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  • Author Author: tariq.ahmad
  • Date Created: Date Created
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DIY Motorized Zoom for Your DSLR -- Episode 437

Clem's Video production is a one-man-show.  He has to switch back and forth between being the subject and the cameraman. Constantly moving around the workshop for every single little correction is very tedious. Why not upgrade any common DSLR with a remotely controlled Zoom/Focus? Commercially available motorized zooms and focus pulling devices are very expensive, so Clem develops his own cheap and flexible solution and finds out if is it worth building this sort of camera equipment yourself. What kind of expensive equipment should he try to recreate next?

Bill of Material:

Product Name Manufacturer Quantity Buy Kit
MULTICOMP PRO Navigation Switch, 200 gf, 5 V, 1 mA, Solder, 3 Multicomp 2 Buy Now
SEEED STUDIO ESP8266 WiFi Module Breakout Board SEEEDSTUDIO 2 Buy Now
ADAFRUIT PowerBoost 1000 LiPo Charger 5V 1A Boost Adafruit 2 Buy Now
MIKROELEKTRONIKA Rechargeable Battery, 3.7 V, Lithium Polymer, 2 Ah, Wire Leads Mikroelektronika 2 Buy Now
MULTICOMP 3D Printer Filament, 1.75 mm, PLA, Black, 1 kg MULTICOMP 1 Buy Now
STMICROELECTRONICS Fixed LDO Voltage Regulator, up to 30V, 1.3 V Drop, 3.3V/1.5A out, TO-220-3 Pins ST 2 Buy Now

 

Supplemental Content:

 

 

Additional Parts:

 

Product Name

Bolts M3 & M2

3D printer

optional: camera mount system, Files for DIY version are included but,may not be suitable for your camera.

Headers , wires and solder

Slide switch, I already had in stock
Attachments:
Resources_MotoZoom.zip
image
DIY Motorized Zoom for Your DSLR

element14 Presents  |  About Clem  |  Project Videos

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  • Hi Clem,

     

    Nice work and highly useful.  You may have covered it but if so I missed it.  Is there something that provides feedback to stop it from trying to over rotate the lens?  Is it just that a rack is the right length to prevent over rotation?  I should look at the files you have provided.

     

    Frank

     

    EDIT:  By the way, great topic too.  This is the kind of project I would be interested in attempting.

  • I thought about doing something similar to this about 10 years ago but it was to drive a C-Mount lens on a 5Mpix CCTV IP camera which only had manual control.

     

    The cameras were often located in remote locations and it proved difficult to focus them accurately out in the field. The cameras used had a real time composite video output which was ok for framing and rough focusing, but the high resolution image was only available over the network or to CF card storage and was delayed.

     

    The plan I had at the time was to use a belt drive around the lens adjustment ring along with a motor to drive it just to be able to nudge it into precise focus remotely whilst viewing the full resolution image over the network in the shelter of the office.