On Minimizing Payload Weight - Can the A1100 Be Flown Without Its Covering?

One of the cameras used on Mayberry Galactic flights is the Canon A1100 – an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera typically found on eBay for less than $40.  With the aim of reducing unnecessary weight on flights, the plastic shell covering of A1100 became a target. The thought being is the camera’s housing has low functional value once the “core” of the camera is placed inside the payload box.  The payload box provides the protection.  The A1100’s covering was estimated to weigh 20 grams.  Each gram of mass – at least by one altitude prediction tool’s estimate -- reduces flight altitude by roughly 10 feet therefore, eliminating the housing could get us 200 feet higher.

To test the viability of the idea, a sacrifical A1100 was purchased on eBay –for about $14.  Although functional, it had some mechanical issues and so was perfect for experimenting on.

After carefully removing nine (9) #000 screws (these are very tiny), the front and back covers separated away from the camera.  In examining the exposed camera body, it became clear that the cover is more than a shell.  The “buttons” built into the housing provided contacts between two or more conductively points on the camera’s core.  When the cover is removed, there is no longer a way to effectively make these contacts.  In other words, without a cover, the control functions no longer work – with the exception of the simple on/off button.

The conclusion is that the outer camera shell cannot  practically be removed to save mass – it is integral to the camera's operation.  This is too bad as the actual of the housing's mass was not 20 grams as estimated, but rather 30.8 grams.  Eliminating the cover for flight would have been a nice weight reduction. The quest for reducing weight while maximizing function continues!