Nikon J5 mirrorless camera on 3Dr Solo - ch7 shutter

Robpower · Nov 19, 2018

For anyone interested I have finally made up a mount and mounted a small servo on top of my Nikon J5 to activate the shutter using the pause button on the controller. This bird has open solo and I finally soldered another servo wire in and set up ch7, long press to activate shutter and short pause to reset. May not look pretty and I am only new to 3D printing but it works. i was using the invertolometer in the camera to take a photo every 15 seconds, but now having shutter control is much better.

Thanks to Pedals2Paddles for his work on open solo 3, without this I would not be able to achieve shutter control (not available on standard solo software. Total weight of this setup is 1.9kg, flies for 15 minutes returning home with 20% on battery.

RichWest · Nov 19, 2018

...where there's a will, there's a way. Nice work.

Dash Hewes · Nov 19, 2018

impressive and well done.

Michael Lione · Nov 21, 2018

Awesome job! Innovation at it's finest.

jonbrotherton · Nov 21, 2018

Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

E M · Nov 22, 2018

Nice.

It looks like you have a seperate servo for pitch? How do you control that servo to tilt down like in the 3rd picture?

Did you connect your mount to the fixed 3DR mount plate?

Did you change the gimbal mount balls or used standard 3DR balls?

Robpower · Nov 23, 2018

E M said:
Nice.

It looks like you have a seperate servo for pitch? How do you control that servo to tilt down like in the 3rd picture?

Did you connect your mount to the fixed 3DR mount plate?

Did you change the gimbal mount balls or used standard 3DR balls?

Thanks.

The servo is controlled by the tilt button on the back of the controller, the same button as used to tilt the 3DR gimbal.

I pulled the center leg that holds a gopro out of the fixed plate and made a couple of short legs to attachmy mount to.

Standard 3DR balls with a foam earplug in the middle of each ball

Stealth · Nov 25, 2018

Impressive!

makatanav · Nov 28, 2018

nicely d0ne
what is the safe shutter speeed for you?

Robpower said:
This mount with the servo directly mounted to the lower bracket where the camera sits allows a full 90 degree option, still using ch6 and the gimbal tilt control.

I see you have added different servo - have you moded it to get 90 degree tilt?

Robpower · Nov 29, 2018

I shoot shutter priority on the J5 1/800 sec.

The servo has been modified, i added a 3.3k resistor to each side of the pot in the servo, this gives me the 90 degree tilt.

Take a look here

The shutter servo has not been modified. Hope this helps

makatanav · Nov 29, 2018

Robpower said:
I shoot shutter priority on the J5 1/800 sec.
The servo has been modified, i added a 3.3k resistor to each side of the pot in the servo, this gives me the 90 degree tilt.
The shutter servo has not been modified. Hope this helps

thanks

makatanav · Dec 1, 2018

had a second test flight on mine, and I don`t know why, but when long pressing to activate shutter, my drone stays not still and tends to tilt/break to one side, and thats effects image sharpness (thats when hovering)
have you tested your's?
will try to use intervalometer instead, setting to 10 or 15sec

these were the best I got today:

Robpower · Dec 1, 2018

Interesting. I wonder if the servo you are using for shutter is causing this. Mine works fine but......

I have been using an old Futaba S148 servo on my tilt. I printed up another mount (always trying to refine things and I need a spare) and I had to buy a servo, can’t get the S148 anymore so was suggested a Futaba FS3001 ( the new version) and it works but is a bit jittery and i can’t get it like the ols one. Being in a rural area there are no hobby shops, everything is on line order. I am thinking of trying a digital servo for tilt.

I know you are talking about shutter but I wonder if its getting a glitch or a jitter and its affecting the flight.

What type/brand of servos are you using, as I said I have a Futaba S148 for tilt and a micro servo from an electronics shop for shutter

Arduino Compatible 9G Micro Servo Motor | Jaycar Electronics

makatanav · Dec 2, 2018

No, not servo is cousing it - pressing pause button for 2 sec does it. The drone is hovering semi still, and when press and hold pause, then drone starts to operate strange.
For tilt I have MG90S Micro 9g (and yes it's jittery too), for shutter 4.3g Mini
I`m already waiting for a digital servo to arrive, need to figure out and build everything due winter time

Robpower · Dec 2, 2018

Just wondering though, when you press the pause it operates your shutter servo and maybe causing interferance, just a thought.

I got a hitec HS 5475hb digital servo today to test, very smooth and no jitter, just need to add the rsistors to give it more throw, going to use it for the tilt

makatanav · Dec 3, 2018

Yes, that can actually be a problem. Are you taking 5V from gimball conector or soldered on the main board (mine is from gimball conector for tilt and trigger as well, maybe that's an isue - 4.75V to 5.4V 1A).

I ordered such ones - RDS3115 & JX PDI-2504MG (this one shows Working frequence: 1520μs / 330hz, knowing that CH6 tilt is limited 1000-1520μs, maybe will not need resistor mod).

good to hear that

Robpower · Dec 3, 2018

My 5 volt is from the gimbal connector too, both the tilt and the shutter.

I had no trouble with my old servo, only a new one.

I am not going to add the resistors yet. You can program this digital servo and I should be able to get the travel I need. I don’t own a servo programmer but we have a couple at work, so going to give it a go next week. (Working off site this week)

Interested to hear how your servos go, good luck

makatanav · Dec 3, 2018

Robpower · Dec 3, 2018

Nice

carbon fibre by the look of it.

I have put the new tilt servo (HS5475hb) into the mount and bench tested, no jitters at all. Hasn't got the full throw I want (that's next weeks job when i am back at work and can access programmer) Am going ot do a test flight as soon as the weather settles.

Robpower · Dec 4, 2018

Robpower said:
Nice carbon fibre by the look of it.

I have put the new tilt servo (HS5475hb) into the mount and bench tested, no jitters at all. Hasn't got the full throw I want (that's next weeks job when i am back at work and can access programmer) Am going ot do a test flight as soon as the weather settles.

Update: Did a test flight, all smooth, no jitters at all. Now to get the travel programed and then I think I have what I want

A few of my pics here

Instagram - Rob Power