Summary of Full featured Arduino DSLR Intervalometer
This article guides users in building a custom Arduino-based DSLR intervalometer to overcome limitations of built-in or commercial units. It details features like an LCD menu, potentiometer control, and adjustable settings for intervals, exposure, and autofocus. The project offers a hands-on electronics learning experience with extensive customization options for time-lapse photography.
Parts used in the Custom Intervalometer:
- Arduino board
- LCD display
- Potentiometer control dial
- Okay button
- Back button
- Buzzer
- DSLR camera
Have you ever felt like creating one of those city street time lapses that you see on the internet or recording the blooming of a flower through a time lapse or maybe create a night sky panorama of the milky way drifting in the background? Well, now you can do so with your own custom made and designed intervalometer.
Some DSLR’s have an intervalometer inbuilt but they usually limit you to a few photograph per shooting session. Separate intervalometers are available online but they also have their own limitations like a limited function set. Building your own intervalometer can solve these problems and it also enables you to learn a lot about electronics at the same time.
In my intervalometer, I have added the following features:
1. A FULL FEATURED LCD MENU WITH A USER-FRIENDLY INTERFACE FOR EASY NAVIGATION THROUGH THE OPTIONS.
2. A UNIQUE POTENTIOMETER CONTROL DIAL TO CHANGE SETTINGS AND NAVIGATE THROUGH THE MENUS.
3. ONE OKAY BUTTON AND ONE BACK BUTTON FOR EASY NAVIGATION
4. Setting the interval between photographs up to a maximum of 24 hrs 60 min and 60 sec.
5. Setting the exposure time (if you have bulb mode enabled on your DSLR).
6. Setting the total number of Photographs that you want to take.
7. Setting the Auto Focus on or off.
8. Setting the onboard buzzer on or off.
9. Viewing all Settings after you have customised all the options.
10. Resetting all the settings back to their default values
11. An experimental section to do more with the hardware of the intervalometer which includes a convenient keyboard using the interface on board, a custom frequency tone generator using the onboard buzzer, and many other options.
These are just the features that I have added, the possibilities are endless and you can customise the whole thing as you like!
Though in this tutorial, for the sake of simplicity, we are going to build the intervalometer the way I did.
Read more: Full featured Arduino DSLR Intervalometer
- Why build your own intervalometer?
Building your own solves limitations found in built-in DSLR functions and separate online intervalometers while teaching electronics. - What navigation method does this device use?
It uses a unique potentiometer control dial along with one Okay button and one Back button. - Can I set long intervals for photos?
Yes, you can set the interval between photographs up to a maximum of 24 hours, 60 minutes, and 60 seconds. - Does it support bulb mode exposure?
Yes, the device allows setting the exposure time if bulb mode is enabled on the DSLR. - How many photos can be programmed?
You can set the total number of photographs that you want to take. - Is autofocus configurable?
Yes, you can set the Auto Focus on or off. - Can I turn off the sound?
Yes, you can set the onboard buzzer on or off. - Can I view my settings after customizing them?
Yes, there is an option to view all Settings after you have customised all the options. - Is there a way to reset the device?
Yes, you can reset all the settings back to their default values.
