Stay-at-home: Motion detection ‘old camera new rig’

This is a bit of a technical post for those interested in some photographic DIY

In my last post I showed some photos taken with a DIY motion detection setup. This post shows the rig that I built. An example photo taken with the setup is shown below:

For this I used an old Canon S100 compact camera – this was quite an advanced compact camera at the time. What is not well known is that many Canon compact cameras can have the firmware (this is the software that both controls the camera and determines what features it has) updated in a non-permanent manner to give it additional functions. For more information, including those cameras that can be modified see the CHDK web page here: https://chdk.fandom.com/wiki/CHDK

In summary, the steps taken were:

  • Download, install and try out the CHDK software
  • Create a power supply from a rechargeable sealed lead-acid battery and a voltage regulator with appropriate leads
  • Check the power supply works OK with the camera
  • Build weather resistant cases from plastic food containers

Note: I am not a DIY craftsman, more of a bodger that can create something that works for me but is not particularly elegant. Here are the photos of the final rig:

Camera in its box with a cut out to access the battery and SD card
Opened battery compartment
Modified tripod head from an old second-hand tripod
Camera in its box
Camera in its box
Cut-out for the lens
Side view
Power supply and leads
Camera plugged in
Camera powered up
Camera with CHKD running and the Motion Detection screen
Camera in its box with the lid
Power lead when on the tripod
The full rig in the garden
Battery pack running in the garden
Photographing the bird feeder
See it is quite close to the feeder
Another example using this DIY rig

Author: Paul L.G. Morris

I am an amateur photographer whose photography is mostly of gardens, nature and the rural environment. My specialities are close-ups, panoramic views, or a combination of both that I call 'Nearscapes'. I work mostly for my own interest having closed my business PM Studios Ltd.