Hacking Digital Cameras

reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher

I’ve tinkered with my share of electronics, robotics and other equipment over the years. I’ve created gadgets for testing heat and cold with themisters when connected to computers, working with soldering board circuitry and other equipment. One of my friends uses electronics to have software and his Macintosh time photographs during total solar eclipses. I’ve thought about such an endeavor, but I needed a little nudge in the right direction. Perhaps I have found more information when I found the book named Hacking Digital Cameras.

Hacking is not illegal, although the term seems to indicate such deeds. The author says “ to hack is a modification to a device that produces something useful that was unintended in the original design. Chien Cheng, an engineer who graduated from University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, created the book where I received my doctorate. So this book immediately elevated my attention. He left the University and did not take pictures of the beautiful campus. From this longing, he decided to create this book to encompass a series of projects for digital cameras and related equipment for related projects that he thought about and tried after he left campus.

This book comprises a range of projects for designing equipment that will work with digital cameras. Some of these tasks are more difficult than others and cost more than others and require more materials and knowledge to complete.  While the Canon EOS is covered in this book, other digital cameras can be modified in similar fashion and with a little extra work (the author reminds us about watching for terminating warranties, but as always, some of these techniques are at your own risk. Although they are not dangerous when tinkering, you must be careful).

The book covers 519 pages in five parts. Each of the 27 chapters has different projects that are identified and explained in detail. The innovative gadgets that can be build will do a myriad of different tasks combined with your digital camera. They range from the use of electronics to just using equipment that does not involved electronics but that will help assist with your cameras, videocameras and other pieces of equipment. If you like to tinker with electronics and related gadgets, some of these projects may be ones to try. You really have to look at what they entail before you decide to try them. It also will depends on whether you have a Canon EOS, as it is mentioned the most in this book. However, I use a Minolta Dimage 7 (a 5 megapixel digital) and while I will try to use the schematics using this camera, you can try these projects with your own type and make of digital camera. Here are the projects:

In Hacking Cameras, 5 chapters in Part 1, the focus is on sensor, tripod and controlling your camera.  Chapter 1 deals with building triggers; Chapter 2 Adding a Tripod to your camera; Chapter 3 Accessing raw sensor data; Chapter 4 Hacking Power; Chapter 5 Controlling your digital camera from afar; Chapter 6 Improving your Canon EOS Digital Rebel. From these, I might try

Part 2 features Hacking Lenses as the main topic. Chapter 7 Using accessory lenses; Chapter 8 Making accessory lens adapter; Chapter 9 Changing the lens magnification; 10 Making your own pinhole lens; Chapter 11 Extending the lens on Canon EOS cameras; Chapter 12 Making reverse macro adapters; Chapter 13 Modifying the Canon EF-S Lens for use on Canon EF mounts.

Part 3 Creative Photography Hacks has you working with these projects. Chapter 14 Hacking with filters; Chapter 15 Shooting with infra red pictures with your digital camera; Chapter 16 Eliminating the IR blocking filters from your digital camera. I might not try these but will focus on other chapters first.

Part 4 Building fun camera tools.  Now this is a series of chapters that I will definitely will read and use. For example, Chapter 17 Building a car camera mount is perfect so that I can set up my camcorder for my stormchasing exploits. Chapter 18 Buidling a headrest camera mount might come in handy too. However the other ones (Chapter 19 Building a spycam mount for your bicycle; Chapter 20 Building a camera stabilizer; Chapter 21 Building a flash bracket; Chapter 22 Building a monopod; Chapter 23 Making a 500 Watt home studio light), are not ones I might try.  I don’t have any need for them as yet (I don’t use a bicycle for example).

Part 5 Flash memory hacks are interesting if you have these flash products.  The main question to ask here is with these projects, Hacking and removal,  “why do it? “Well the authors say that you might want the memory for something else (if your player is broken or don’t need or you just want to prove that you can hack with it. Chapter 24 Modifying memory hacks; Chapter 25 Removing the 4 GB Miocrodrive from the creative nomad muvo2 M3 player; Chapter 26 Removing the 4 GB Miocrodrive from Rio Carbon 5GB mp3 player; Chapter 27 Removing the 4 GB Miocrodrive from the Apple iPod mini.

These parts of the book will give you some basic information about techniques you might or might not know. Appendix A soldering basics; Appendix B Circuit symbols; Appendix C Glass cutting basics; Appendix D Photographer’s Glossary.

The step-by-step instructions, photographs, schematics and 5 hacking insights included in the Appendix sections will give you a good understanding for trying one or more of these projects. The instructions are thorough and specific. Some projects are definitely not for the novice. With help and the instructions and perseverance, you can complete many of these projects.  It you are completely new at hacking and electronic tinkering, you might want to take a trip to Radio Shack as well. The author even leaves his Email address and website for future communications about these projects and hacking. The website also has more hack ideas, reviews, tips and more.

This book has elevated my interest to get back to hacking. The headrest and car camera mounts are my first project for the next 2006 stormchasing season. That will definitely help. The others ones I am not sure as yet. But if you like to “Hack” you will find one or more of these projects helpful to think of projects for starting your endeavors. Then more projects will come about after that. Try this book and see what hacking potential is in your bag of tricks for your digital equipment.