You can easily trigger the camera via ir
http://sebastian.setz.name/arduino/my-libraries/multi-camera-ir-control/
or via magic lantern (its fantastic, it has the best magic in the world!) and the mikrophone in (AUDIO_REMOTE_SHOT).
Canon EOS-M Fernauslöser mit Mikrofoneingang - Mikrocontroller.net oh its German. It basically says stereo chinch cable and connect red signal to mass. I guess you can use a relay for that.
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I too am looking at hacking my QX1, but $400US on top of sending it to the states to have it done does not excite me. This site has the hack listed at $150US but I’m still awaiting a reply
http://madhacker.org/sony-qx1-focustrigger-control-for-drone-use/
On the topic of QX1 gimbals, I found these quite attractive not cheap but hand made and look well done
Ya, the $400 upgrade for the QX-1 trigger doesn’t excite me either. That price is steep and what concerns me most is that I then have a $1000 (Canadian Pesos) item sitting in my drone. And I have to admit that I often land my drones HARD or gasp every now and then they fall out of the sky!! I’m still waiting on my Reach GPS (over 3 weeks since order and Emlid is not responding to emails!) so I can conduct some tests to see what the difference to reality is? If the time difference between the shutter and gps mark is constant could an approximate XY offset be calculated using ground speed and track?? In 95% of my mapping jobs having 10-20cm overall accuracy would be good enough.
The other option I am working with is to use a larger plane like a Skyhunter or Talon so I can use another camera (that would accept the TuffWing Reach hotshoe cable) that would fit in landscape mode in the fuselage. I am currently working on trying to trigger a Canon EOS M from my Pixhawk using the Tragic Lantern hack (works thru the microphone jack).
In regards to a QX-1 gimbal I am in the early stages of designing a 1-axis roll gimbal for use in my SkyWalker. This is a simple 3d print job. Should be easy. Just need to find some time to finish it. I don’t think the 2nd axis for pitch is necessary.
Peter, I can’t find any recent emails from you! Could you please try sending it once again to support@emlid.com ? We will sort everything out 
Did you get any response? This looks like a good option.
No I’ve not heard back. I have received my QX1, once I’ve tested it’s working I’m going to have a go at modding it myself.
It seems, from my research, that the only safe game in town for getting the QX-1 modded is the $400 option from the ES38 folks. I think it is very easy to brick this camera trying to mod it yourself - unless one knows what they are doing!
I have been using the Seagull #map2 trigger for the QX-1 with Pixhawk prior to just receiving my Reach GPS. Now I am wondering if there is any way to somehow integrate the #map2 trigger with the Reach?? I’m completely new to the Reach so haven’t had the time to look into how trigger marks are imprinted on the raw GPS stream. Until then I am going to order the Tuffwing hotshoe connector-thing and experiment with my NEX-5n and EOS-M…
