sit-rep ... camera in pieces

29 Apr 2005 10:29 PM

C.J.Patten

I took my TRV320 apart today. It's sitting next to me along with a pile of
12 tiny screws that held the camera together.

Did this to try the daytime Infrared Hack described at:
http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/d8/ir/index.html
and: http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/d8/ir/irmod.html

So, it works - sort of.

Can't get it to focus correctly beyond a few inches. Still doing the reading
online to see if that's fixable somehow.

I can confirm the images are red/pinkish in tint. The camera doesn't think
it's in Nightshot mode because the microswitch has been moved and manual
exposure IS possible.

Now if I could only get focus working. (I don't think anyone's tried this on
a 2nd gen D8 - it's mostly 1st gen models mentioned in the various pages
describing the hack)

More soon!
C.j

29 Apr 2005 10:45 PM

PTravel

"C.J.Patten" <cjpatten@KNOWSPAMrogers.com> wrote in message
news:opadnZWZU9rSKO_fRVn-iA@rogers.com...
> I took my TRV320 apart today. It's sitting next to me along with a pile of
> 12 tiny screws that held the camera together.

Oooh, you're brave!

>
> Did this to try the daytime Infrared Hack described at:
> http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/d8/ir/index.html
> and: http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/d8/ir/irmod.html
>
> So, it works - sort of.
>
> Can't get it to focus correctly beyond a few inches. Still doing the
reading
> online to see if that's fixable somehow.

Infrared light is refracted differently by the lens than visible light.
Most likely, you'll have to focus manually to use your hack.

>
> I can confirm the images are red/pinkish in tint. The camera doesn't think
> it's in Nightshot mode because the microswitch has been moved and manual
> exposure IS possible.

There has been lots of discussion on the digital still photography
newsgroups about producing artificially colored infrared pictures.
Basically, it involves swapping the blue and red channels and tweaking to
taste. This is something that, I think, may be doable in Premiere Pro. It
produces an interesting, other-worldly effect.

>
> Now if I could only get focus working. (I don't think anyone's tried this
on
> a 2nd gen D8 - it's mostly 1st gen models mentioned in the various pages
> describing the hack)

You may have motivated me to try the same thing on my TRV 20 (though my wife
will kill me if I break it). Maybe I'll wait and see if you can put your
camera back together again. ;)

Show quoteHide quote

>
> More soon!
> C.j
>
>

29 Apr 2005 11:05 PM

C.J.Patten

Update!

Camera is back together with no obvious signs of trauma.

I re-enabled the micro-switch for now as I couldn't get the camera into
focus - even manually.
I tried a range of focal lengths to no avail though, admittedly, I don't
know if I got all the way to the longest telephoto setting. I shoot mostly
at full wide so the idea of being limited to full zoom didn't appeal! You
may have more luck with focus on a different model.

EASY mod to do BTW! On the TRV320 (and quite probably the entire x20 line -
120, 320, 520, 720) there are a dozen screws, all identical. The "nose cone"
of the camera has a little latch on one side you have to "squeeze" to remove
(once you've unscrewed everything) - it's under the Sony logo on the left
side of the camera.

The microswitch itself is on a little flexible ribbon and held on with two
screws. Unscrew it and just slide it toward the back of the camera - there's
LOTS of room in there to move things around.

If I can find more information on the focus issue (maybe a corrective lens
for IR) I'm DEFINATELY doing this again!

I'd go for it PTravel! Once you have the camera apart, I expect a message
posted here saying, "THAT'S IT?! That's all there is to it?" ;) Love to hear
how focus works out on your cam.

Found a few more pages but no help yet for me:
http://www.pixcontroller.com/SonyHalfWay.htm
http://www.geocities.com/bypassall/aboutme/hobbies/electro/sony1.htm
http://www.x-raycameras.com/checkcam.htm

"HACK THE PLANET!" (bonus if you can name the source of the quote ;)

C.j

Show quoteHide quote

"PTravel" <ptra***@ruyitang.com> wrote in message
news:3dfrofF6teoqkU1@individual.net...
>
> "C.J.Patten" <cjpatten@KNOWSPAMrogers.com> wrote in message
> news:opadnZWZU9rSKO_fRVn-iA@rogers.com...
>> I took my TRV320 apart today. It's sitting next to me along with a pile
>> of
>> 12 tiny screws that held the camera together.
>
> Oooh, you're brave!
>
>>
>> Did this to try the daytime Infrared Hack described at:
>> http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/d8/ir/index.html
>> and: http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/d8/ir/irmod.html
>>
>> So, it works - sort of.
>>
>> Can't get it to focus correctly beyond a few inches. Still doing the
> reading
>> online to see if that's fixable somehow.
>
> Infrared light is refracted differently by the lens than visible light.
> Most likely, you'll have to focus manually to use your hack.
>
>>
>> I can confirm the images are red/pinkish in tint. The camera doesn't
>> think
>> it's in Nightshot mode because the microswitch has been moved and manual
>> exposure IS possible.
>
> There has been lots of discussion on the digital still photography
> newsgroups about producing artificially colored infrared pictures.
> Basically, it involves swapping the blue and red channels and tweaking to
> taste. This is something that, I think, may be doable in Premiere Pro.
> It
> produces an interesting, other-worldly effect.
>
>>
>> Now if I could only get focus working. (I don't think anyone's tried this
> on
>> a 2nd gen D8 - it's mostly 1st gen models mentioned in the various pages
>> describing the hack)
>
> You may have motivated me to try the same thing on my TRV 20 (though my
> wife
> will kill me if I break it). Maybe I'll wait and see if you can put your
> camera back together again. ;)
>
>>
>> More soon!
>> C.j
>>
>>
>
>

29 Apr 2005 11:11 PM

PTravel

"C.J.Patten" <cjpatten@KNOWSPAMrogers.com> wrote in message
news:5fydnRcQsIpUIO_fRVn-2Q@rogers.com...

>
> "HACK THE PLANET!" (bonus if you can name the source of the quote ;)

Jack the Ripper?

29 Apr 2005 11:21 PM

C.J.Patten

LOL! Naw... "Hackers" for you Angelina Jolie fans. ;)

C.

Show quoteHide quote

"PTravel" <ptra***@ruyitang.com> wrote in message
news:3dft8mF6gu43gU1@individual.net...
>
> "C.J.Patten" <cjpatten@KNOWSPAMrogers.com> wrote in message
> news:5fydnRcQsIpUIO_fRVn-2Q@rogers.com...
>
>>
>> "HACK THE PLANET!" (bonus if you can name the source of the quote ;)
>
> Jack the Ripper?
>
>

2 May 2005 2:54 PM

Henry Padilla

"C.J.Patten" <cjpatten@KNOWSPAMrogers.com> wrote in message
news:Xa6dnZvqJufxXO_fRVn-vw@rogers.com...
> LOL! Naw... "Hackers" for you Angelina Jolie fans. ;)
>
> C.

I was going to post it I just didn't get to the message in time.

Next time don't underestimate how much of a geek I am. :)

Tom P.
And it was Cereal Killer that said it, not Angelina's character.
(Told you I was a geek)

Show quoteHide quote

> "PTravel" <ptra***@ruyitang.com> wrote in message
> news:3dft8mF6gu43gU1@individual.net...
>>
>> "C.J.Patten" <cjpatten@KNOWSPAMrogers.com> wrote in message
>> news:5fydnRcQsIpUIO_fRVn-2Q@rogers.com...
>>
>>>
>>> "HACK THE PLANET!" (bonus if you can name the source of the quote ;)
>>
>> Jack the Ripper?
>>
>>
>
>
>