DIY vertical grip for my 5d... vertical shutter release works:):)
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Trigger Happy
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thank you guys, lets hope i only unscrew and don't screw up... hee..
eow, i got it for about S$85 from eBay including shipping. brand new piece, really heart pain to cut it up.. but then again, cheaper than the $200 i was quoted by tcw. not many places have it apparently and its almost impossible to find in S'pore, new or used.
eow, i got it for about S$85 from eBay including shipping. brand new piece, really heart pain to cut it up.. but then again, cheaper than the $200 i was quoted by tcw. not many places have it apparently and its almost impossible to find in S'pore, new or used.
Trigger Happy
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weikee said:i just got the BP200 in KL Mid valley for RM80around SGD 35
good for you! i paid about double of that through eBay. a new grip, quite a bit of heart pain to cut and drill it. BUT ITS DONE!!! I documented the work via pics and will upload them later
woohoo! KM5D with VG!
Trigger Happy
New Member
1. tools and things you will need:
soldering iron
solder
penknife
CD-rom audio cable (splice off 4th unused port to fit head into KM5D's remote slot)
phillips-head screwdriver (the type found in a jewellers' screwdriver set, typically used for glasses)
Canon BP-200 for the sacrifice
2. open battery cover, remove 2 screws on top holding batter insert (NOT on the inside of the battery
compartment). This is NOT finished yet, so don't try to yank off the battery insert. See next pic
3. remove the screws on both sides and top of the battery insert until the unit opens up
4. undo the 5 screws holding the front part of the grip. one's on the top (near the catch for the battery
cover), 3 below, one more INSIDE the battery insert area
soldering iron
solder
penknife
CD-rom audio cable (splice off 4th unused port to fit head into KM5D's remote slot)
phillips-head screwdriver (the type found in a jewellers' screwdriver set, typically used for glasses)
Canon BP-200 for the sacrifice
2. open battery cover, remove 2 screws on top holding batter insert (NOT on the inside of the battery
compartment). This is NOT finished yet, so don't try to yank off the battery insert. See next pic
3. remove the screws on both sides and top of the battery insert until the unit opens up
4. undo the 5 screws holding the front part of the grip. one's on the top (near the catch for the battery
cover), 3 below, one more INSIDE the battery insert area
Trigger Happy
New Member
5. trigger switch is now exposed. there will be three, blue, black and yellow. jot down the sequence (this is
important as two of them are for focussing at half-press, and inclusion of the third will trigger the shutter)
6. your soldering iron comes in very handy for boring a hole to run your wire through just make sure
your work area is well-ventilated as plastic fumes are toxic! i selected the battery cover because that area
is the least obtrusive and your left hand is very unlikely to ever come in contact with the protruding wire.
this is entirely your choice.
don't forget to use your penknife to clean up the rough bits of plastic.
7. string the wire through the bored hole in the battery cover
important as two of them are for focussing at half-press, and inclusion of the third will trigger the shutter)
6. your soldering iron comes in very handy for boring a hole to run your wire through
just make sure your work area is well-ventilated as plastic fumes are toxic! i selected the battery cover because that area
is the least obtrusive and your left hand is very unlikely to ever come in contact with the protruding wire.
this is entirely your choice.
don't forget to use your penknife to clean up the rough bits of plastic.
7. string the wire through the bored hole in the battery cover
Trigger Happy
New Member
8. solder the leads into the trigger switch (replace the original wires with the ones coming from your CD-rom
audio cable). here i've added a pcb to allow future expansion plans to include a wireless remote
9. IT WORKS! this photo was taken using the new VG (not closed up yet) connected to the 5D which had
been mounted on a tripod to take all the previous shots
10. again, your soldering iron is an excellent cutting tool use it to cut away the batter insert (half of it is
fixed on the insert cover). then use the penknife to trim away the rough edges.
