Create your own photo camera using Raspberry Pi Zero

This project provides instructions how to create a very simple photo camera using Raspberry Pi Zero.

DIY Photo Camera using Raspberry Pi

Required Materials

• Raspberry Pi Zero (you can use also other models, update the case accordingly)  https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/pi-zero-w/
• Pi Camera https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/camera-module-v2/
• Raspberry Pi Case https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-zero-case/
• Break-away pins (Raspberry Pi Zero does not come with i/o pins) https://www.adafruit.com/product/2822
• Jumper wires https://www.adafruit.com/product/266
• LED https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10632
• Resistor 330 Ω https://www.sparkfun.com/products/8377 
• Momentary Push Button https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9190
• Soldering iron (for model zero, pinout not attached)
• Battery pack/charger

Hardware setup

DIY Photo Camera using Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi Pinout

• pinout https://pinout.xyz/
• in this project using pin GND, BCM 18, BCM 17

Step 1 – Attach Break-away pins on Raspberry Pi Zero

Step 2 – Solder the wires on LED, resistor and Push Button

Step 3 – Connect the LED on Raspberry Pi

• using pin (GND and BCM 18)
• GND: https://pinout.xyz/pinout/ground
• BCM 18: https://pinout.xyz/pinout/pin12_gpio18
• Test pins:

python led.py to test led

led.py script

import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time

GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setwarnings(False)

GPIO.setup(18,GPIO.OUT)
print "LED on"
GPIO.output(18,GPIO.HIGH)
time.sleep(1)
print "LED off"
GPIO.output(18,GPIO.LOW)

Step 4 – Connect the Push Button on Raspberry Pi

• using pin (GND and BCM 17)
• GND: https://pinout.xyz/pinout/ground
• BCM 17: https://pinout.xyz/pinout/pin11_gpio17
• Test button:

python button.py

button.py script

import  RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time

GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setup(17, GPIO.IN,pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP)

while True:
    inputValue = GPIO.input(17)
    if (inputValue == False):
        print("Button press ")
    time.sleep(0.3)

Software Setup

(see git repository below for full source code)

Take a picture

• Take a picture into the current folder (resolution 800×600)

raspistill -t 1 -w 800 -h 600 -o {imgName}

Full script

• ddl-cam.py script monitors the button state, takes a picture and turns the led on during shot time.
• pictures are taken in the same folder where you run the scripts
• you can copy the files from remote machine using scp
• example, copy all jpg files from 192.168.1.15 (your current raspberry pi ip) to your current folder

scp pi@192.168.1.15:/home/pi/ddl-cam/*.jpg .

ddl-cam.py script

import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time
import subprocess

GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setwarnings(False)

# LED PIN
LED_PIN = 18
GPIO.setup(LED_PIN, GPIO.OUT)

# BUTTON PIN
BUTTON_PIN = 17
GPIO.setup(BUTTON_PIN, GPIO.IN,pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP)

def led( state ): 
        print "LED state ", state
        if state == True:
                GPIO.output(LED_PIN, GPIO.HIGH)
        else:
                GPIO.output(LED_PIN, GPIO.LOW)

def takePicture():
        imgName  = "ddcam-" + time.strftime("%Y%m%d-%H%M%S") + ".jpg"
        print "Take Picture! ", imgName
        subprocess.call(["raspistill", "-t", "1", "-w", "800", "-h", "600", "-o", imgName])

# monitor button
while True:
    inputValue = GPIO.input(BUTTON_PIN)
    if (inputValue == False):
        print("Button press ")
        led (True)
        takePicture()
        time.sleep(1);
        led (False)
    time.sleep(0.8)

Git Repository

You can find full source code and instructions on the git repository: https://github.com/smarcu/ddl-cam

Clone the repo on your raspberry pi:

git clone https://github.com/smarcu/ddl-cam.git