Show HN: I made a tiny camera with super long battery life

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

A tiny, open-source camera with multi‑year standby and tens of thousands of shots per charge is drawing praise for its engineering, enclosure design, and unusually transparent documentation. Commenters are intrigued by niche uses like long-term time‑lapse, discreet security, and wearable photo logging, but repeatedly flag gaps such as the lack of sample images, no tripod mount, and especially the decision to rely on a Mac‑only companion app backed by a raw, non-filesystem SD layout. Many argue that exposing the device as standard storage or adding minimal cross‑platform tools would dramatically broaden its appeal and make it more competitive with cheap trail cameras that already offer higher resolution, video, and night vision.

Overall reception & product positioning

  • Many commenters praise the engineering depth, documentation, and especially the clear, honest landing page and “fine print.”
  • The industrial design and custom enclosure are widely admired; some compare it favorably to typical Show HN launches.
  • Several people say it fills a narrow but interesting niche (stealthy, ultra-long-life still camera), though others find the niche unclear and suggest marketing it more explicitly as a security or timelapse camera.

Image quality, samples, and specs

  • Multiple photographers say sample images are essential and are frustrated they’re not on the main site; some demo images exist only via the Mac app and in the repo.
  • Specs gleaned from the thread: about 3 MP (2304×1296), 12-bit RAW, AR0330 sensor. Some appreciate the honest resolution vs. “fake” upscaled megapixel claims.
  • Some doubt suitability for helmet/lifelogging timelapse without stabilization.

Mac-only software & platform debates

  • Large subthread around the Mac-only companion app.
  • Creator’s reasons: minimal on-device processing to save power, unformatted SD as linear ring buffer, tiny MSP430 code space, RAW-only pipeline, and a personal preference for polished native Mac apps.
  • Many non-Mac users say “Mac-exclusive” copy is off-putting and commercially limiting, especially for a device marketed as open and hackable.
  • Suggested alternatives: USB mass storage or MTP with a filesystem, a USB-powered bridge MCU, WebUSB/web app, Electron/Qt/Flutter, or at least a basic cross-platform CLI.
  • It’s noted that a low-level CLI tool already exists and could be used on Linux; some urge making this more prominent.

Hardware architecture, power, and storage

  • Architecture: MSP430 with FRAM for state, ICE40 FPGA handling high-speed sensor → SDRAM → SD writes, STM32 for USB.
  • Discussion of why MSP430 was chosen (FRAM, ultra-low sleep current) vs modern low-power ARM/RISC-V options; some argue battery self-discharge dominates, so a beefier MCU could be justified.
  • Camera writes RAW to an unformatted SD card as a ring buffer; uses high-endurance cards and wear-leveling.
  • Battery: ~50k–80k stills per charge, but SD holds ~20k images; then oldest frames are overwritten. Very long theoretical timelapse durations are computed.

Enclosure, mounting, and serviceability

  • Custom machined, anodized aluminum case costs about $18/unit at ~125 quantity; significant manual assembly.
  • Weight around 70 g. No tripod mount; people request standard or GoPro-compatible mounting.
  • Battery is technically replaceable but not user-friendly (sealed backplate, custom tool, low-profile connector).
  • Water resistance and PIR motion sensor behavior are discussed; motion doesn’t work through glass and can be over-sensitive outdoors in wind.

Open-source status & extensibility

  • Repo currently lacks an explicit license, so several point out it’s “source-available,” not fully open source, and urge adding a proper license.
  • Many appreciate the detailed blog posts (architecture, rainproofing, manufacturing) and see the device as a great platform for hacking, including potential ports, new UIs, and alternative power/trigger schemes.