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Hacking Digital Cameras
Posted by
samzenpus
on Wed Feb 15, 2006 02:34 PM
from the say--virtual-cheese dept.
from the say--virtual-cheese dept.
whawk640 writes "I came across this book via the author's website www.camerahacker.com. I was interested in making a pinhole lens at the time so I picked up the book. Disclaimer: I'm NOT a hacker by nature. I only did a hack on a lens cover. Most of the hacks in here are for those with a better relationship with screwdrivers, drills and soldering irons than I have. I don't think this book was intended for me, so keep that in mind when reading my review." Read the rest of Daniel's review.
A quick list of the types of hacks in the book are as follows.
1: Hacking Cameras -- (triggers, tripods, raw data, power, remote control and updated firmware)
2: Hacking Lenses -- (accessory adapters, changing magnification, pinhole, lens extension, macro adapters)
3: Creative Photography Hacks -- (filters, infrared, and removing infrared blocking)
4: Building Fun Camera Tools -- (car mount, headrest mount, bicycle spy cam, stabilizer, flash bracket, monopod, and studio light)
5: Flash Memory Hacks -- (CF Type I to PC Card Type II, removing microdrives)
6: Appendices -- (Soldering Basics, Circuit Symbols, Glass Cutting Basics, Photographer's Glossary, Index)
This book has quite a few hacks and if you're interested in hacking, the step by step instructions presented in the book will be useful and interesting. Quite honestly, I've only performed one of the hacks myself. I followed the step by step instructions for making a pinhole lens and it worked just perfectly. My wife will tell you I'm no Bob Vila. About all I know about a drill is that one end is pointy and spins.
Anyway, if you want to tinker with digital cameras, pick up the book and read through the contents. If the specific hack you want to do is not in the contents, look for something close. If it's not there or the book doesn't give you any ideas on anything to do, then it may not be for you. Read one more paragraph to find out.
In addition to the hacks, this book covers quite a bit of introductory concepts in photography in general and the math behind it. I found it easy to read as a beginner and it gave me an appreciation for why there are professional photographers and 'the rest of us'. Concepts covered in the book include focal length, magnification, filters, softness, ambient light, field of view, white balance, infrared, ultraviolet, depth of field and many more. These sections are brief and provide only an introduction though. If you're an experienced photographer, you probably won't find anything new in these sections. One down side about this is that since an introduction to photography is not the focus of the book, these introductions are scattered throughout the book whenever they tie in with a specific hack. On the upside, it gives you the information when you need it to decide if a hack is right for you.
Now, the hacks in the book are step by step with loads of pictures, schematics where necessary and tips. What you need to perform each hack is identified clearly before you start. Additional ideas about how the hack could be modified in function or in fit are available after each hack.
In my opinion, the disclaimer telling you not to take apart your $400.00 brand new camera is not quite strong enough. People like me are rightly afraid of that sort of thing. From what I hear, your average hacker though is much more adept and less fearful.
This is not the type of book most people would pick up and read cover to cover. It is more like a reference you would want to have handy if you spend a lot of time taking creative pictures or messing with your camera.
Negatives: Hacks seem to apply to specific cameras, if you want to apply them to other cameras, the author's experience may not help you... be careful! I found section 3 very interesting and would have liked to see more chapters on fun camera hacks. Unfortunately, it was the smallest section in the book.
Are you a propeller head who loves to take things apart?
Are you a techno-junkie who has 9 or 10 digital cameras lying around because you always buy the newest one?
Are you an amateur or professional photographer who just can't quite get all the features you want in a single camera?
Do you have a specific need for a hack that the book covers?
Do you have an interest in this sort of hack and a desire to learn some photography basics?"
If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, then this book is for you.
You can purchase Hacking Digital Cameras from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
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i took my olymous d300 apart (Score:5, Funny)
Re:i took my olymous d300 apart (Score:2, Funny)
Re:i took my olymous d300 apart (Score:2, Funny)
Re:i took my olymous d300 apart (Score:4, Funny)
my olymous d300
What did you do wrong? You paid $25 to some guy in an overcoat in a dark alley for an "olymous" camera, you freaking idiot...
Now, about this "RoIex" watch you're interested in buying, along with these cheap "Vyagra" pills...
Parent
Lame (Score:4, Insightful)
A hack, IMO, would involve doing something funky with the software, like running MAME, doing effects on the image by altering the way its recorded, or something.
