For this it is simply a long exposure (some digital cameras call it 'fireworks mode', although I did it manually on this camera) in the dark. I just wait for the timer to click down and hit the cannon's trigger.starman wrote:WOww, those are beautiful!! A couple of those trimmed right would make awesome computer desktop wallpaper.
How again are you synchro-triggering your camera/spudder? What is the black you are using for your background?
EDIT: OK sorry I just reread your original post on the synchro-trigger. I would like to figure a way to trigger my digital camera to do this.
You should really try it with your triple thunder launchers: Do a few with no burst disk, and a few with one and see how the flame expands when it leaves the gun. You may need to set your ISO higher for the burst-disk shot as they are typically much dimmer than a non burst disk shot. You will probably need to do it at night (rather than in a darkened room) I wouldn't envy being the one to fire a shot indoors with one of those.
The background is just a black towel draped over a chair.
As for making your camera trigger when you fire a cannon, there are a number of problems with that:
1. Most digital cameras have a 'shutter lag' long enough to make synchronisation difficult if you lack some sort of delay timer on the cannon.
2. As fast as shutter speeds are getting, most pics will still be blurred when trying to photograph such things as projectiles and explosions. Also, higher shutter speed means the camera needs either a higher ISO (much grainier pic) or huge amounts of light to let the sensor pick up a decent photo.
3. Unless you crack open your camera and rewire the shutter button to some wires so you can build your own little device to trigger both it and the cannon simultaniosly, there isn't usually a way to tell the camera to fire other than pressing the shutter button. (some cameras have an IR sensor for a remote, so you could exploit that)
These reasons are why strobe photography exists in the first place. Strobes trigger instantly, can last for extremely short durations, and it is easier to open up a strobe or use an external flash than to try and open up your camera. Photos such as THIS are pretty much always taken with strobes, as it is just so much easier than to try and use a fast shutter speed. Disadvantages are that any light in the picture (tracer round etc) will show up as leaving a trail because the shutter is open for a long time.
Around $20, although I have multiple parts for pretty much every component in case I screw up. I haven't built it yet, still waiting on the MOC3020.FishBoy wrote:very cool. how much did the sound trigger setup cost?
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