Comments on: Zoomduino – Arduino Zoom Controller

By: goose2283

goose2283 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 02:17:02 +0000

I don’t recall off hand what value of pot I used. It’s hooked up as a voltage divider though, so the value doesn’t matter to the Arduino, the only real consideration is power consumption. I would suggest a value around 10K.

As for the record button, it’s on my to-do list. I’ve been incredibly busy lately, but it’s coming.

By: phmadeira

phmadeira — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 01:52:00 +0000

What potentiomer are you using ?

By: phmadeira

phmadeira — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:51:22 +0000

is somebody can help me to understand this program
i like to add a record buton
thank you

By: davide

davide — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:53:40 +0000

hi Goose
I tested your code tonight.
Everything works great.
really good.

one thing TO DO:
a rec button?
Chere to look for the value numbers of the lanc protocols?
Keep us updated on future new codes.

all the best form italy

By: davide

davide — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:55:32 +0000

Hi Bobble

Which camera are you using?
Todays camera (mine, for istance, an XH A1 from Canon) has a constant / variable speed for zoom.

I watched the video and I advise you the use af a good tripod, an heavy one with a good head (any Manfrotto 500x should be fine, should be heavier => than your camera).

The Lanc controller has been created to be used in conjunction with production-level tripod during long performances, giving the cameraguy the possibility to drive the camera with one hand.

no purposes of using this without a tripod.
The touchy “shakiness” of your shot is to be solved with the tripod.
The Lanc to help you left hand get hotter in your scarf!

cheers D

By: bobble

bobble — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:25:14 +0000

so, the code divides the pot into 17 zones that have different zoom rates?

whenever i take out the video camera its to record friends on alpine raceboards. when they approach me its difficult for me to push the zoom switch to get the zoom rate just right. frequently they buzz by too quick so i fumble with the switch. a friend put a video on youtube… its link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0ZX_Y3iNxE. alot of the footage is shaky. some was taken from the chairlift. btw, i appear at 7:04.

my ideal zoom controller would function life this: the camera would completely zoomed-in when the pot is at 100% full scale and zoomed-out at 0% full scale. if i knew the number of zoom steps in the camera, i could map it to the pot. i want to turn the pot and have total control of the zoom as these guys approach. by turning the pot, i control the rate of the zoom.

i don’t know much about LANC or much about my camera. i’m assuming alot here. i’m hoping i can control the rate of the zoom and the camera does the autofocus. i’m hoping that the LANC can keep up with rapidly changing data as i twist the pot.

thanks for putting up the info and your comments!

By: goose2283

goose2283 — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:21:29 +0000

Davide is correct, that is the command that maps the input to the pot to the commands. You can play around with the values to alter the way it responds, or increase the dead zone in the middle by adding 99s and changing the mapping accordingly.

By: davide

davide — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:55:44 +0000

For bobble:
for the zoom you may ha to play around

“commandCode=speeds[map(analogRead(aPin),0,1023,0,17)]; //The analog input returns from 0 to 1023, but our array is from 0 to 17. This converts the values.”

By: davide

davide — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:54:45 +0000

Thanks so much for the effort.
Still have to play around on my own canon Xh A1.

The DIY LANC Controller has been my personal excuse for harvesting around the arduino among all the people staring to a video guy amazed from electronics.
(I emailed instructables to ask for that!)

After previous searches I’ve found some code but couldn’t really do anything.
Your skecth a wonderful gift to me.

I’ll try to keep you informed maybe on the forum about my experiments

cheers
Davide

By: bobble

bobble — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:09:02 +0000

i have a sony handicam and the zoom is too touchy. impossible to control the zoom rate.

i was thinking of doing a LANC controller as my first intro to arduinos. i like your idea of a potentiometer.

is there a limit to how fast you can turn the pot to control the zoom?