Make your own WiFi DSLR Remote!

Part 2 of the video is now available.

Having a tripod with you is not always all you need in order to take sharp, good looking pictures. Sometimes in low light conditions, your hand pressing down on the shutter trigger can make the image come out blurry.

So why not mix the power of the ESP8266 with a convenience of a shutter control? That way you could take photos while you’re chilling watching Netflix.

Check out the video to find out how you can make it happen!

Canon E3

You will need to get your hands on a 2.5 mm Stero Mini Plug like the SP-2501; When plugged into the camera, the tip and the ring will be pulled high. The ESP8266 module will need to drive each of them down to common ground in order to trigger the shutter and/or focus respectively.

E3 Mini Plug

Schematic

As you can see in the schematic below, the GPIO2 and GPIO0 in the ESP8266 ESP-01 v2 module will be used to drive the two lines low. The board can be powered through a USB port, a USB charger or even a battery pack.

Schematic

The circuit is very simple so I’ll leave it up to you, the reader, to adjust it to fit your needs. :)

Code

The code for this project is hosted along with the schematics and gerbers on GitHub.

https://github.com/gamaral/canon-wifimote

Board

I shared the board I made on OSHPark, if you plan on using my design as-is, here’s the URL:

https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/4nVf0mTo

Components

  • 1x 10uF POL capacitor
  • 1x 2x4 pin header
  • 1x Micro USB-B connector
  • 1x ESP8266 ESP-01 v2
  • 1x IFX8117ME V33
  • 1x SP-2501 2.5 mm Stereo Plug
  • 3x 10k Resistors (0603)