First, Zuss watches.
A phototransistor reads the sky and tracks slow changes in ambient light.
Zuss is a lightning camera trigger for photographers who would rather watch the storm than the shutter.
See how it works
1–99%sensitivity, tuned from your phone
- Live display
- 1.8″ onboard
- Camera lines
- 2 isolated
- Phone link
- Local Wi-Fi
- Trigger brain
- ESP32
a trigger,
not a timer.
2
isolated camera lines
The storm starts it.
Zuss combines a fast light sensor, an ESP32, an isolated camera cable and a companion app. The sensor watches for a sudden jump, not the slow change from dusk or cloud. When a strike crosses your threshold, the trigger closes the focus and shutter lines. Your camera does the rest. Use its own shutter speed for a single frame, or switch to Bulb for timed exposures, HDR sequences and ramped timelapses. The onboard screen keeps count even when your phone is elsewhere.
Then, you tune it.
Set sensitivity from 1–99%. Higher catches faint flashes; lower ignores flicker.
A flash closes the loop.
A sudden jump fires two optocouplers, keeping camera ground separate.
Your camera takes the shot.
Use the camera’s shutter speed, or choose Bulb for a timed exposure.
the sky, live.
Tune the trigger, then test a flash. This sample monitor mirrors the controls and readouts in the Zuss companion app.
Monitor
Listening
Flashes seen
12
Last flash 47 seconds ago
Sky brightness31%
High sensitivity catches fainter, further flashes.
Lightning
Fire on each flash
- Exposure
- Camera
- Shots
- Until stopped
- Filter
- Any flash
Timelapse
A frame every five seconds
- Interval
- 5 s
- Frames
- 120
- Exposure
- Camera
Bulb ramp
Change exposure over time
- Start
- 10 s
- End
- 1 s
- Frames
- 60
HDR
Bracket one composition
- Frames
- 3
- Step
- 1 EV
- Base
- 1/125 s
Event log
Every strike, recorded
- Time
- 21:47:08
- Light jump
- 412
- Camera
- Fired
small box.
every part.
Custom electronics, firmware and enclosure, designed together.
1.8″
live display for flash count, sky level and camera state
Connected directly
- ESP32 control
- USB-C power
- Local Wi-Fi
- Battery ready
Your camera stays separate.
Two optically isolated lines close focus and shutter without sharing a ground with the trigger electronics.
Designed for weather. Honest about limits.
The fit-prototype enclosure uses clear panes and port plugs. It is not certified waterproof.
Ask about Zuss, the app, or the hardware prototype.