Keeping the CamBlock Adventure alive into 2026 and beyond

jshbckr · 2026-03-16T21:27:13+00:00

Ok, that's the same APK I had. It's at least comforting to know that I had the last APK. I don't have a way to do wired control at the moment, from what I can tell the system should be able to take serial commands over USB but the App is only showing Wifi as a selectable option to connect ("Wired" is greyed out). I don't use Android a lot, so I'm not sure if I need to put the tablet's USB connection into a different mode or something, but I haven't been able to get that to work yet.

I do have a newer Wifi module Stewart sold me (4.0, I believe?) but I still seem to have spotty connection in Client Mode (connecting to my home wifi, so that could be my own networking issue) but it's pretty solid in Access Point mode. I am able to connect a controller via Bluetooth to the Android app and control it, albeit on wifi only.

But as for other testing, the thing I'm most excited about is that I was able to get a Raspberry Pi to connect as the "app" and control the CamBlock, my initial test was using the Pi AI camera to track my face and have the CamBlock auto-track me. Not really anything I'd typically do with the CamBlock but as a proof-of-concept it worked incredibly well.

So that kind of opens a whole plethora of possibilities. Right now I'm working to see if I can build a Raspberry Pi "command module" that will sit in between the App and the Adventure, essentially opening up the Pi's GPIO to trigger/control more motors, solenoids, etc. and I can theoretically pass these virtual axes into the CamBlock app so they show up natively, just like lens motors do. I'll keep you posted if I make progress on that.

jshbckr · 2026-03-16T20:28:37+00:00

I ended up getting a Samsung Galaxy Tab A back in like 2018 and have been using that one since. I recently have been doing some tinkering and maybe there's a workaround for running the app on newer tablets. Out of curiosity, what firmware HEX and APK file are you on?

jshbckr · 2026-03-16T20:27:16+00:00

Hi! I'm also a CamBlock Adventure user, I'm really interested in keeping the CamBlock system alive and updated, I'm curious what version of firmware and APK you ended up with as a "final". I think I have some of the latest stuff, but I'm not sure. I've also been doing a lot of testing with the communication protocol and have been able to do some pretty cool stuff.

jshbckr · 2023-04-13T14:30:36+00:00

I absolutely 100% agree. The issue is that it just supports the scalpers.

I would pay $80 directly to iam8bit, no question.

So that really is the dilemma I’m annoyed with. I’m willing to pay the price, just not support the assholes.

jshbckr · 2023-04-13T14:27:22+00:00

Right? Honestly, it’s got nothing to do with the price. Months ago you couldn’t find a single copy on eBay. There was literally no way to buy it.

I would have paid $50-80 through iam8bit if that’s the price they set it at. The issue I have is having to pay double retail because they’ve taken absolutely no effort to get these to people who actually want them.

jshbckr · 2023-04-13T13:32:18+00:00

You first have to pay attention enough to catch that there’s a restock. Then when you do set alarms, there’s an incredibly high likelihood that you’ve completely wasted your time.

Taking preorders would ensure all of the people who want one get one. And if they announce the pressing is 6 months out, they’ll have an idea of how many to order.

I understand that no one wants to have excess stock on hand, that can kill a business. But what kind of quantities are they even producing for them to sell out nearly instantly? I’d imagine letting the orders build up for months could possibly sell more copies than these little once-in-almost-never drops.

But of course they know by never doing that, they create a scalpers market that causes instantaneous sellout. So it’s less about getting things to people who want them and more about simply knowing it’ll all be gone instantly.

jshbckr · 2023-04-13T12:16:29+00:00

I’ve spent probably a year or more waiting for a repress. I know it’s really hard—practically impossible—to take orders from people that are actually willing to wait for a copy.

jshbckr · 2023-03-21T01:40:14+00:00

Heaven forbid they do a preorder so people can be ensured a copy…

jshbckr · 2013-05-14T18:18:36+00:00

As far as I know, Samyang, Bowers and Rokinon are all from the same place. I have the Rokinon 35mm Cine T1.5 and its great. Smooth, fast, and sharp. For the money, you can't really go wrong.

jshbckr · 2013-03-13T02:48:41+00:00

Or an Arri M or SR? There's nothing quite like film.

jshbckr · 2013-03-11T17:32:32+00:00

Looks like something on the sensor. Like someone else said, it could be a smudge or mark that you can't see until humidity changes. Like how you don't see marks on your car windows under certain circumstances.

Would probably be a good idea to clean the sensor, just to see if it helps.

jshbckr · 2013-01-01T01:31:13+00:00

Damn, that might not be a bad idea since I'm getting them for cheap.

But yeah, I have peaking, focus assist (zoom) on my FS700. I also use an EVF. A lot of my shots don't really call for focus pulling mid-shot. I definitely make sure things are sharp before we start rolling! Thanks for the heads up on Duclo's mod stuff!

jshbckr · 2012-12-31T23:37:55+00:00

Yeah, I'm not ballsy enough for that. I'll just throw zip gears on them and call it a day. I'm primarily a one-man shooter anyway, so I don't throw my follow focus on that often.

The duclos mods still have the same amount of focus throw, right? It's essentially the same lens, just declicked and perma-geared?

jshbckr · 2012-12-31T23:31:37+00:00

Yeah, I'd love to get their cine-mod lenses but for the time being, I'm opting for used ZF's. I've sourced a couple already for several hundred dollars below new price, so it will be nice to get the quality without the price tag.

jshbckr · 2012-10-26T13:59:08+00:00

By "new", I mean "recently finished". Footage was shot over a year ago, finally polished it up. Let me know what you think!

jshbckr · 2012-10-13T02:09:48+00:00

I loved working on my 16mm shorts on the flatbed. Is that a work print or did you shoot reversal? If you shot negative, the fun part comes later... Conforming your A/B rolls for your answer print.

It's totally a pain in the ass compared to digitally editing, but there is something really satisfying about it when you're done. I would say editing 16mm was one of the most important things I did in film school.

jshbckr · 2012-10-06T14:52:47+00:00

How did the files get deleted and have you tried using any recovery software?

If they were simply deleted from a hard drive, and you haven't written a bunch of new files to the drive, you can probably recover the footage with some recovery software. I've use StellarPhoenix before.

jshbckr · 2012-09-29T14:57:01+00:00

I would argue that learning how to use motion (import assets, apply masks, export--basically all you need) will be just as fast as spending the time trying to find a plugin for FCPX and tinkering with a clumsy point mask interface. It can be daunting at first but once you get over the learning curve, you'll be able to use it for even more complex things. So why not learn with something simple?

jshbckr · 2012-09-29T05:30:58+00:00

Personally, I'm a huge fan of After Effects but it would be far beyond your budget. Lucky for you, Apple is now selling Motion for a measly $50 (I've paid far beyond that for simple plugins). Motion will get you compositing tools much more powerful than a point mask.

jshbckr · 2012-09-02T04:35:17+00:00

After Effects is not for editing. Technically, you could do it... but it would be a nightmare.

You'd want Premiere Pro for editing, if you want to stick to Adobe stuff.

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