How Can I Build a Sound Activated Shutter for High Speed Photography?

[noagname]

I want to take high speed shots. My problem is I don't want to buy an expensive flash, so I thought let me make a sound activated shutter. In other words the moment their is a sound my camera takes a picture. After spending hours on the internet I was only able to find circuits that give me and output of 400 volts. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=211988"

Yes I do know that all of those are meant for flashes but found a way to that output into my camera, I just can't have 400 volts coming out of their.

 

[brewnog]

What do you mean "high speed shots"? How many frames do you wish to capture per second? The reason it's often done with a flash is because normal cameras can't get anywhere near enough light in (using ambient sources) in the small duration required.

 

[noagname]

I have a Nikon d80, and I should have made it more clear. I have an external light source with is strong enough for what I am doing, only problem is, is it not meant to be turned on and off at high speeds. "High speed shots" I just meant taking high speed photography, and I don't really care the amount of frames per second.

 

[brewnog]

So you want to use the Nikon's shutter? Surely the Nikon has a remote shutter release input, which would just be a circuit to close?

 

[noagname]

Yea, you are spot on. The jack on the camera is just a circuit, when to connect one side to the other the shutter goes off. I need to make it so the shutter goes off the moment it hears a sound. Only problem is, is in the 5 links that i gave they all have a giant voltage output.

Once I find a way to lower the voltage. I need to find a way to connect the circuit with the camera. Off of ebay I can get for 4-5$ a wire that goes into the camera.

 

[es1]

It seems the third circuit you found should be perfect.
http://lullaby.homepage.dk/diy-camera/usoft.html

Just use a resistor instead of the MOC3020 part (or possibly put a resistor across terminals 6 and 4) to do the level translation. Assuming the voltage you need is below 9V, of course.

 

[noagname]

How strong of a resistor and what does the moc3020 do?

 

[es1]

maybe you can just use the circuit as is. what are the input requirements of your camera?

 

[noagname]

voltage requirments, I have no clue. Like I said earlier the camera jack where I control the shutter has 4 pieces of metal, If I stick a wire in and touch wire A, B all to D then the camera goes off. If I touch a wire to just C and then to D the camera re focuses(which I don't care about.)