[Chris Soucy]

Sorry all, been out on a shoot all day so running waaaay late with everything.

To work:

The lanc is based on the standard IR remote. I didn't want to trash my one and only, so bought a second (cheap as chips, $29 NZ - about, oh, $20 US or less). As this process does involve making some "hard" changes to your remote and the ever present chance that a mistake totals it completely, you may want to get a second one for this procedure as well. Of course, once you start on this, you can wave your Canon Warranty on it bye bye! So be warned.

[Before I go any further, does anyone know what the upload limits are on photos here? I searched but failed to find, and this will be heaps easier with the accompanying photos].

Anyway, for part 1 I'll stick to a brief overvew of what I did, you can decide from that whether you're prepared to try it AND have both the tools and soldering experience to complete it.

In essence, very simple - the IR sensor on the camera is on the lower right front (Duh!). Not much good from behind or at distance. Need to get an IR feed to sensor. Have looked at previously posted "lightpipe" systems and though highly ingenious, (thanks to all) not really suitable for me with a dual 360 degress underslung P/T head requireing extremely flexible and secure links.

Ok, so use an IR sender attached electronically and use super thin cable. Which sender?

OK, here's where your first choice is:

You can make this easy, use the sender led from the remote, remove it from the circuit board and attach it using "blue tack" to the IR sensor on the camera and hard wire it back to the controler. Easy to do, and works, but remote is now stuck to camera on indeterminate length of cable and no longer works as proper hand held remote.

OR

Fit a 2.5mm panel mount phono socket onto the remote case and wire it into the led circuit so that when the "remote" led is plugged in, the "local" led is not, and vice versa.

What "remote" led if we're not using the one from the remote control itself? (I hear you ask!)

Easy, get hold of a trashed remote from practically anything (or, preferably a good remote from something else that has been trashed) and use the led out of that. You can probably also get a perfectly good new one from Radio Shack (do they still exist?) or whomever your local electronic components shop is.

Parts List for entire job:

1 X WL - D87 Canon Remote (intact) & battery
1 X IR LED (from wherever)
1 X 2.5mm plastic** panel mount phono socket (Mono) with "break" contact
2 X 2.5 mm Phono plugs (Mono)
1 X 2.5 mm Phono Line socket (Mono)
About 6 inches thin single core hookup wire ( I mean tiny!)
About 6 inches thin "single core with shield" cable
As much single core and shield as you need to get from remote to camera in worst case scenario - almost unlimited length.

Tools:
Soldering Iron (fine tip) & Solder
Small pliers
Tweezer heatsink
Small side cutters
Sharp knife
Drill and say 1/16" and 1/8" drill bits (1 - 3 mm ish)
Slot screw driver
Electrical tape (if it matches the camera colour, so much the better)
Small amount of "Blue Tack" (like plasticine but for office use - usually blue)

The "single core and shield" I used was one side of a figure 8 pair (used for double shielded feeds) simply zipped apart, presto, 1 core! You can use double core without a shield but you may have trouble finding anything small enough, the stuff I used is only about 1/16"/ 1/8" in diameter.

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OK, that's gonna have to hold you lot till tomorrow, as I've work to do - anyone feeling brave and wants more, just post and let me know, this really is simple but does require stuff that probably isn't on the average bods "I can do that" list these days.

Cheers,


Chris


PS: Tip for remotes.

Does it work? To find out, turn on HV20, point lens at yourself, flip screen so you can see it. Fire remote (ANY remote) at lens. If remote is working, you will see it flashing on the screen. You can now test any remote in town and earn a fortune on the side.

Cheers.