Modular Pi Cam

Ahh... labor job over, 3 more days off. It is a great day today wish I could fly.

Anyway I was thinking about what I want to do next with this project.

Since the interface is bad on this camera I decided I would make a phone controller for it.

Which is something I had thought about for the Pi Zero HQ Cam but not in this manner.

The camera will be like an API and the phone is a client.

For this I need a tripod (which I will match the design of common tripod screw mounts) and then make a modular frame.

I also want an extended battery attachment so that'll get made probably just an 18650 cell but that will give the camera a lot more life (eg. 3000mAh+) over the 720mAh it has by default.

Ehh I thought I had a better visual than this but I guess not.

I also throughout these projects actually want to "really" learn photography. Not just the basics so I can make a good interface on the mobile app (settings that can be changed which make sense).

Battery attachment would be something like this (while still working with a tripod)

short

long one is processing still

I had this thought... since there are different camera modules and the camera connectors are the same (22 pin) you would ideally make detachable camera modules... that you can swap like this.

I have to try one of those V3 modules... the MP count is high-ish... there are also the ones by Arducam... but yeah. The v3 modules have fixed types eg. normal or wide angle so that's where the swap would be nice.

Also I have the main body done so I'm just working on code now. I don't really feel like going outside though so I won't have outdoor images till next week maybe... the 8 MP camera I'm using now (v2 module) will probably be disappointing so idk... I may wait till I can buy/receive the v3 module.

But... those outdoor shots man... that orange.

Welcome to the family (A7X)

I'll just work on updating the code and getting that camera module 3. Then it'll be worth taking it outside

Oh yeah quick menu I put together

These are the pats

Man... the soldering is brutal I think it took me almost 3 hours

I'm printing the back face plate now

I have to modify the front design, I didn't finish designing it yesterday but also I have a short ribbon cable right now so the camera will have to move up near the top.

Oh man oh man it's looking good

I was hasty gluing the LCD down so it has a gap, I can visually fix it with some black filler

I'll modify the front plate design today so it can be printed tomorrow then start working on the software tonight

man it's a brick of electronics

This project started out as wanting to make a camera with the round display and 5D joystick. As I was working on this, I realized I wanted a camera module 3 instead of 2 eg. 12 MP vs. 8 MP. I also didn't want to make a body and have to discard/do it again... so this modular design which was a coincidence (wanted 2 different colors eg. black between orange) happened.

I'm already psyched with how bright the LCD is... and I also tried the touch one that is ESP and that is pretty amazing... I was briefly tempted to work on a watch but I don't wear watches.

At this point I've already started printing and it's not a hard project... but yeah I gotta write the software too I'm thinking round bubble menu design.

Making a video too as I build this. Anyway I have two more days off so I'll get something done.