11. connect back the battery insert cover, tuck the wires inside the VG cavity, screw on the VG, connect up
the CD connector to your 5D's remote port and voila! VG for the KM5D!
all in it took me a few hours to find my way around and complete the mod, including time out to document the process. i hope this add-on doc helps those of you KM5D owners who are undecided to go out, get a canon BP200 and start modding!
audio cable). here i've added a pcb to allow future expansion plans to include a wireless remote
9. IT WORKS! this photo was taken using the new VG (not closed up yet) connected to the 5D which had
been mounted on a tripod to take all the previous shots
10. again, your soldering iron is an excellent cutting tool
use it to cut away the batter insert (half of it is fixed on the insert cover). then use the penknife to trim away the rough edges.
11. connect back the battery insert cover, tuck the wires inside the VG cavity, screw on the VG, connect up
the CD connector to your 5D's remote port and voila! VG for the KM5D!
all in it took me a few hours to find my way around and complete the mod, including time out to document the process. i hope this add-on doc helps those of you KM5D owners who are undecided to go out, get a canon BP200 and start modding!
Trigger Happy
New Member
guRuh, the 220's grip looks a little short on the right side.. the bp200 is longer on the left, which is actually a good thing to protect your cable, and the right side fits quite snugly with the 5D's body.
before you mod this, i suggest you carefully study where you left hand goes during operation in landscape and portrait orientation and even off-shoot handling. the last thing you want to do is stress the cable coming out of the grip and damaging your 5D's remote pins...
fyi guys, i tried out the modded bp200 grip today, PERFECT! must be the extra grip for the left hand, it enhances camera handling and i noticed very little (almost none) camera shake especially in portrait orientation under low light
before you mod this, i suggest you carefully study where you left hand goes during operation in landscape and portrait orientation and even off-shoot handling. the last thing you want to do is stress the cable coming out of the grip and damaging your 5D's remote pins...
fyi guys, i tried out the modded bp200 grip today, PERFECT! must be the extra grip for the left hand, it enhances camera handling and i noticed very little (almost none) camera shake especially in portrait orientation under low light
Trigger Happy
New Member
derelictz said:
first you need to figure out if your camera supports a remote cord/ cable.
then you need to figure out the pins (which combination focusses, which ones trigger the shutter)
THEN, to add to your headache, you've got to find a grip (any brand) that will sit nicely below your camera. the tripod screw is the centre point as that connects your camera to the grip. so just because both are same length/ width doesn't necessarily mean it will fit.
that's the easy part. now you need to operate on the thing and find out which cables in the grip focus and which combination (usually all 3) trigger the shutter release. then just follow my planning instructions above and cut/ solder away (of course the parts will be different for a FZ-20).
good luck!
Trigger Happy said:first you need to figure out if your camera supports a remote cord/ cable.
then you need to figure out the pins (which combination focusses, which ones trigger the shutter)
THEN, to add to your headache, you've got to find a grip (any brand) that will sit nicely below your camera. the tripod screw is the centre point as that connects your camera to the grip. so just because both are same length/ width doesn't necessarily mean it will fit.
that's the easy part. now you need to operate on the thing and find out which cables in the grip focus and which combination (usually all 3) trigger the shutter release. then just follow my planning instructions above and cut/ solder away (of course the parts will be different for a FZ-20).
good luck!
sounds very chim leh... muz be very adventurous...
Trigger Happy
New Member
derelictz said:
if you can change a 13-amp plug, you can do this
all VGs' shutter release button work the same way as your camera's. half-press for focus, full-press for release. hence it should be a+b, then a+b+c. if the switch has 4 or more wires then let us know! :bsmilie: nothing ventured, nothing gained.
fatmansatay
New Member
I was so inspired by you guys that I tried making one myself.
Initially had problems with the sliding of grip, and solved it with an ugly but cheap solution - black rubber band.
Initially had problems with the sliding of grip, and solved it with an ugly but cheap solution - black rubber band.
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