tested custom mirror cable again

Decided to try more trials. But with some different camera settings.

I had wondered if yesterday's tests with the automatic focusing and exposure options were introducing delays or simply preventing the camera from shooting.

Connected everything up again. That is, USB camera-PC interface cable plus the custom mirror control cable (via the breadboard). Ran through Frame and Focus in Backyard EOS so ensure I could take a longish exposure. Used the focus buttons at the computer then set the lens to manual. Started to ready an imaging run and wanted to use BULB mode... Noted a low battery condition so headed to the camera bag.

8:14 PM. Exhausted 3 batteries, in the end! Crikey. My hand was forced. I connected the DC coupler.

Seemed like I had mucked up the software, that F&F wasn't working, so I completely closed BYE and restarted it. At first I didn't think it working but finally noted the F&F responding... Took a Snap. Examined the test shot. It was OK. I had arrived at 30 seconds at f/32 with an ISO of 100. There was deep focus and good lighting. All right.

8:23. Ran a short trial of 3 exposures, in BULB mode, but no mirror control. 35s, f/32, 100. A 5 second pause between each shot. All went well! A very good sign. Programmed a new run, with the mirror lock enabled...

8:27. Juliet Charlie! It worked. I saw the delay timer count for 2 seconds. Then heard the camera flop. All right! The mirror was up. The Anti-Vibration heading showed on the computer screen and that timer counted down, -5, -4, etc. (This is where it failed yesterday...) I heard a faint tick from the camera body as the shutter opened. w00t! Then the exposure counter appeared. At 35 seconds, there was the normal note from the 40D as both the shutter and the mirror moved. All while the camera's Live View not on... It all worked!

Very happy. I reviewed settings...

connections, between camera and PC:

• standard USB cable 
• custom serial cable (plus USB-serial adapter)

camera settings:

• manual mode
• mirror lock off

BYE settings:

• virtual mirror off

imaging run session configuration:

• cable support COM4 (as per Device Manager)
• delay 2 seconds
• mirror lock 5

imaging run exposure settings:

• BULB 
• f/32
• 35 seconds
• ISO 100 
• pause 5

Wow.

Essentially, I didn't change anything but the camera settings. I think, in the end, it was the auto-focus mucking things up...

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Next test: to try to opto-isolator!