hello,

my knowledge of electronics is almost nil...

so here i am asking for some help...

i'm building a pinhole camera, and i want to use a electronic shutter.

this shutter is intended to be very simple, just press a button and the shutter opens, release the button and the shutter closes.

it will operate in a similar way has this picture, very simple and works has a lever.

i was thinking of using a relay, or servo, or solenoid, will that do?

i just need something very small like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL2c0EoPM8c

i want to use just one or two 1.5v aaa battery, and a button.

will that work?
what are kind of component can i use?

thanks

 

Looks like from the video that they use a solenoid with a return spring. You can do something similar.

The amount of power you need is determined by the shutter speed you want, and the coil specs if the solenoid. The faster you want the shutter to move, the more drive current you will need.

You will need a flyback diode across the solenoid to prevent large voltage spikes when you release the shutter. A small capacitor across the pushbutton will help prevent it from being damaged too.

 

thanks, i guess that will do...

i don't need speed and power, the shutter is a simple lever, about 3 or 4 cm, is very small so i don't need much power.

the speed is the same thing, the exposures of this camera are in seconds, 20s, 30s, 1m.... etc.. so something that opens 1/5 a second is good enought

thanks

 

I made a pinhole camera a while ago, but just with a manual shutter:
http://www.marksphotos.info/pinhole.html
A small geared motor could work, but would need a bit of circuitry and limit switches to stop it at the end points.
A small servo could work, but would need quite a bit of circuitry, possibly a microcontroller.
A simple solenoid would work with just a return switch and a spring, but they use quite a lot of current to hold the shutter open, it could be an option.

A source of cheap solenoids:
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=53356

 

thanks for the tip,

sorry markd77 that's really a ugly camera... hehhehehe ;-P

and about a relay? could i use the mechanical moving mechanism to press the shutter? the shutter will be very small, about 3/4 cm
thanks again

 

Won't motor vibration and kickback be a problem to the image quality?

 

i think that's not going to be a problem, because it's very small, and the camera will be solid.

the exposures will be in seconds, so any minor vibration will not be noticed

now it's just a question of finding the right component...

 

One of these might work for you.

 

thanks for the link,

problem is those work in 12v.... :-(

 

sorry markd77 that's really a ugly camera... hehhehehe ;-P

and about a relay? could i use the mechanical moving mechanism to press the shutter? the shutter will be very small, about 3/4 cm
thanks again

I got some funny looks while I was using it, works pretty well though.

I think the solenoids in small relays only move over a small distance. If you found the right relay (easy to take apart, possible to increase the stroke distance) it would be an option.
Some of those solenoids that crutschow linked to would be OK at 3V. The current and force would be around 1/4 (3/12) of the values on the page.

 

thanks.

e believe that with a modified relay would do the jobs, there is nothing like trying...

and a relay would just need a battery and a push button? nothing more?

thanks again