Description

This project describes the construction and operation of a device to facilitate the creation of stereo macro photos. Stereophotos, also known as 3D photos, are images where one eye views the left photo and the other eye views the right photo. Since the photos differ slightly (taken side-by-side), a depth effect is created. This depth effect can only be seen by viewing the two photos with a stereo viewer, a red-blue viewer, or via stereo projection. Some people can set their eyes parallel to each other, allowing them to experience depth without any aids.
The project is intended for Canon cameras that can be controlled with the Canon Hack Development Kit (CHDK) software: https://chdk.fandom.com/wiki/CHDK. Stereodatamaker can also be used to control Canon cameras: http://sdm.camera, but I have little experience with it. With this software, many Canon cameras can be controlled via the USB port.
Stereo Photos are made by taking two separate photos that are shifted a certain distance from each other. For standard stereo photos, this is about 65 mm, the eye distance. For macro photos, this distance is much less. To take two photos, a dual camera, a lens splitter (which splits the image from the lens into two different views), or the 'cha cha' method (taking two separate photos over time by shifting the camera) can be used.
A rule of thumb for shifting the camera to get a good depth image is that the camera should be shifted about 1/30th of the distance to the nearest object in view. For an object 2 meters away, this is about 65 mm. In practice, with many 'cheap' Canon cameras, it is possible to make macro photos. I often use the Ixus 70 for this. The downside is that the distance to the object must be about 3 cm from the lens. This would mean that the camera should be shifted about 1 mm. In practice, a difficult task for which I designed this device. Watch this video for a demonstration: https://youtu.be/55KzTZK4r6Q
On this Macro StereoMaker device, a camera can be mounted. By connecting it to the circuit where the Arduino Nano is the core, macro photos can be easily made. By pressing the button, the camera first shifts to the left, focuses, and takes a left image. Then it shifts to the right, focuses again, and takes a second image. The shift is determined by the setting on the potentiometer. I set the CHDK so that a photo can be taken with a 'Onepush'. In practice, this means that when pressing (5V voltage on the camera's USB port) the camera focuses, and the photo is taken upon release.
The entire device doesn't look super deluxe. See it as a pilot project where I tried to make macro photos in a better way. But since I was so pleased with the results and ease of use, I want to share this project. You are encouraged to reuse the project or parts of it (circuit or just the idea). Of course, I would like to be kept informed of your projects.