Aerial Photography?

[swizzle]

How many of us here have thought, "Gee Wizz if only this sattilite imagery was just a little closer I could tell what that is!" Has anyone consider using one of the three unique tools available to get closer images? Balloons, kites, and rockets equipped with a camera can get you much closer and in color as well. There are websites on balloon, kite and rocket photography, and how to get started. I was looking at this unusual stone wall with a loop on the end and it drove me mad for month's wondering why it had that loop. I just relized that if the imagery was closer then I would have known that its actually a mine car track, not a stone wall. If anyone plans on trying these methods or if you already are then let's start talking a little more on the simplest and cheapest ways to do this. I have a 3 foot balloon but can't figure out the camera or platform to hold the camera and how to set off the camera from 500 to 1,000ft away. Jason

[Hyponizer]

You can buy model rockets with cameras that set off automatically. You could probably take the camera off of one of those and rig it up to work on a balloon. As for positioning just have it so the camera can hang balanced with the lens pointed directly down, that can be easily done with small weights.

[swizzle]

Here's the catch. How do you rig it up to actually take the picture? Somethings gotta push the button. In a rocket, when the chute is deployed it pulls a string that sets off the shutter. Also most rocket cams are 110 speed film. Very tiny negative and with any camera shake your pics will be very grainy and blurry. I know its been done with better camera's with bigger balloons. I'm just hoping I can rig a platform and some type of shutter switch to set it off. Any ideas? I know you can use the servos in remote control cars to take the pic and advance the camera to the next frame. What I don't know is how they set it up? I might need to buy an even bigger balloon. Maybe I need to talk to the guys at radio shack. I would love to take pictures of the adirondacks in the spring thaw from 500 feet up. Jason

[Hyponizer]

I would check out a hobby shop before a radio shack. For those kinds of distances youll need a powerful remote control system. I think you would be better off with some kind of simple timer. This site will help you modify a digital camera to take pictures with just a 555 timer chip.

[Dell Winders]

http://www.southernballoonworks.com/...otography.html

[WVaTom]

hire a plane to fly you over it. a cessena 170 should be able to fly slow enough.

[swizzle]

I'm not a rich person. Cost is everything in this situation. I'm looking for a few places to hunt for a few coins and I don't want to spend $100's to do it. Jason