A 3D PRINTED ROBOTIC CAMERA SLIDER THAT PANS AND TILTS
A motorised camera slider that homes itself, fires the shutter and runs from a battery — built from printed parts and 2040 extrusion.
WorkshopOpen-hardware
Built withArduino3D printing
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- a long weekend
- license
- MIT
- repo
- repo ACTIVE510 stars
●●●●○ · a long weekend · MIT · 510 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
Isaac Chasteau built this for his Canon EOS 250D and published the build: Arduino Nano firmware for TMC2208 drivers, Gerber files for his PCB, a parts list, a commands list and STEP files. The slider carriage rides on 2040 V-slot extrusion with a 2GT belt and a 36-tooth pulley, the pan and tilt use herringbone gears at 144:17 and 64:21, and Hall effect sensors with magnets let each axis home itself. It runs from 12 V DC or a 3S LiPo (about one hour on a 1000 mAh pack), prints the battery voltage and can trigger the camera shutter through a 2.5 mm jack. The heaviest load tested was just over 1 kg (a 250D with an 18-135mm lens and a Rode Video Mic Pro+). In 1/16 microstepping it is almost silent but slow, about 20°/s pan, 15°/s tilt and 20 mm/s slide, because the Nano only produces around 4000 step pulses per second for the three motors. Half-stepping should be about eight times faster but is audible at full speed. The pan bearing is a 127 × 146.05 × 12.7 mm INA CSXU050-2RS, or you can print it from three parts and 28 BB pellets. If you want smooth, quiet time-lapses and moves with a DSLR, everything you need to build it is published.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —STEP files are in the repo (3-Axis Slider CAD STEP Exports); STL files are on Thingiverse thing:4547074.
- —Parts list PDF, schematic PNG and Gerber files for a custom PCB are in the repo.
- —Arduino code is present (.ino, .cpp, .h) in pan_tilt_mount_nano_code_tmc2208, written for TMC2208 drivers.
- —A separate commands list PDF documents the serial protocol for control.
- —MIT licence permits commercial use.
- —Last push to the repo: 29 October 2021.
Parts to buy
10 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
Perfecting My DIY 3-Axis Camera Slider!7:41
The 3-axis slider video linked in the README.
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Download the STL files from Thingiverse thing:4547074. The STEP files are also in the repo. (Use the upgraded 3-axis slider (thing:4547074), not the older 2020 slider or pan-tilt mount.)
- 2.Go through the parts list PDF in the repo. It lists every component, bolt and printed part.
- 3.Order or fabricate the custom PCB using the Gerber ZIP in the repo. (The TMC2208 drivers, Arduino Nano and Bluetooth module plug into female headers on the board.)
- 4.Print the large parts first (144-tooth gear base and pan bearing parts) to check that they fit your bed and to test fit.(Pick between the INA CSXU050-2RS bearing and the printed bearing (parts 1-3 plus 28 × 6 mm BB pellets).)
- 5.Flash the Arduino Nano firmware from the pan_tilt_mount_nano_code_tmc2208 folder and test serial commands before final assembly.(Serial runs at 57600 baud. The commands are in the 3-Axis Slider Commands List PDF.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- The pan bearing is either a 127 × 146.05 × 12.7 mm INA CSXU050-2RS or a printed bearing (three parts plus 28 × 6 mm BB pellets), and the 144-tooth gear base is a large part. Check your printer's build volume against the STEP files before you start.
- The README says the Nano can only produce about 4000 step pulses per second across three axes, so in 1/16 microstepping top speed is about 20°/s pan, 15°/s tilt and 20 mm/s slide. Half-stepping is about eight times faster but audible at full speed.
- The firmware in the pan_tilt_mount_nano_code_tmc2208 folder is written for TMC2208 drivers, which the Nano switches between step modes through the MS1/MS2 pins. The older pan-tilt mount used A4988 boards, so make sure you take the code from the TMC2208-Drivers branch, which is the repo default.
- The repo has the STEP files and only a couple of STLs (for the LP-E6 battery mount). The STL files for the slider parts are on Thingiverse thing:4547074.
- The heaviest load tested was just over 1 kg (Canon 250D, EF-S 18-135mm lens and a Rode Video Mic Pro+), and the README mentions some shaking when rapidly changing direction.
- Homing depends on the A3144 Hall sensors and the small neodymium magnets glued in with cyanoacrylate or hot glue, so test homing on each axis before final assembly.
Can I use this with a different camera?
The README says the heaviest setup tested was just over 1 kg: a Canon EOS 250D with an EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens and a Rode Video Mic Pro+. It worked, though some shaking occurs when rapidly changing direction. A camera in that weight range should be fine; heavier rigs were not tested.
Why is it slow in 1/16 microstepping mode?
According to the README, the software on the Arduino Nano can only produce about 4000 step pulses per second for all three motors, which limits 1/16 microstepping to about 20°/s pan, 15°/s tilt and 20 mm/s slide. In half-stepping mode about eight times higher speeds should be possible, but the motors are audible at full speed.
Do I have to make the custom PCB?
The repo provides Gerber files for the custom PCB and a schematic PNG, and the parts list is written around that PCB (headers for the Arduino Nano, the three TMC2208 drivers, the Bluetooth module, motors and Hall sensors). Wiring it on protoboard from the schematic is possible but is not something the creator documents.
What length of 2040 extrusion do I need?
The parts list just says one piece of V-Slot 2040 aluminium extrusion and does not give a length. Pick the length based on how much slider travel you want.
Can I control it without Bluetooth?
Yes. The README says the Arduino is controlled over a serial connection, either through USB or through the JDY-31 Bluetooth module. The commands are documented in the 3-Axis Slider Commands List PDF.
Is the project still maintained?
The last push to the repository was on 29 October 2021. The design files, firmware and parts list are published, but there have been no updates since then, so do not count on new features or support.
Community builds
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Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Silent 1/16 microstepping tops out at about 20 mm/s slide, while half-stepping should be about eight times faster but is audible. For your shots, would you go silent and slow or fast and noisy?
Isaac Chasteau
Isaac Chasteau (isaac879) designed this 3-axis slider for his Canon EOS 250D for video motion control, time-lapses and panoramic shots. It is the upgraded version of his earlier pan-tilt mount and 2020 V-slot slider. He published the Arduino firmware, PCB Gerbers, STEP files, parts list and commands list under the MIT licence.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM4d ago
What we checked in the repo: the default TMC2208-Drivers branch has the firmware, the parts list, the commands list, a schematic, Gerber files and STEP exports of all the slider parts. The STLs for printing are on Thingiverse. The parts list names exact components (A3144 Hall sensors, a JDY-31 Bluetooth module, 2N3904 transistor, F623ZZ bearings, V-slot wheels) and every M3 bolt length, which makes ordering easy. The thing to keep in mind is speed: according to the README, silent 1/16 microstepping is limited to about 20 mm/s slide and 20°/s pan, and faster moves need half-stepping, which is audible. The battery-reading code has a note saying the values need calibrating for your battery.