I would like to re-purpose a dSLR camera into a very basic “photo booth”

August 30, 2023 10:57 PM

Here’s what I’m thinking: dSLR camera on a tripod, button on a cord; when the button is pressed, the camera takes a number of photos (4 or 5) one after another, with a delay (one to five seconds) between exposures.

The photos would of course be saved to the camera’s SD card.
I would later assemble* the photos into a vertical “strip”, and when I had enough “strips”, I would walk the files to the photo shop and have them printed up (fitting two 2" ✕ 6" strips on a 4" ✕ 6" print, which I would then scissor in half)

(While it would be ideal to show the subject their just-taken photos—like in a four-up grid on a dirt-cheap generic tablet—this might be getting too ahead of myself)

Now a simple cord with a button is easy if you just want to take a single photo, one per button-press... I was wondering if there was perhaps a little box or something that could sit between the cord and the camera (or a fancy “extra options” cord) that would tell the camera “when the button on the cord is clicked, take [4] photos, taking 1 photo every [5] seconds”

I have an old Canon Rebel T1i dSLR (which I would prefer to use. (I also have a Nikon d3300 (which I could use, but still get use out of and would rather use as my backup “walk around” camera)

(The Canon does seem to have a self-timer option that, when the shutter button is pressed, counts down ten seconds and then takes 2 photos, in quick succession (maybe a-half second between the two photos), but not a way to modify that to something like "take 4 photos over 20 seconds".)

Also, if there is a free or simple “buy once” app that would work with a cheap $50 Android tablet (that I would hook my dSLR to)—where the user has a photo booth interface (shows the countdown and resulting shots)—I’d be delighted with that as well.

(All of the various photo booth iOS apps that I’ve seen seem to all have monthly subscriptions and seem aimed at people making money by renting photo booths for events—me, I just want to do this as a fun thing for others)

I do also have an old Intel MacBook Air that I would be happy to throw at the project if there is some simple, cheap/free way to have the Mac send the instructions between a USB corded button and the camera.

Ideas?

* if I am able to get a working setup completed, it would be nice if there was a simple drag-and-drop app/script I could use that would make these “strips” automatically from selected images.

posted by blueberry to Technology (7 answers total)

Magic Lantern is an alternative firmware for Canon EOS cameras that might do what you want. It looks like maybe it works with the T1i?
posted by alby at 11:32 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]

(I wish there were a way to use Apple’s built-in Photo Booth software with an external attached camera!)

Wait, I believe all of Apple's built-in applications will work with external cameras (especially since not all macs have internal ones).

Here's a page on how to choose an external camera on Mac that specifically mentions what to do in Photobooth.

(And here's an article about Canon specifically adding Mac webcam support for some of their cameras, in case that's a necessary step.)
posted by nobody at 11:33 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Albu,

Thanks, I’ll read up more on that!

Nobody,

Looks like that webcam support requires a monthly/yearly subscription (although it looks like it’s really more for video conferencing, but I am going to try hooking up the Canon to my Mac tomorrow to see if I can get it to work with Photo Booth.

Anyone else? Feel free to add more suggestions if you got ‘em!
posted by blueberry at 1:47 AM on August 31, 2023

The thing you're looking for is an intervalometer. These hook up to the camera's remote shutter release and allow configurable firing of the shutter over time. Traditionally they're used for timelapse photography or astrophotography, but fundamentally they let you say "shoot [x] shots, one every [y] seconds" (and optionally "holding the shutter open for [z] seconds").

You can get them for about $15 on Amazon.
posted by parm at 2:15 AM on August 31, 2023 [2 favorites]

This is more than I'd guess you want to spend, but there's this pro photobooth software. I've never used the photobooth software, but I have used their camera control software a bunch.
posted by gregr at 4:21 AM on August 31, 2023

When we did this for our wedding a decade ago, we used a Mac laptop and some software or other, probably in demo mode or maybe we found an open source one. There are a bunch of them, looks like they're priced for wedding vendors.

I think for most purposes the computer option is best, because you want a big screen to show people the results right after they pose in the photo booth. The photo booth photos are some of the best from our wedding, I think because people could enjoy the results for themselves.
posted by john hadron collider at 5:00 AM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

If you are moderately technically handy: the 'bulb' for the t1i and most of the cameras around that time are an extremely simple switch -- there are two contacts, one which tells the camera "autofocus" and one that says "take the picture". Inside the wired remote there's usually just three springy pieces of metal that touch in different combinations depending on how you press the remote's button.

The connector to the camera itself is, IIRC, a stock-standard 2.5mm TRS connector (smaller than a headphone connector but used to be used for phone headsets and other audio uses).

For example, I took a foot-operated switch from a different piece of equipment, put the connector on the other end, and I can trigger my t2i with my foot for selfies.

With a relay, a timer circuit, and a little wiring, making something which triggers the timer, which clicks the relay every couple seconds, to trigger the camera in sequence, could probably be figured out watching Youtube videos if you're so inclined.
posted by AzraelBrown at 5:54 AM on August 31, 2023