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Original air date:
11.7.07
If you've ever tried to capture on camera the beauty of a glass breaking or a balloon popping, you know it's not easy—you're likely to see only the "before" or "after," because the event happens so darn fast. But DIY expert Bre Pettis makes high-speed photography rigs using little more than a disposable camera and a few electronics parts that trigger a flash at just the right time. Here's how it's done.
Note: More detailed instructions are available here (PDF 3.9 MB), and if you don't want to collect all these materials yourself, you can buy a kit specially made by Make Magazine.
First, put on your protective goggles.
Remove the sticky paper from a disposable camera and then remove the back, being careful not to touch the metal capacitor near the bottom center of the inside of the camera, which is an electrical energy store and can give you a nasty shock.
Remove the film and battery.
Discharge the capacitor using an insulated screwdriver (click here to view how). Be careful not to touch the capacitor or the metal part of the screwdriver. You should hear a loud pop or see a spark when the capacitor discharges.
Remove the plastic latch that holds the camera front. Remove the lens holder; underneath it, you should see the shutter with a spring connected to it. Remove them as well. You should now be able to see a hole in the center of the camera running from front to back.
For this next step, it may be best to reference the more detailed instructions here. Take your trigger connector (already assembled in the Make Magazine kit) and solder two wires to it. Install the connector into the back of the camera and thread both wires through the camera hole. Solder them to the metal parts of the camera back.
Snap the camera front onto the camera again, reinstall the battery, and finish reassembling the camera.
Set your own digital camera up for a long exposure (2 seconds or more), turn off the flash, and turn out the lights.
Connect the flash controller (included in the Make Magazine kit; see a schematic here) to the camera and microphone, and position the microphone close to whatever you want to capture on camera.
Plug the cable into the flash controller and flash (or strobe).
Take lots of pictures!
Think you have the skills to capture some high-speed photos? Why not try your hand at our WiSci Challenge? Visit the WIRED SCIENCE Community page for all of the details.
24 Posts
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11.7.07 5:45 PM PST
colin
thats amazing
11.7.07 5:49 PM PST
Colin
That is the most amazing thing ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11.7.07 5:52 PM PST
MARTIN GAVRIN
Loved your fast action pictures. Looked at your schematic for flash controller and there is no list. Without one it's impossible to duplicate. Where can I get a commercial flash controller?
Thank you.
Martin Gavrin
11.7.07 6:10 PM PST
ROB HUMPHREYS
FANTASTIC. THIS IS SOMETHING I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO AND KNOW I WILL BE PURCHASING THE EQUIPMENT
THANK YOU VERY MUCH IT REALLY MADE MY DAY!
11.7.07 8:38 PM PST
Teresa
How would you take this high speed picture in an outdoor setting? Such as animal photography?
11.7.07 8:39 PM PST
r. j. brice
cannot open to view flash controller schematic.{ m. gavriii 11.07 5:52 pm pst} said no parts list-----how can i get schematic and parts list???
11.7.07 8:41 PM PST
r. j. brice
cannot open to view flash controller schematic.{ m. gavriii 11.07 5:52 pm pst} said no parts list-----how can i get schematic and parts list???
11.7.07 9:00 PM PST
Joseph Clee'
Your show made me stop looking for something worth watching. The schematic flash controller piece really took hold of me. I'm going out tomorrow and start gathering the parts I need to try and duplicate the flash.
Truly something I can use in my photo taking. Thank you all so much. Super show!
11.7.07 9:02 PM PST
Rick Weller
That is a very good idea. I am going to have so much fun with this project.
You can pretty much figure out what parts to buy if you look at the schematic.
11.7.07 10:17 PM PST
Tony Halford
Harold Edgerton's style photography has always been something I wanted to learn. I can't wait to try this out.
11.8.07 3:43 AM PST
Ed Y.
Great segment! Your PDF download file is corrupted, can't get a good one even after repeated re-tries. Can you post the materials list somewhere else? Thxs.
11.8.07 7:03 AM PST
P.C.
Excellent segment idea. MORE, MORE, MORE
11.8.07 9:12 AM PST
Jack
Great story, would like to build the items but could not open pdf for detaied instructions? Tried several times.
11.8.07 1:46 PM PST
Mel
Clever idea.
Problem with reading the text in the pdf. It is too light and uneven.
Can you repost with clear and readable text.
Thank you.
11.8.07 1:46 PM PST
WIRED SCIENCE
You may need to update your Adobe Reader software to read the PDF, available free at:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
WIRED SCIENCE
11.9.07 7:14 AM PST
Mel
I loaded the latest version of Adobe-8.1.
Unfortunately, most of the text is still choppy and very difficult to read.
Section headings and diagrams for example are OK.
Might it be the font you used?
Any other suggestions?
Again, thanks.
11.10.07 7:39 PM PST
UncleJimi
I had to dig this out of their site to find the kit. I couldn't read that pdf either but this link will take you to where they describe it. http://makezine.com/flashkit/
The DIY kit http://makezine.com/04/strobe/ is $99 and the price of their other kit($120)has (I think) a pre-assembled flash controller.
11.14.07 9:51 PM PST
Dan
I was able to get the document in it entirety by downloading the file to my computer and then viewing the 15 0f 15 pages with adobe. Right click file and save target as…(a pdf file, I kept the default name).
Best Show on TV
11.15.07 8:42 PM PST
Josemartin
Dan, i've read numerous posts requesting the link to the working PDF to be reposted. Can you please repost the link out of good faith since you have it?
12.12.07 2:06 PM PST
Mark Smith
I got the parts list, but there does not seem to be enough information. For example, it does not say what the voltage is for the ceramic capacitors.
3.11.08 2:48 AM PDT
Yoni
I would very much like to build a flash trigger like this one, but the schematics don't show enough info for someone like myself. For instance, what gets plugged into where? Nothing is labeled on the schematic. Are there delay and sensitivity adjustments?
3.9.09 6:34 AM PDT
CoNozema
it's amazing, lol mdr
3.9.09 6:35 AM PDT
karay
thanks for this subject it really made my english class ...
3.9.09 6:35 AM PDT
cumshot
This is why I'm hot. So gooooood to see that !
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