting action slow human motor skills can't press the trigger exactly at the same time.

With enough of them in place we also want to do a poor man's bullet time.

Do you really want to use P&S cameras?
If not, you might check out http://www.ptgrey.com/ - some/all of their cameras can automagically synchronise their frames when on the same 1394 bus. According to the 1394 camera list, the Firefly MV is not terribly expensive ($200) and multiple cameras will sync.

photodoug

nmh wrote:

Do you really want to use P&S cameras?
If not, you might check out http://www.ptgrey.com/ - some/all of their cameras can automagically synchronise their frames when on the same 1394 bus. According to the 1394 camera list, the Firefly MV is not terribly expensive ($200) and multiple cameras will sync.

cool gear...might work for a different itteration than what I have in mind tho. I'm looking for real portability...so much so that you'd tend to take the gear with you. Easy to do with DSLRs, but that rig's a bear.

nmh

photodoug wrote:

cool gear...might work for a different itteration than what I have in mind tho. I'm looking for real portability...so much so that you'd tend to take the gear with you. Easy to do with DSLRs, but that rig's a bear.

Are you referring to storage, or the work involved with setting them up?

An alternative method to sync frames would involve postprocessing to match common events for both cameras.

photodoug

nmh wrote:

Are you referring to storage, or the work involved with setting them up?

An alternative method to sync frames would involve postprocessing to match common events for both cameras.

For ease I'm referring to ease of use by me, my associates and generally, the average camera user. I want this to be a relatively simple way to jump over the line to 3D.

And the sync of the shutters must be dead on. Test shots with human trigger pullers revealed enough of a difference in action shots to render the 3D effect very poor. Yea, this whole activity is also geared towards capturing action.

I'm shooting for a package small enough to fit in a large jacket pocket, or very small camera bag. It will get left behind if any larger than that.

Loving the feedback here...moving ahead

Newsy

Have you seen this hacked firmware "add-on" for Canon P&S's called CHDK ?

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ#Q._What_does_the_CHDK_program_do.3F

Some really amazing features get enabled including RAW, high speed flash sync, motion detection, and what they claim to be shutter speeds up to 1/60000 sec.

The build that enables 3D...
http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/sdm/index.htm

.

photodoug

Newsy wrote:

Have you seen this hacked firmware "add-on" for Canon P&S's called CHDK ?

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ#Q._What_does_the_CHDK_program_do.3F

Some really amazing features get enabled including RAW, high speed flash sync, motion detection, and what they claim to be shutter speeds up to 1/60000 sec.

The build that enables 3D...
http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/sdm/index.htm

.

JACKPOT! I think we have a winner....wow.

darkdragon

Newsy wrote:

Have you seen this hacked firmware "add-on" for Canon P&S's called CHDK ?

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ#Q._What_does_the_CHDK_program_do.3F

Some really amazing features get enabled including RAW, high speed flash sync, motion detection, and what they claim to be shutter speeds up to 1/60000 sec.

The build that enables 3D...
http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/sdm/index.htm

.

Wow! That looks amazing. I must try it.

pyry

photodoug wrote:

JACKPOT! I think we have a winner....wow.

Sweet mother of all things beautiful! I just did a cross-eyed look on one of those gull shots. That's the deepest, most vivid 3D I've ever seen!

I wonder how that handles the shutter lag usually seen in point&shoots.
I might have considered (cheap) dslr's and radio triggers. Those should sync pretty close with manual focus and mirror lock-up.