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Lightning

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Offline thepanoguy

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Re: Lightning
« Reply #10 on: 25 / June / 2010, 00:14:24 »
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If you are trying to photograph high speed lightning I would suggest the following sites:

http://www.solorb.com/elect/lightning/
http://www.techlib.com/electronics/lightning.html
http://electroschematics.com/1021/lightning-detector/
http://www.glacialwanderer.com/hobbyrobotics/?p=16

The first site is a light sensor detector the second is a RF detector.
The light sensor detector is faster than the inbuilt camera sensor but limited to detecting light.
The RF detector will detect the lightning before you see the lightning discharge.
A combination of both circuits will give you advanced lightning detection.
Use a script to control your camera.
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Offline kachar

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Re: Lightning
« Reply #11 on: 25 / June / 2010, 12:50:17 »
CanonBlue

Quote:  "I do have it on manual focus... I have an SD1100, and it has an auto or manual mode. I have it on manual mode-- I'm not sure if you were referring to something else? Having it on manual mode doesn't help with the speed of the motion detector, or at least, its still not fast enough to catch lightning."

Nothing wrong with the speed of the script!

This camera does not have true manual mode; it's a designation that Canon gives to a (sort of) program mode on some of it's cameras. Manual focus is not possible. Therefore, lightning bolt is missed while camera finds focus.

Don't know if there is work-around in CHDK for such ... try a search?

Why does Canon designate this non-manual mode as manual? Marketing? Anyway, deceptive and confusing!

Best of luck!

 
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Offline reyalp

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Re: Lightning
« Reply #12 on: 25 / June / 2010, 19:20:46 »
Fast MD should work even without MF, since it half presses at the start, rather than doing a full shoot when motion is detected. If it's too dark for the camera to focus at all, that may be a problem.

@thepanoguy
CHDK md is plenty fast to catch lightning, no need for additional hardware.
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Offline thepanoguy

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Re: Lightning
« Reply #13 on: 25 / June / 2010, 22:05:18 »
@reyalp,
Thanks for the info; I was reading a photographic site where the person was saying CHDK was too slow and recommended a RF detector. It is nice to know that lighting photography can be done in camera. I wonder if he was having a focus problem. If I can find the article again I will post it for reference. 
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Offline kachar

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Re: Lightning
« Reply #14 on: 25 / June / 2010, 23:13:23 »
Reyalp

Quote:  "Fast MD should work even without MF, since it half presses at the start, rather than doing a full shoot when motion is detected. If it's too dark for the camera to focus at all, that may be a problem."

Oops, I forgot that "half press"! But how would camera focus, dark or daylight? In my experience, not on sky, unless perhaps some fortuitously suitable cloud edge should lie in the focus area. Only way is to use a camera that will manual focus (at infinity).

CanonBlue

If you are really serious about using CHDK in general, and don't want to spend a lot, a used A640, really good camera, is cheap on Ebay. Solid construction, body front metal, all the modes just about any camera has, very reliable, great for CHDK ... I think it may have been the camera that CHDK was developed on. You can get one for $175 US or less. I got two and they function like new, although the body of one ($150) was rather bruised! Some fetch quite high prices but look for low ... just as good! Go for "return if not satisfied" for peace-of-mind!
« Last Edit: 25 / June / 2010, 23:26:40 by kachar »
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Offline reyalp

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Re: Lightning
« Reply #15 on: 26 / June / 2010, 18:19:02 »
Quote from: thepanoguy on 25 / June / 2010, 22:05:18
@reyalp,
Thanks for the info; I was reading a photographic site where the person was saying CHDK was too slow and recommended a RF detector. It is nice to know that lighting photography can be done in camera. I wonder if he was having a focus problem. If I can find the article again I will post it for reference.  
See http://picasaweb.google.com/reyalp/LightningJan192010# this was a very weak storm. Also http://picasaweb.google.com/reyalp/CHDK#5273218930144037074 where I didn't even notice that strike at the time, I thought the storm was over by the time I set the camera up. Camera was a540, script MDFB, I don't recall the exact settings. There's many other examples of CHDK MD catching lighting. That's not to say you wouldn't get more with an RF detector, it's possible there are types of lightning that are too fast for CHDK, but in my experience it can catch quite weak strikes.

Quote from: kachar
Oops, I forgot that "half press"! But how would camera focus, dark or daylight? In my experience, not on sky, unless perhaps some fortuitously suitable cloud edge should lie in the focus area. Only way is to use a camera that will manual focus (at infinity).
If you don't have anything in the scene to focus on, that could be a problem. You may be able to use SD override (or the equivalent in script) but I'm not sure. The camera may just sit there waiting for focus.  You may also be able to focus once and set af lock (see your canon manual) before starting MD.
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Offline colinbm

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Re: Lightning
« Reply #16 on: 27 / June / 2010, 00:43:39 »
Hi thepanoguy
I have decided to make this lightning detector, to give me time to setup if I want to get some shots.
http://electroschematics.com/1021/lightning-detector/
The TR1,2,3 are BC109C. I need some help with what is the equivilant in the Jaycar range, Please.
The rest is straight forward I hope :-)
I should be able to fit this into the 'Burper' case too.
Cheers
Col
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Offline thepanoguy

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Re: Lightning
« Reply #17 on: 27 / June / 2010, 03:42:02 »
@reyalp,
Nice photos. I have looked at the ones on the CHDK Wiki. I am a hardware guy; hopeless at software. From my understanding of RF detector theory, an RF detector will pick up RF activity in the atmosphere before there is a lightning discharge. Maybe an RF detector can be used as a half press and in conjunction with the existing CHDK lightning detection, a script, shutter speed over-ride for the very fast lightning strikes or capture multiple strikes.   


@colinbm,
The BC109C is a general purpose transistor.
The site below contains a comprehensive database on transistors, IC,etc,
http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/
The BC109C is listed. I am not certain what the Jaycar stock is like these days.
Jaycar used to have a reference transistor book which they used to cross reference with their stock range.
I don't think that the transistor used is critical for the circuit application.
I would suggest that you print out the data sheet and take it with you to Jaycar and grab the nearest to the data sheet.
« Last Edit: 27 / June / 2010, 04:00:07 by thepanoguy »
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Offline colinbm

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Re: Lightning
« Reply #18 on: 27 / June / 2010, 04:17:02 »
Thanks thepanoguy
I have got the ZT2154 / BC548.
Don't ask me why ? Just seems good !
Cheers
Col
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Offline colinbm

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Re: Lightning
« Reply #19 on: 27 / June / 2010, 11:39:43 »
Hi thepanoguy
I have got the lightning detector to work (detect static).
http://electroschematics.com/1021/lightning-detector/
The instructions has a Test Point 1 & 2 which I can locate.
What I don't understand is where the other end of the multi-metre is to be connected, Please.
Cheers
Col
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