Building a Contact Trigger for Your Flash

[peya88]

cant make it work on my cheap flashgun CY -20 CHANGYIN

[akaast]

works great! 

[recwap]

DIY arduino based open source advanced photo camera control

CPU 16Mhz Atmega 328

84x48 graphic LCD with backlight

IR & Wire Photo camera trigger

2x Wire Flash Trigger

onboard light/sound sensor or 2x external sensor

2x digital IN/OUT

timelapes function

onboard RTC clock

You can find the project on facebook, if you search APCC

[smokinblu1]

I tried it and it didn work, i didnt use a BB gun I used a airsoft gun, maybe it was that, I know bb guns shoot much faster. I'll have to try it again.... I have a question or two, do you set a black curtain for background? what do you set your flash to? do you have any tips to help me get a better result quicker?

[smokinblu1]

Ok I got it, but i only got 3 shot out of about 20-25..... (on flickr i'm: 1ofgodsson)

I used a BB gun this time, but it still seemed that the BB dosnt travel fat enought, It will shoot through the foil which will make the flash go off, the balloon would pop but in 90% of the photos the balloon was still intact in the picture and I dont know why. I tried to put the flash on 'rear' and it still didnt work.. GRRRR... cna n e oone help me out?

[OgreProgrammer]

@smokinblu1 You have to adjust the distance between the foil and the gun. If the BB isnt fast enough, put the foil between the gun and the balloon rather than on the other side.

You might have to try quite a lot, but moving the gun and the foil to different distances from the balloon will help you find that sweet spot.

[smokinblu1]

@OgreProgrammer I did that :) I put the foil about 6-8 inches from the balloon so its just out of the frame of the picture and shoot the balloon, only 3 times was the bb fast enought to go through the foil and pot the balloon on time to get that nice balloon shape water (actually only 1 I got ti the other times I got a whole balloon+ spalh of water). I will try puttin the foil after the balloon and see how that works. I will also try using pump up rifle bb gun instead of a gas hand pellet gun.

[OgreProgrammer]

@smokinblu1 Oh yeah, a gas cylinder pellet gun is going to be much faster than a pump action.

I have an idea. Why dont you shoot through a few extra layers of foil to slow it down? It probably wont take much because a soda can will stop a bb.

[smokinblu1]

@OgreProgrammer my problem is, I shoot throught the foil, the flash would go off but as the flash goes off the bb still hasent hit the balloon, so I just get a photo of a balloon :( I place the foil about 6 inches from the balloon... These last days I havent ha time to try to put the foil aftr the balloon, but this week I will try n let u knoe how it goes. If u have n e other ieas please o let me know

[smokinblu1]

@OgreProgrammer check out my result: flickr (dot) com/photos/1ofgodsson/

[AAR4010]

Thanks man! Looking forward to trying it, just ordered the flash! :)

[keldererik]

I have used your tutotrial and built it. Shot a pellet right through it, flash went off. Just the time is not right. No action was captured :( Nice try anyway and i've learned something.

[snappuppy]

how neat is that, going defo give this a try. Will fire a BB at the foil.

And for those wondering how it work, remember your flash really need to be at 1/16, 1/32 or better 1/64 power. It's all about flash duration, with 1/64 having the shortest flash duration say 1/20,000 of a second.

[hardvvood]

so you put this on your camera and it takes photos? or what? i dont under stand how it work?

[smokinblu1]

@hardvvood nope, you put this in front of the item you want to take a picture of then u shoot throught it. U need a dark room,set up ur ballon or what ever u want to shoot, put this contact trigger in front of it set you camera to f4 ( or what u prefer) for 4 seconds, set of the camera ( i put 5 sec timer so I can set my slef up to shoot therough contact trigger then when I hear the shutter click open I shoot :) its not soo easy I gto 3 pics out of 20-25 tries. keep trying till u get it

[Sandom]

Awesome Buddy, works a treat.

Thanks

[nojskoj]

That is an A+  in construction =)

[aakash777Neo]

Any more like these?

:D

[ross13666]

cool thing! will try! thx

[twinsouls]

what game is this music from?

[sirmontag]

It's "hjihjihji", by Paza. I found it under Creative Commons licensed music, in the chiptunes category. I don't recall exactly where I found it, but googling should find it fairly quick.

[Omen7nemo]

But how does this thing trigger your camera???

I am a noob I know.

[PsychodelicCandy]

u have to set camera to say 1 or more seconds exposure(or "bulb" if u have it) and then this contraption triggers flash

best done in a dark room,or against dark background

[sirmontag]

You set your camera for a long exposure, basically just to keep the shutter open long enough to give you time to trigger the flash. It only works in little to no light though (daylight would cause over-exposure, for example).

[pianodorkwi]

this is super creative! i was stumped the whole time as to how you would set it off. shoot it. that's fantastic!

[dlcmh]

Super video and tip!

[bojdvredevoogd]

Great video thx