Canon PowerShot cameras have a "continuous" mode that takes a sequence of photos
as fast as they can be saved on the memory card. All you have to do is hold
down the shutter button. This is great for time-lapse, but it's not practical
to stand there with your finger on the button for more than about a minute.
What's needed is a "Virtual Finger" to hold the shutter button down.
After pressing the shutter, a series of shots is taken at a very rapid rate that
soon slows down when the camera's internal memory buffer fills. The shots are
then taken at a steady rate until the memory card fills or the camera battery
runs down. With a 1GB memory card on a Canon G5, you can capture over 1,000
shots at 1600x1200 resolution and fine picture quality at about 2 seconds
between shots.
Instructions on how to make your own are further down
this page.
Advantages
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Prevents finger fatigue and photographer boredom
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Avoids camera shake
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Runs until memory card is full or battery dies
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Disadvantages
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No control over time interval
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Fixed exposure isn't good in changing light conditions
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Fixed focus isn't good for moving objects
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Making Your Own "Virtual Finger"
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You can buy a cheap pair of sunglasses for about $10 at your
local drugstore. Look for metal frames that can be easily bent to the required
shape. A suitable pair will have a "head" area large enough to drill a hole for
a screw.
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Take off the lenses and use a pair of wire cutter "dikes" to
cut the head from the lens frame. Then drill a 9/64" diameter hole in the
"head". Be careful to not damage the frame when drilling the hole. If you have
access to a metal punch, it will work better than using a drill.
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| Buy a shoe mount spirit level at a photography store. Hama
makes one that works well (about $25, part number 005410). You'll also need a
1" long #6 machine screw with washer and nut. |
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| Drill a 9/64" diameter hole through the spirit level as shown
in the photo. Align the hole with one of the shoe slots to make sure it clears
the liquid inside of the level. A drill press comes in handy for accurately
drilling this hole. To make the hole more visible it is shown in the photo with
the screw inserted. |
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Assemble the spirit level and temple and lightly tighten the screw. Then insert
it into your camera's hot shoe (on a G2 in the photo).
Make sure the temple swings over the shutter button. You may need to bend the
head a little bit to get proper alignment. Then tighten down the screw, but not
so tight that you break the spirit level.
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Now the tricky part. Carefully bend the temple so that when positioned over the
shutter button, it will hold the button down with enough force to make the
camera shoot continuously.
You may have to twist the temple, but be carefull not to break it or you'll have
to make another one.
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Ta da! The finished Virtual Finger...
It takes quite a bit of torque on the hinge to force the shutter button down. If
the hinge can't handle it, you'll have to go back to the drugstore and find a
better pair of sunglasses.
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