Looking for...
 

...a working point-n-shoot digital camera in reasonable condition for a project I'm working on. Preferably one that takes standard (AA/AAA) batteries and eats some kind of current memory card. Anyone got one collecting dust they'd like to sell?

I have the best 2MP digicam ever, the Nikon CoolPix 950. It was used to shoot this image. Which is currently #3 in Yahoo Images search for the term "cheerleaders". It eats 4xAA and uses compact flash which is still available. But what if the battery door has to be held on by duct tape?

I want to trade up....

current unit:

Canon A710IS. 2xAA, SD card

all my recent pix thru this unit.

That just might do the job. No worries on the battery door -- I'm going to rewire it to a battery pack if I can.

The 950 also has the advantage of having the flash on the other side of the camera. My messing around with a Sony U30 resulted in a...shocking experience, last night, that popped me twice with 220vDC and caused the loss of the CCD.

Any limitations on how big of a CF1 card it will read/write to? (I couldn't locate this info)

Don't know - Back in 1999 the biggest CF card available was 128MB and I think that's what's still in it. But if you only do 2mp, which is 1600x1200, you can still get a decent number of images. The highest quality JPG at full 2mp would work out to about 700kb in size, so there'd be probably like 200 images on the card?

It was the rockstar of digicams in its day, which was before the full SLR-like cams. Its oh-wow feature is the swiveling lens.

Not only does it swivel, but it's got a nice macro lens.

here's one!

Not THAT macro.

mAcro, not mIcro, lj.

Remember, chicken for dinner! Even if you need to use one of those little shrimp forks.

What kind of project and how clear do you need the pics?

If any one wants to buy a new camera to carry in your pocket you really should consider this:

http://www99.shopping.com/xPO-Canon_...SD550_IXUS_750

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonsd550/

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/ca..._sd550-review/

It is the same as my camera and it rocks! You can't beat it for the price IMHO. And it is nearly indestructable.

Kit, your too late. I gave away a 2mpix and xd cards other day.

No problem -- I picked up UT's CoolPix 950.

so are you going to be doing time laps pics ??
or what ??

Yeah, if it all works out okay. I'll try to post details of how I rig it up once I'm done with it and the results.

Cool !!

Please do. I've got the same old camera sitting in a drawer, and if I can do something fun with it, that would be cool.

Destruction, damage, and ...well, hopefully not death. Not yet, anyways.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/...53a30f8418.jpg

I got it working! Check out the stupid-tiny soldering job I had to do. I had to knock back a shot just to get my hands steady enough. The red strands are solid core wrap wire.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2018/...24291f2fb8.jpg

The semi-finished camera, minus the waterproof housing. I need to rig up a better power supply than the AAx8, though -- this camera chews through batteries very quickly. The two AAs power the timer.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2373/...0a38ea1c9d.jpg

Initial test results, here (Quicktime MOV)

That's a little less than two hours' compressed to eight seconds. Sorry the scene isn't more interesting, but the view out of the windows here sucks. I'm busy working on wiring this up to some 12v UPS batteries to enable it to last through an entire day and then it is on to the hunt for a weatherproof box.

Again, thanks for the camera, UT!

I'll dig up the timer schematics if anyone cares, but there is an easier solution that doesn't involve burning up ICs when you make a mistake.

Hey, that's really cool!

Keep 'em coming!