Re:Lame (Score:2)
Re:Lame (Score:2, Informative)
Case modders.... (Score:3, Insightful)
I think though that hacking physical objects is a valid concept. To my mind, hacking does not need to be software, but it should at least mean extension beyond the trivial. Adding adapter rings and modifying the optics etc sounds like hacking to me, epoxying on a nut as a tripod mount isn't.
Re:Lame (Score:2)
Re:Lame (Score:2)
When I saw this I immediately though about getting one to actually hack (as opposed to the camera tricks that this book appears to point out).
Re:Lame (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Lame (Score:3, Informative)
I've been out of the "scene" for a while since I hacked my two, so I just went and looked at the bulletin boards that discuss these things, and I'm sad to report that apparently Pure Digital has finally started making a version of these things that can't be hacked using any of the existing methods. Here [forumer.com] is a thread where the guys who figured the hack out are saying that the latest rev may finally be unhackable.
If you can get your hands on older ones, (
Re:Lame (Score:3, Interesting)
Right here. [mame.net]
At the moment I'm digging out all my old digital cameras, including my DC260 that can run MAME, to do calibration sets for some funky software called "PhotoAcute [photoacute.com]". It allows you to double the horizontal and vertical pixel count of your photos be processing multiple pictures of the same image (not useful for action shots, but great for static scenes). The means that your camera's megapixel count is multiplied by four. My A$140 4Megapixel cheapy Kodak Easyshare will soon be a 16M
RE (Score:4, Insightful)
True monochrome? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:True monochrome? (Score:2)
Depending on the bandwidth, these can require the precise deposition of hundreds of atoms-thi
Re:True monochrome? (Score:2)
Re:True monochrome? (Score:2)
worst. review. ever? (Score:5, Interesting)
-1 for content, -1 for copying from amazon or somewhere else, -10 for wasting my time reading and writing this reply
please write a review when you've actually read the book. thanks!
Agreed: Review needs info from the book (Score:2)
This was _not_ a "book review" it was a fluffy "opinion about a book".
Re:worst. review. ever? (Score:3)
Oh no, Amazon reviews are generally much worse! Besides the typical obviously bad reviews of "I haven't [read/seen/used] this, as it hasn't been released yet, but I love the [author/director/manufacturer] so I give it FIVE STARS!", or "Anyone who likes [whatever] is a fag!-- ONE STAR", there are some real head scratchers. One guy reviewed a raclette set (a swiss fondue thing for cheese):
"This set didn't come with a scraper and tongs like t
Give me a break!!!!! (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think this book was intended for me, so keep that in mind when reading my review."
since i am a man, i will go out and review the new tampax smooth style heavy flow tampons, of course i will put the disclaimer that the product wasnt intended for me, and that this should be kept in mind when reading, what the disclaimer makes, a useless review!!!! said one sighted person when reviewing the kurzeweil reading machine for the blind "nice machine, but all the buttons and such have no labels, how do they expect the blind to see what they are doing?" said a double leg amputee in reviewing nikes new air jumpoes... "nice lines, cool colors.. i cant wear them, but if i had legs, i would" does anyone see the uselessness of reviewing products that were not intended for the reviewer? if you dont, then this mans review is perfect for you!
Re:Give me a break!!!!! (Score:5, Insightful)
I got further than you. I stopped at, "If you're interested in cameras, pick up a copy of this book and see if it's the kind of book you're interested in. Then check to see if there's anything close to what you're interested in. If there's nothing in there that you're interested in, or close to something that you might be interested in being interested in, you'll probably not be interested by this book." An insight like that just can't be topped, so there seemed no point in reading further.
Parent
Just remember... (Score:3, Funny)
Just remember, if at first you don't succeed, chainsaw juggling is not for you.
Raw data (Score:4, Insightful)
Nikon [imaging-resource.com].
Re:Raw data (Score:4, Interesting)
One of the topics listed in the book is the raw file format. Why do camera manufacturer encrypt our pictures? Our pictures belong to us. We are the copyright holders of our pictures, not the manufacturers of cameras. There is probably no acceptable answer.
I followed your link, and I think your right, there is no acceptable answer to that from a user standpoint. Looking at the information from your link this sounds like a rather lame attempt at locking the camera to the raw processing software.
Its odd in that the image itself isn't encrypted but the white balance information is. It obviously takes additional work to encrypt the white balance, so why not the whole image? Probably its Nikon walking the line between irritating the software developer enough to drop support entirely, yet still keeping them from accessing the full potential of the raw file (locking out the open-source community - good job there Nikon...)
