DSLR Serial Shutter Control Cable local supplier?

[netwolf]

Hi All,

Where can one purchase these locally? Is anyone making these here?
I found this website describing the various cables. The opto-isolated serial version is the on I would prefer.
http://www.beskeen.com/projects/dslr_serial/dslr_serial.shtml

The only source for these seems to be overseas and they seem to be expensive for what they are.

Regards
Fahim

[Astroman]

I made my own, pretty simple, but very fiddly trying to get everything into that little DB-9 connector. I also made one for Exfso (peter).

If you know someone handy with a soldering iron it wont take too much to knock one up. The parts are available though Jaycar including the red/green LED.

[netwolf]

Andrew, If i had a soldering iron i might even attempt it myself but making it for a such a tiny fit is challenging. Also a good soldering iron seems itself to be more than 50$.

Regards
Fahim

[bojan]

Fahim,
If you are buying this stuff manufactured by others, it will also cost you around $50...
But if you buy soldering iron, you will have the cable AND the iron for the same price, together with acquired skills... which is worth much more :-)
BTW, those gas powered irons (Jaycar, Dick Smith) are very good and cost around $40. They are also very useful outside, where there is no 240V available...

[netwolf]

bojan point noted, one of the members has kindly offered to make one for me. I think i will invest in a good soldering station iron it would be handy in this hobby to have one i think.

I have seen two types one ebay that look ok. Anyone used one of these
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/48W-ELECTRIC-SOLDERING-IRON-LED-DIGITAL-ACCURATE-READIN_W0QQitemZ250172758734QQihZ01 5QQcategoryZ29515QQssPageNameZWDVWQ QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Regards
Fahim

[bojan]

Hmmm Never saw one of these....
it is suspiciously cheap for themp controlled soldering iron...
You have to be careful with these, if they are not properly isolated from mains and if there is a leakage, you can do a lot of damage to circuitry.

[acropolite]

Soldering is a skill, the good iron/ bad iron thing is a myth. I have a $15 cheapo from Jaycar that I carry in the van for work and it solders just as well as the $200 temp controlled model. The main requirement is a suitably sized tip, enough heat and some decent resin cored solder. Stay away from the new high temperature non lead solders. That's about it so here's a cct diagram (http://www.beskeen.com/projects/dslr_serial/dslr_serial.shtml) (use the optocoupled version), get cracking...:whistle:

[ozstockman]

I've made my own too, but it was a cable for Palm DSLR software. Now I'd like to move to DSLR shutter software wich runs on PC but can't find 4n26/4n33 optocoupler specified here (http://www.beskeen.com/projects/dslr_serial/OptoSerCableSchematic.gif)in any local store. There was a online one which has them in stock but I waited three weeks while they process my order and canceled it at the end. I probably can try to re-use the one I made for Palm but I guess it requres some modification to be done to wires connection.

[ozstockman]

These guys (http://www.astronomiser.co.uk/300d.htm) are selling cables for $35 AUD but they are in UK and it will add extra $10-15 for postage cost.

[bojan]

Any optocoupler will do. And they all have the same pin-out (The only difference between various types is the number of devices in the package, and type of receiver: transistor, darlington or FET).
You can even build your own optocoupler, using IR LED and phototransistor, properly aligned.....

Also, there is nothing wrong with simple transistor design, the only advantage may be the better isolation in case of severe static discharges and/or mains leakage in AC adapter (if you use one at all) .

[ozstockman]

I have one or two 4n25 left along with some 470 ohms 1.4W resistors from "Palm" project and it seems that 4n25 has the same pin-out as 4n26. I've just looked at the diagram (http://www.astromist.com/images/cable_plan.jpg) I used to follow for a "Palm" cable and it looks almost the same except it does not have a LED and 330 ohms resistor part. I guess it won't hurt if I don't use them at all . At least I can add them later if I need this visual indication of the whole process :-)

Thanks a lot for this hint.



I'm not so good at this. I can solder it all together according to a diagram but it's the easiest part of the job.

[bojan]

I have noticed that your schematic (hand-written one) uses CTS (pin 8) as an output, while other use RTS (pin 7, PC users).
Better check which one is activated by your application (you can do it with voltmeter... If not active the voltage will be -5V ... -10V, if active it will be +5 ... +10V)

BTW, I added toggle switch in parallel to a transistor, so I can use the same cable in manual mode... no need to touch the camera and provoke the vibrations :-)

[Astroman]

I used a 4n25 Optocoupler works just fine.

[ozstockman]

yes, I noticed this too. May be because it's for a palm serial cable.

Unfortunately I lost somewhere my spare 4n25 optocoupler. However I was able to re-built the one I used for palm by changing wires connection to DB9 pins.

It works now with DSLR Shutter on PC.
Thanks a lot.

2Astroman: I can confirm this too now :) 4n25 optocoupler works excellent and you can easily buy it from dick smith or jaycar for less than $2 :-)