LuddCam is a minimalist astrophotography control system. Designed for a Raspberry Pi with a screen and controller, it brings the feel of a classic DSLR to your astrocamera.
Modern astrophotography software often tries to automate everything: target acquisition, autofocus, flat frames, guiding, meridian flips, live stacking... and before you know it, the telescope is doing all the work, and you're just a remote spectator from your living room. LuddCam goes the other way. It requires you to be physically present: polar aligning through a scope, focusing, framing your shot, checking your histograms, pressing the shutter, waiting patiently to see how it comes out. It's not about convenience or performance, it's about connection.
LuddCam supports a few carefully chosen "cheat codes", like electronic filter wheels, guiding, and plate solving. But they are there as helpers, not crutches. Astrophotographers are encouraged to star hop to their targets (following printed star charts) instead of using go-to, use their mount's manual tracking or periodic error correction (PEC) whenever exposure and focal lengths allow it, and to manually change filters. The luddite way is to minimise the amount of technology used for any given picture, but the main objective is to be present, under the stars. LuddCam is open to integrating with any hardware, but draws the line at remote connections.
Whether you're a DIY tinker-photographer, an analog romantic, or just someone who enjoys feeling the click of a real button under a dark sky, LuddCam is for you.
NOTE: I never managed to get this to an MVP, I've had to pause my workdue to an otherwise busy schedule, but I hope to come back to it within the next year or so.
Sometimes we just want to take the best picture possible and that's not possible the Luddite way: more technology does demonstrably make things better (when it works!). To help even the field, try computing your Luddite Score, and use it as a way to avoid comparing yourself with unatainable god-like images on astrobin.
Start with a score of 10 and deduct a point for every one of the following that you use in a picture:
- any kind of wireless connection
- computer assisted polar alignment
- GOTO to find the target
- plate solving to find the target
- using a guide camera
- automated flat panels
- automated rotation
- automated filter changes
- automated focus
- AI assisted post-processing
and be proud to share that score in your pictures, no matter what it is. There's really no wrong answer so long as you enjoy it!
Caveat: LuddCam currently only works with ZWO cameras and filter wheels, with ST4 mounts, because that's all I have access to. If you really want something else you can try asking nicely but you will have to do some beta testing as I'm sure it won't work out first time.
It is possible to run LuddCam on a laptop, but that somewhat defeats the point. It is really designed to run on a Raspberry Pi. You can use a Model 4B or anything more recent.
Beyond the Raspberry Pi 4B with 4GB+, I recommend the WaveShare 4.3" LCD screen (the Amazon version includes a case) and NES gamepad. In total this should be just over $100.
I've found that after physically attaching the LCD screen the following entry in /boot/firmware/config.txt is all that is needed:
[all]
dtoverlay=vc4-kms-dsi-waveshare-panel,4_3_inch
Another option is the Waveshare Game HAT which has less screen resolution but has integrated controls, and can run off a battery. However, it's not very weather resistant, so may need a custom 3d case to lock it down a bit further.
Installation is currently a bit tricky, but I'm working on making it a single click: follow the steps in INSTALL.md.
- live focus ✅
- frame the shot ✅
- define filter intervals ✅
- store exposures in FITS ✅
- store guiding calibration and exposures
- all views have info overlays
- auto guiding
- burst / planetary capture with RoI
- playback
For version 2 I want to optimise the code (which may mean a rewrite in Rust) so that it can run on a Raspberry Pi Zero with a GamePi13, plus a 3d printed case, with a total cost of under $50.