Another case of the corporate mentality to maintain complete control over what you can do with the stuff you buy.
Parent
Re:Raw data (Score:3, Interesting)
It's not a question of the data being encrypted, it's a proprietary format. Actually, it's not even a single format, it varies by manufacturer and even within models from the same manufacturer. Some manufacturers are pretty good about providing providing details about their RAW format(s) while others aren't. Your statements cast all manufacturers in the same light.
The RAW file is simply the raw data that the sensor recorded (okay, there would be some basic file header info such as EXIF headers too). Yes,
Re:Raw data (Score:3, Interesting)
Personally I would not count on Adobe. Adobe's stupid PDF update sagas serve exactly the same purpose as encrypting parts of the camera's raw data. You may also contact the makers of xpdf and gs. They certainly can tell a few stories about Adobe.
There is an open raw [openraw.org] format. OpenRAW gives more details about
Re:Raw data (Score:2, Interesting)
Why not ask why camera manufacturers force you to use JPEG. Or TIFF. Why not use PNG? While you're at it, why not complain that most pro cameras use Compact Flash rather than SD cards. Or that the lens mounts aren't interchangeable. The camera is yours, right? Why should you be forced to use an adapter to put a Nikon lens on a Canon body? They should be forced to use what YOU want!
Nikon encodes the white balance in their camera RAW format. That's their option. Don't like
Re:Raw data (Score:2)
This is exactly why I brought this up. People can make a better decision if they know all facts.
Re:Raw data (Score:2)
Hacking Webcams For Astrophotography (Score:5, Interesting)
http://www.qcuiag.co.uk/ [qcuiag.co.uk]
Re:Hacking Webcams For Astrophotography (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Hacking Webcams For Astrophotography (Score:2)
Hacker?? (Score:3, Funny)
When I first read the URL I thought I saw "camerawhacker.com".
Maybe it's the Elmer Fudd in me. Maybe I should put down the soldering iron.
/.'ed (Score:2)
Google Cache HERE. [72.14.207.104]
slashdotted (Score:3, Informative)
link:
http://www.camerahacker.com.nyud.net:8090/ [nyud.net]
How apropos (Score:3, Funny)
Re:How apropos (Score:5, Funny)
The camera is FU*KED. I can't delete those pictures from last night - I'm afraid my husband will see them!
So, I took some pictures of some stupid flowers and then pretended to "break" the camera showing them to his parents. (oh, how I despise bill!). I'm afraid I didn't break it enough to get rid of those pictures. Should I drive a nail through the memory card?
I'll play the "please don't kill me" line with the puppy dog eyes. He should fall for it.
See you this weekend!!
Parent
Now here's a real digicam hack... (Score:3, Interesting)
I have just got one myself for my model plane. It's just an ordinary 2 Megapixel aiptek pencam, but modified to run off a model aircraft's battery pack and take instructions from a spare channel on your receiver. It has a programmable chip inside so you can alter the time in between shots. I'm taking mine to Spain this summer; we're going to try out some basic geological mapping, but with a bit of luck I should be taking some aerial photos of our model flying field this weekend to see how it turns out...
They're out of stock right now - I was lucky to get mine before they ran out! Perhaps a better camera will be modded by them in future....
Hacking? (Score:2)
Wow! How cool is this hacking thing????
CVS One-Time-Use Camera Hacking (Score:2, Informative)
But, alas, recent CVS camcorders are now almost unhackable since the developer has closed most holes that were there intially. The still cameras are still accessible via
Is this like the $40 iPod secret books? (Score:2)
Anyways, my digital camera cost $1200, so I don't think I will go near it with a Dremel tool just to make it work with some tripod that wasn't designed to use as universal camera adapter. About the cl
Just one question - mirror lockup hack for Canon (Score:3, Interesting)
How to build your own (Score:2)
I can take care of the software/firmware and a bit of the electronics side of things, but I don't know much about the camera parts that actually take the picture.
Infra-red! (Score:2)
Re:Infra-red! (Score:2)
There are digital imagers available that can do thermographs without cryogenic cooling. Unfortunately, they cost tens of thousands of dollars, last time I checked. Example: http://www.ir55.com/ [ir55.com]
Accidental Fisheye hack (Score:2)
Re:Accidental Fisheye hack (Score:2)
Hacking for Infrared (Score:2)
The only problem is that, because the IR cut filter is typica