E
F
G
over the lens to control how much light gets into
the camera, just like an iris in a regular camera
(Figure B).
4. Assemble the camera.
Fit 1 end of the inner box into the baseboard and
duct tape it in place from the inside (Figure C).
Slip the outer box over the inner box and make sure
you can slide it back and forth. Tape the lens board
to the outer box with the lens centered over the
3½" hole.
5. Take some photos.
Your scanner camera is ready to go! To focus it, tape
a piece of tracing paper over the hole at the back of
the baseboard, then point the lens toward a brightly
lit scene. Slide the outer box back and forth until
the image comes into focus on the tracing paper.
With my 2½" magnifying glass lens, I needed a focal
distance (distance between lens and image) of about
7" to 12" for objects in the same room.
Tape the camera to the front of your scanner and
start up your imaging application. Use the Preview
button for fine-tuning the focus, and when you’re
H
ready, click Scan to take a picture. To adjust the
image brightness, try different lens aperture cards
(Figure D).
Deluxe Model Scanner Camera
Photographs taken with the simple scanner camera
typically feature heavy vignetting, where brightness
drops off farther away from the center. Also, the
scanner’s lamp can add undesired interference to a
shot’s lighting.
If you’re willing to mod your scanner and dedicate
it to camera use, you can get higher image quality
and greater flexibility. Once you make these modifications you won’t be able to use it as a normal
scanner. And if you mess things up by working too
quickly, you run the risk of rendering your scanner
permanently and totally useless. Assuming you’re
still with me, read on.
1. Install the software.
First you need to install open source drivers from
the SANE project (Scanner Access Now Easy) that
allow your scanner to skip the calibration step and
take scans even after being hacked. Download the
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