KM5D DIY Remote

[jsbn]

For those who'd wanna DIY ur own remote on ur KM5D instead of spending SGD$50, its very simple.

Required:
1) 3 wires. Preferably of different colours.


2) Computer CD-ROM plastic connector clipped with scissors to turn it into a 3-head connector instead of 4-head.


3) Switch
(Image not available yet)

Disclaimer:
I take no responsibility if u destroy ur camera!!! But since it worked on mine as well as several guyz here who'd DIYed their own remote, unless u're one heck of a rough chap whose speciality is Masters of Destruction, there's minimal risk of shorting and destroying ur camera.

How it works
The remote works on the simple principle of just closing a circuit to complete current flow.

- Contact P2 & P3 to achieve a half-press shutter.
- Contact P1, P2 & P3 to close the circuit and achieve a full press shutter.

Hopefully the following diagram will help you guys to do ur own remote. I'm no electrical engineer so that's the best I can do. Hopefully it gets the message across.


Wiring Diagram for Remote

[tokrot]

wow look great.. does it work on D7D as well?

[soonwah]

Fancy a DIY wireless remote? Check out http://www.network54.com/Forum/25979...28Version+3%29

[jsbn]

Originally Posted by tokrot wow look great.. does it work on D7D as well?

Erm... I dun have a D7D to try out leh.

But if the pins are the same, I digress it shld work as well.

[Trigger Happy]

the 7D and 5D use the same remote from KM. for diy kits, although i'm no electrical engineer, i'll advise you to be very careful selecting a good switch for this set up as a faulty one (or as someone suggested in another thread to just touch the wires together) can potentially short / damage your camera. the damage is not worth the $50-70 for an original.

[Zerstorer]

Originally Posted by Trigger Happy the 7D and 5D use the same remote from KM. for diy kits, although i'm no electrical engineer, i'll advise you to be very careful selecting a good switch for this set up as a faulty one (or as someone suggested in another thread to just touch the wires together) can potentially short / damage your camera. the damage is not worth the $50-70 for an original.

There is absolutely no danger of damage at all.
To fire the shutter in the first place requires shorting all the 3 contacts, so shorting them in any combination can never do any damage.

This applies to nikon/canon wired remotes as well as I've fabricated remotes for cameras of all 3 brands.

The key reasons to get an original remote is that it should be much neater and usually more robust unless you are able to reinforce all the soldered joints properly.

[jsbn]

Originally Posted by Trigger Happy the 7D and 5D use the same remote from KM. for diy kits, although i'm no electrical engineer, i'll advise you to be very careful selecting a good switch for this set up as a faulty one (or as someone suggested in another thread to just touch the wires together) can potentially short / damage your camera. the damage is not worth the $50-70 for an original.

Hmm.... the principle of a camera remote works on a simple 'open-close' circuit with no batteries involved (not that I recall any remote that has a battery).

But thnx for the note. I'll report back if I zap my camera.

But as a very 'cat' person who shoots fireworks like thrice a year, I can't really find a justification to purchase a piece of $50 plastic nw.

[dominator]

i got a original short remote cable free from cousin open up and saw the design was so simple.

was at sim lim tower earlier on for some electronic stuffs, in additional to test out, spent another $2.80 to DIY on <trigger switch + cable with connector> now i got another spare shutter release cable. never expect diy to be so cheap and easy.
I tried a+b/c and a/b+c...both also can work.

[iceberg]

if the DIY release is meant for long exposures... i guess you can just forgo the half press function.. as you can on MF and just fire...

and on another note.. the socket used by the CDRom Audio Cable, you can prob get a generic 3 way crimp connector to replace it if you don't have an audio cable.

[Trigger Happy]

Originally Posted by Zerstorer There is absolutely no danger of damage at all. To fire the shutter in the first place requires shorting all the 3 contacts, so shorting them in any combination can never do any damage. This applies to nikon/canon wired remotes as well as I've fabricated remotes for cameras of all 3 brands. The key reasons to get an original remote is that it should be much neater and usually more robust unless you are able to reinforce all the soldered joints properly.

don't get me wrong, i'm all for diy. just a word of caution that if the shorting is intermittent as a non-mounted switch i.e. handheld wires, is likely to produce that may cause problems...

[coolman]

Any anyone been successful in making a version that is wireless? It would be better for self portraits rather than setting the timer, running there to post, then later find it out of focus

[iceberg]

reinforce the soldered joints with heat shrink tubing..
i was feeling bored in lab.. decided to make a more elegant remote cord... this one allows bulb mode now... lol....

[Trigger Happy]

Originally Posted by coolman Any anyone been successful in making a version that is wireless? It would be better for self portraits rather than setting the timer, running there to post, then later find it out of focus

there are some websites that tout apparent successes although i haven't seen any proof. all rely on hiving off a rc unit from a toy car of sorts. if we buy a cheap one and cannibalise the parts, then use it to shoot in an area where kids are playing with similar rc cars (using same crystals/ frequency) then i can't imagine what might happen...

i think the real challenge is to make it small and light enough (it'll require at least one AAA to power it) so that its unobtrusive and does not affect the balance of your camera while you're shooting handheld - i feel it should be so good that you can practically leave it attached. anyone with the know-how and time?

[smtan24]

Where did you get the connector? I did a rough connector but it's not very firm.

[jsbn]

That's off a old computer that I'd stripped it bare several moons ago. Its actually a 4-pin CD-ROM connector, I shaved off an extra pin and basically that's it.

[Zenten]

Originally Posted by jsbn That's off a old computer that I'd stripped it bare several moons ago. Its actually a 4-pin CD-ROM connector, I shaved off an extra pin and basically that's it.

Good Work, Bro.

Can you now give us the instruction manual for a DIY VG for the 5D? Please .........

[jsbn]

DIY VG5D ah? I'm not so hardcore into that. Anyway, for a travel cam, I dun think I'd like the extra weight. And it's not so discreet for street shooting if I were to let it hang by my hip and fire.

Imagine if I'm using my old 300D with battery grip, the attention goes straight to my camera and ppl around me suddenly become more conscious of themselves.

I can grab more discreet shots firing continuously with a smaller camera.