Any kind of output I can use from the camera to control timelapse setup?

Started by sieg01, July 04, 2014, 01:11:12 AM

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sieg01

I was looking at building a relatively simple timelapse dolly for doing some night shots.  So I'll only want to move the camera when it isn't taking a picture.

Is there any outputs that I could flip ON/OFF?  (Hot shoe?, USB pins?, mic port?) I want to tell another micro that I'm not currently taking a picture.  Or avoid the extra micro and turn on/off a DC motor (through a little circuit) the appropriate amount of time.

I know there is PTP to communicate, but I thinking I could avoid the complexity of using that.

Bryce

dpjpandone

LED's are the only outputs magic lantern can control. It's better to set the interval with your dolly controller and connect that to the cameras shutter release port so the camera doesn't take a picture until the dolly finishes moving

itsskin

Why not to use hotshoe/PC port for this? My setup runs perfectly, getting sync from there and moving the dolly after.

sieg01

dpjpandone,
I was interested in seeing if I can use the camera as the dolly controller.  That way I can use the ETTR to set the exposure and move during the couple seconds between shots.  Might have to look at using a opto detector if that is the only option.  I was going dig into the code (module) and add some hooks for control...  Just wanted to see if it was worthwhile.

itsskin,
How does the hotshoe/ PC port work?  Is it pretty much sending a signal when the flash would go off?





surami

I know it's an old topic, but anyway...

Could somebody explain, that how could I trigger the MX2 to move the Dynamic Perception Stage One Dolly + Merlin head. I would like to use the Auto ETTR function + the intervalometer in ML, so during a day to night/night to day shooting the interval could be different (forced way) and I could give some motion to my timelapse.

I have this Pixel TF-321 hotshoe stuff on my camera and it's connected to the MX2's I/O port (EXT1). If I start the intervalometer in ML, it seems so that the MX2 doesn't get any signal as the shutter closes. Earlier this function worked as I remember.

I found this information on DP's facebook page and on Vimeo too (please read Vimeo description + comments).
550D + nightly ML

surami

Problem solved! I think my Pixel TF-321 hot shoe PC sync adapter didn't transfer the right signal to the MX2, so I bought another simple hot shoe PC sync adapter and now the triggering happens right after as shutter is closing (independently from shutter time length), perfect! :)

If you combine the intervalometer + the advanced intervalometer module (eg. with AV ramping) + the ETTR module (Always ON) + LUA scripting module (with this "Force Delay" script) you can get a nice day to night/night to day timelapse sequence with some motion. ;) I will test this soon.
550D + nightly ML

Nick

Quoteplease read Vimeo description + comments

I'm the Nick that made that video you pasted and I'm back here now thanks to google, trying to figure out how to get ML 1.2.3 to tell my MX2 to move! It's a shame you had to get a new sync adapter, I was hoping my old cable I used to make that video would work. Pressing the shutter myself seems to work but when ML is controlling the shutter it's not sending the signal. :(

edit: ok i'm stupid. i was using my remote shutter cable instead of my flash sync cable. all works great now!