Cameras

do any of you put cameras in your rockets?

Yes!

GOOD! how do you go about doing that, and do you have a timer for the camera to go off?

Well, the way I did it was to us an APS camera, that already had a self timer built in. I stripped it out of it's case, and built it into a special "payload-cum-nosecone". The camera cct was slightly modified to bring out the controls to an external panel and also to have an external trigger to initiate the timer at launch.

It wasn't very sophisticated. Just started taking pics at launch, and carried on throughout the entire flight.

Check out Ray Dunakin's site. He has what I think are the best 35mm rocket pictures out there...

https://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumList?u=3009006

I recently attempted my own version of what he did - I had okay results. I used his servo motor idea to take pictures at launch and then throughout the flight.

If you are into way cool high speed film camera - a guy by the name of Doug Gerrard does this. He uses 100 frames per second film cameras to capture slow motion video of his rockets taking off. His site is here..

https://www.rocketryphotography.com/index.html

Edward

i think theres a few sites where youc an purchase the cameras to place in a rocket. Live video feed cameras run about $80-$100 for the good ones and can go pretty low as $35-$50. And for a reagular 35mm camera taking pictures doesnt cost much at all. Its a fun way to look at a rockets perspective in flight and the different angles you can set the cameras up from seeing the booster section to a side view to see off into the distance. I cant find my linkt ot their site but iam sure youc an find one on a search engine for a decent price.

Originally posted by spaceshuttle
GOOD! how do you go about doing that, and do you have a timer for the camera to go off?

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Check out The AYUCR Site , Rob Nee provides camera-controllers in kit form. You have to modify your own cameras, though...

I've used several cameras and techniques over the past couple of years. My first camera looked straight out of the payload bay I mounted it in - taking horizon shots. Currently, I use a dual-camera bay that mounts the cameras partway outside the airframe, protected by a plywood shroud that basically looks like a VERY thick fin. I use Olympus Stylus Epic 35mm cameras, a Kodak Advantix APS camera, and my current project involves modifying a pair of digital cameras to record video of the flight.

Originally posted by spaceshuttle
GOOD! how do you go about doing that, and do you have a timer for the camera to go off?

Click to expand...

Howdy! I've been doing camera payloads for many years. Currently I use the Olympus Stylus Epic, a high quality, pocket sized 35mm film camera. Besides its small size and light weight, it also has the fastest shutter speed available for a "pocket" camera (1/1000th second). That helps reduce motion blur during flight.

There are a couple ways to activate the camera. You can rig up a mechanical "timer", which uses a servo motor to pull a lever, which presses the shutter button. This is fairly easy to do and doesn't require hacking into the camera.

Alternately, you can open the camera, solder leads to the shutter button contacts, and connect the camera to a timer.

On my site I have detailed photos and drawings for both methods, including construction of the payload capsules.

Mechanical timer payload:
https://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=3009006&a=30069434&f=0

Electronic timer payload:
https://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=3009006&a=31278774

You can also buy onboard video equipment from this company:

https://www.boostervision.com

They have cameras and transmitters small enough to fit in a D powered rocket. They also have larger, more powerful systems for high power flying. Both systems transmit live picture and sound to a receiver on the ground. You have to connect the receiver to a portable TV/VCR to record it.

If you can afford it, you could put a MiniDV camcorder into a rocket. Some of them are small enough now that you could get great flights on just a G motor. Excessive G forces can be problem with the recording head, however, and if the rocket crashes you've lost an expensive piece of hardware.

There are many digital camera options available which can shot stills or short segments of "video". I saw one at Target recently that cost $125 and can playback on a normal TV. A lot of folks have used little "pencams" for cheap onboard digital imaging.

If you have any questions about camera payload construction or use, I'll be glad to help.

I have built two rockets for two different camera systems. I call my first one Cineroc 2004 which was first launched in June 2004. It worked great with really sharpe movies of up to 80 seconds. I used editing software and broke the movies down to single frames, over 200 per flight. Here is a website to get you going:https://www.seed-solutions.com/gregordy/Rockets/VideoRockets.htm

The second rocket is called Cineroc 2005. It uses a booster vision 2.4 ghz wireless video and audio camera only about 3/4" is size. It sends the signal to a receiver which is hooked to a TV - VCR combo pack. I can watch the flights live as if I was on board. My first flight with this system was March 26, 2005. When I got mine I got the high gain antenna with it which gives me a range of 5600+ feet. Here is a website for this system: https://www.boostervision.com/boostervision/default.htm

Hope this helps!

i found a vivitar camera at walmart for $20.00. i'll try that. those will serve as something like the OTVs an the real shuttle launch pads.

never mind, i'll try ebay...

Originally posted by spaceshuttle
i found a vivitar camera at walmart for $20.00. i'll try that. those will serve as something like the OTVs an the real shuttle launch pads.

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One thing to be aware of - you'll want a camera with a motorized film-advance, if you want to get a sequence of pictures from your flight. An 'El-Cheapo' camera can be used - but you'll have to go the servo approach, as most of the cheap ones I've found use mechanical shutter-release buttons, rather than electronic - but you'll only get one picture from the flight.

this is probably a bit redundant...
i plan to mount cameras (about four or five) on my launch pad and tower also. i noticed the boostervision, and i saw a similar camera on ebay, but you have to hook it (most likely one at a time) up to a vcr or tv/vcr, so for this situation it may not work. anyone have any ideas on other cameras to use?

Extreme Rocketry publishes a book on it

https://www.extremerocketry.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Originally posted by WillCarney
The camera I got from Boostervision I plug directly into my new
camcorder from the receiver. I don't need a TV or VCR in the
field. I even got a high gain antenna directly from a manufacturer
at a lower cost than Boostervision. My system records live to
about 5-6000'. I hope to try an fly it in several of my higher
power rockets soon.

William

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your camera must have a tv-in jack, huh?