Wired Remote Shutter Release (ergonomic or Sinister?)

I know there are a lot of remote shutter releases on here that use the micro stereo plug and there is little need for another one. This is a bit different though. This is an excursion into Re-Use, Re-Cycling, & Re-Purposing. Plus it looks like a cool sinister movie prop. The thumb button operates the auto focus. The trigger and the rocker switch both operate the shutter.

You will need some basic soldering skills and an imagination. Also, you will need to be coordinated enough to use sharp objects? ( I just barely qualify.)

Items:
An old Joystick discarded by someone who has finally managed to ween themselves from the N00BSt1CK. I found this Gravis Executioner noobstick Extreme at the Goodswill for $3.99. The only thing this ever pwned was its original owner when he paid for it!

The rest of the parts can be found at your local Radiation Shack.

You will be needing three switches total. 2x momentary, & 1x SPST. I used an illuminated 12V. SPST but, you could use a regular SPST without illumination, or a DPST and add your own illumination.

Also, you will need a few bits of wire, a resistor 110K, a 3v CR2032 battery, 2x micro stereo plug, & 1 Socket for said plug.

Step 1: Deconstruction

I removed four screws from the grip of the noobstick. The grip then split in half was removed from the base and the wires connecting the circuitry in the grip to the base were cut. Also, I cut the USB connector off the main cable and then cut that cable off the base. Later I'll use this cable to make the interconnect to the camera. But, for now I am gutting the grip.

Step 2: Casemod

I screwed the grip back together and planned out the placement of the components I will be adding.

A quarter made the perfect template for marking the hole for the rocker switch. I held it in place and traced around it with a scribe. A small pair of wire snips were used to cut the hole. then a deburring tool was used to shape and enlarge the hole until it was a perfect fit.

The plastic is to thick to just dill a hole and mount the socket. So I made a bigger hole that the entire socket can fit through. To do this I drilled two holes side by side and used a pocket knife and my deburring tool to carve out the hole.

Step 3: Circuitry

I only needed two of the original four buttons and the two buttons I do not want are in the way of the Rocker switch. So, I cut the PCB to fit with a pair of tin snips taking care not to damage the traces from the buttons I need.

The wires and diodes were cut from the PCB as well. I used some copper braid and my soldering iron to clean up the PCB so it was ready for new components and solder.

Then all the connections were soldered to the PCB. the connections to the Rocker Switch are soldered and covered in shrink tube. Four wires are attached to the ground of the rocker switch. I used this point as the common ground inside the grip so I only need one ground wire connecting back to the socket. A 110K resister is soldered to the positive side of the LED on the rocker switch. The LED is connected to a 3V. CR2032 with strapping tape inside the grip. The remaining four wires go to the socket: 1x ground, 1x Auto Focus, 2x Shutter. I marked them with red and black sharpies for identification.

I Assembled the the grip with the wires sticking out through the hole for the socket and screwed it together again. The wires were the soldered to the socket. The shutter and AF leads are covered in shrink tube.

Step 4: Metal Fab

The socket is not going to remain functional for long hanging out the side like that. So, out with the ruler, scribe, and tin snips. I cut a small strip from some scrap sheet metal I had that was all ready black.

The edges were filed fairly smooth. Holes are drilled for the socket and two mounting screws.

The socket was mounted to the new metal bracket with a flat head screwdriver. I then held the bracket and socket in place on the grip and drilled the holes for the mounting screws. Now all that was left was to attach the bracket and socket with the screws and test it out.

Step 5: Repurpose

Now the old n00bst1ck extreme can no longer hamper the efforts of any more n00bs strugling to become 1337. It will however give me many years of service in it's new capacity.

Step 6: Reuse

I used the USB cable from the noobst1ck to make the remote cable for my camera. Also there were three nice pots, a usable 470uf cap, and a couple IC's I do not know how to use yet in the base.

Step 7: Recycle

The remaining plastic was recyled keeping this noobst1ick from littering our planet. :-)

Now I feel like gowing out and hugging a tree for some unknown reason. WTH!?

Step 8: Final Thoughts

I am no electrical engineer. If you build something based on my design you do so at your own risk. That said if you have suggestions or criticisms please feel free to share them.

In my opinion this thing works great and looks cool even if it is a bit over sized and over stated. I feel kinda like a movie villain threatening to blow up some random thing unless my demands are met. :) It's like "Give meh teh cheezeburger 0r 3lse...FTW!"