KAP images of Parramatta High School- How to

Kite Aerial Photography
—A Design Brief —

The Camera

Specifications for the required camera:

motordrive
light weight
electronic shutter
wide angle lens
tripod mount
inexpensive

Canon Snappy LXII

Such a combination, nowadays, is not easy to find. The tripod mount (once a standard item on every camera) is quite rare on modern "point-and-shoot" cameras. Motordrive and low weight are easy - but most inexpensive cameras have mechanical shutters.
A mechanical shutter has a fixed speed (around 1/125th second) and needs a mechanical linkage to the servo for remote operation. Electronic shutters can operate at higher speeds (highly desirable for Kite Aerial Photography) and can be tripped by closing a switch (much more satisfactory.)
The Canon Snappy LXII fulfils all the requirements. Its even inexpensive! Why, I noticed one for sale at $40 less than I paid just a few days ago (but that's another story...)

Now comes the scary part...
naked camera

Some cameras (Ricohs come to mind) feature a plug-in shutter release socket. Sadly this is a very elusive feature. For the Canon, a little surgery was called for.
At left you can see the "Snappy" with its covers removed. The left hand section (under the shutter release button) is shown at right. The little arrow points to the four terminals which transfer the switch signals to the logic circuitry at the front. These are the wires I need to tap into.
naked camera

At left is the front view, again shown enlarged at right. There is no simple, neat and discreet way to arrange the wires I need internally, so what the heck! I drilled a hole in the front cover, allowing access to the four terminals.

perforated camera Canon with microswitches The hole doesn't look too bad, now the covers are back on. The shutter release is a two-stage switch—the first contact (measure) must be closed before the second (release) can be activated. Hence the need for two microswitches. At right you can see the modified Snappy with the two microswitches attached to the shutter release terminals via a length of ribbon cable.

The next step in this saga is the construction of the cradle which will support and aim the modified Snappy.

Return to Design Brief page 1.