View Full Version : help!! shooting timelaps of the night sky


Josh Glowicki
June 23rd, 2009, 07:51 PM
hey guys i was wondering if there is anything i need to know about shooting a timelaps of the night sky. i use a canon xh a1.

im going out to an observatory to shoot the stars and i was wondering what the camera should be set too? frame rate? 24p? 60? shutter speed ? my camera isnt good at night. so is there a trick to not having to use the gain so much? any bit of information will help me out!! thanks guys!

Josh Glowicki

Don Xaliman
June 23rd, 2009, 09:43 PM
Watch this video and read the comment for a description of how he did it.
Great timelapse of night sky.
Time Lapse Earth (teaser #1) on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/5273209)

Josh Glowicki
June 24th, 2009, 11:08 AM
thanks don!!

Jim Miller
June 24th, 2009, 08:10 PM
Use a still camera for the time lapse. A1 won't work. You need slow shutter speeds and an aperture of f11 or so.

Jonathan Shaw
June 30th, 2009, 02:05 AM
I agree with Jim use a stills camera

Don Xaliman
June 30th, 2009, 12:04 PM
The XH-A1 takes good stills and they are already HD size. Is there a way to automate a timer on to the still taking abilities.?

James R. Leong
July 1st, 2009, 12:56 AM
Capture Magic HD works with the XH-A1 and has a time lapse feature.

Big Mug Software presents Capture Magic HD (http://www.bigmugsoftware.com/capture/)

You may need to disable the auto power shut off.

David W. Jones
July 1st, 2009, 05:31 AM
Capture Magic HD works with the XH-A1 and has a time lapse feature.

Big Mug Software presents Capture Magic HD (http://www.bigmugsoftware.com/capture/)

You may need to disable the auto power shut off.

Last time I checked it would do timelapse with dvcProHD but not HDV.

As others have pointed out, you will have more control by using a DSLR camera.