Homemade rocket cameras

The link to the AYUCR page has already been posted, so I won't have to restate it. :-)

You're referring to the Kodak Advantix F350, right...? An APS camera with a fixed-focus lens. It *is* small and light, but it has a mechanical shutter that has a maximum speed of 1/250th of a second. It's also easy to modify, since the contact-points are relatively large. I have one that I have yet to test out... I'm currently working on modifications to a digital point-and-shoot camera for video recording.

For good pictures, though, I've found that the Olympus Stylus Epic can't be beat. It's only slightly larger than the Kodak camera, takes only a little more effort to modify, and takes slightly longer to advance the film (2.6 seconds versus 1.5 for the Kodak) but it has the advantage of having a variable-speed shutter that has a maximum speed of 1/1000th of a second. Also, since it uses standard 35mm DX-coded film instead of internally-coded APS cartridges - the film can be 'pushed' to maximize the shutter speed for clearer pictures.

Best of luck with the effort!

My site (see previous post) has info about building a mechanism to activate any type of camera, electronic or mechanical.

However, the post you're replying to says that your camera has large contact points, which implies that you CAN solder leads to it for use with an electronic timer.

Old design and an obsolete camera, but...

perhaps its electromechanical? I wonder what shutter speed the astrocam is?

Yep, been there, done that, no fun.

Been there, done that. The involuntary muscle spasm made me throw the camera across the room.

I blew a hole in a screwdriver, shorting out the leads. :-)

Which is why I tend to leave my cameras mostly intact, with only cut openings to get at the shutter contacts.

Did you get a good apogee shot?

:)

steve

LOL!!!

I might try that the next time I wire up an Olympus. It would sure beat futzing with the latch mechanism, which always seems to fall apart no matter how carefully I open the camera's casing.

It *is* a whole lot easier. I actually wrecked two attempts to open an Olympus camera - the flimsy little wiring harness that connects the door to the internal electronics broke. :-(

You DO need a rather fine tip on the soldering iron, though... to get at the contacts without getting molten plastic on the element.

I've found that the flash won't go off in most applications... particularly if you 'push' the film.