Timelapse Thread

[Ian Planchon]

Originally Posted by Matt Daviss

The EX's timelapse and over/undercrank are great 'tricks' but it's not exactly industrial strength. Even a little Pentax Optio had a 99 frame 'all day' timelapse function that got me some great 4 second shots.

isnt that where the interval record comes into play? I know over and under crank is limited for timelapse options, but when you start playing in the interval record menu, you get a lot of options.

[Erik Phairas]

Andy the small ones (inverters) don't draw much, but hopefully they have two trucks? One could jump the other. Or they also sell batteries used to jump start cars. You could also use the jump start battery to power the ex camera..

Those usually have a light and air compressor built in too. Just throwing out ideas.

[Andy Tejral]

Originally Posted by Erik Phairas

Or they also sell batteries used to jump start cars.

Aye, the one I have has 18aH battery, silly LED work light, air compressor, inverter and even a USB power jack.

[Ian Planchon]

Originally Posted by Andy Tejral

That is a bad idea! Depending on how long your shooting, you won't be able to start the car and get home! Since the point of this exercise is to shoot in a remote location, getting home is an important priority!

what if you start the car every so often? let it run for a bit to keep the charge built up. I know with my truck you can start and stop the engine and it wont affect the power output through an inverter. but I am also fortunate enough to have two batteries so i dont have to worry about it too much. AND if you have a manual, you can always push start it! hahaha.

[Andy Tejral]

Originally Posted by Ian Planchon

what if you start the car every so often? let it run for a bit to keep the charge built up.

Still got the Tacoma? Mine does momentarily disrupt the lighter when you start.

And starting is a huge drain on the battery--you're better off leaving the car running. Certainly doable--on a certain September day in 2001, I ran a camera and microwave off of my car for hours but that is an expensive generator.

[Ian Planchon]

Originally Posted by Andy Tejral

Still got the Tacoma? Mine does momentarily disrupt the lighter when you start.

And starting is a huge drain on the battery--you're better off leaving the car running. Certainly doable--on a certain September day in 2001, I ran a camera and microwave off of my car for hours but that is an expensive generator.

no, sold that before i left AK. had the 4runner for a bit, then moved to a dodge ram 2500 with a cummins. hence the two batteries.

but your right, it would be better just to let it run all day (not environmentally friendly, but in a pinch). I remember the toyota's did disrupt the power, which is why I checked on my truck. its really nice to have. I still need to get a big inverter though so I can run lights for standups at remote locations every now and then.

[Simon de Swardt]

Thanks for that Bob, I have looked this up now and it seems like the only way to do what I want.

[Matt Davis]

On EX timelapse not being 'industrial strength'...

Originally Posted by Ian Planchon

isnt that where the interval record comes into play? I know over and under crank is limited for timelapse options.

Full-on timelapse kits allow for fractional intervals, external triggers, external power, working in conjunction with mechanised tilt/swivel, it's a bit more compact, and you avoid issues when shooting slow-shutter 32 frames with 1 frame per second...


and when using a stills camera for timelapse...

Originally Posted by Andy Tejral

For a 30 clip, I just couldn't see manipulating 900 frames individually or is there a more automatic way to do it. (I have no experience working with raw--dunno what software capabilities are out there.)

QuickTime will batch convert a folder full of stills into a QuickTime movie. Keep this at the native resolution and use AfterEffects or Motion to do your Ken Burns (or for UK folks 'Ken Morse') effects.

But don't get me wrong. I'm ALWAYS using the timelapse & slow shutter modes of my EX1 and it's one of the biggest reasons for going EX for me.

[Andy Tejral]

Originally Posted by Matt Daviss

QuickTime will batch convert a folder full of stills into a QuickTime movie. Keep this at the native resolution and use AfterEffects or Motion to do your Ken Burns (or for UK folks 'Ken Morse') effects.

You mentioned using raw with the implication that you could even out w/b or exposure problems. Is there anyway to do this? Again, at least semi-automatically. I dunno--keyframing the problem areas?

But don't get me wrong. I'm ALWAYS using the timelapse & slow shutter modes of my EX1 and it's one of the biggest reasons for going EX for me.

Do you have any examples posted anyware?

[Dave Morrison]

I did a very short TL using Quicktime and my old Nikon Coolpix 990 seen here:

Twilight timelapse on Vimeo

Very easy to do and I'm much prefer having this camera (or similar) tied up on a job instead of my EX1.

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Andy Tejral

You mentioned using raw with the implication that you could even out w/b or exposure problems. Is there anyway to do this? Again, at least semi-automatically. I dunno--keyframing the problem areas?

You're looking at Photoshop or Aperture to do batch Raw to JPEG conversion, so I'd be doing a conversion for two or three lighting situations, then doing a cross dissolve between the 'Expose for sunlight', 'Expose for cloud cover' and 'Expose for twighlight or night' during the edit so you can get good exposure without 'pumping' that occurs in short term fluctuations of light level and white balance.

Originally Posted by Andy Tejral

Do you have any examples posted anyware?

I'll start with a couple of the intro shots to 'Winners Circle' - third one down on http://www.mdma.tv/cb but I have PMed you with something which will soon be up. When I get a chance (have been planning this since last August) I'll be putting together my showreel which will have oodles of under and over crank stuff.

Sorry, but so often in event video, almost all of the content is private and until I do a showreel, can't get the time to separate showable shots (mostly the timelapse stuff) from unshowable content.

PS: Sorry - forgot to hit 'submit reply'...

[Andrew Davies]

[QUOTE=Matt Daviss;998417]At some point, one has to consider doing timelapse the old fashioned way - with a DSLR. Plenty of little magic boxes to run them off car batteries, take images when something happens, be out in the open for weeks or months in locked down enclosures and so on.

A couple of things to note: DSLRs can work in raw mode, which means exposure variation and white balance can be sorted out in post, and that most shoot at a high enough resolution that - with a good wide - you can do some pan & scan work even at 1080p with resolution to spare.

How do you do the pan and scan work? Is this in After Effects? I'm OK as far far as preparing all the images from a DLSR but couldn't find the function for panning across the frame.

Thanks

Andy

[Andy Tejral]

Dave: How did you do the actual timelapse? Digisnap?

I actually have a 4500 and a DigiSnap (alas, the digisnap seems to have died). It is a great way to go. What I don't like about is the programming: it is easy enough to do and certainly is very flexible in what it can do but the need for a computer with a serial port is a bummer. I never got it to work with the usb/serial dohickey.

I've actually regressed a bit. I'm now using a Canon A10 with a laptop running Canon's remote capture. Much less flexible than Digisnap but is very easy to set up. Here is one I did with this setup: Tide goes out

The downside to both of these is the wires. You need to supply power to the camera and laptop or make sure the digisnap has adequate power. Then tether the camera to the TL device.

That's why I'm interested in the EX/HPX solution. Hooking up an external battery is not a big deal for me--that can just sit under the tripod. But the idea of having the TL being done by the camera is a winner for me.

And Dave, I guess I'm not sure that that method of raw processing would be worth the hassle. I've done both auto and manual exposure controls and both seem to result in flash frames due to lighting changes. If you could do keyframing on individual raws, that would be something.

And I'm still trying to come up with a joke regarding 'mdma'. I hope your clients are in ecstacy?

[Andy Tejral]

Originally Posted by Andrew Davies

How do you do the pan and scan work? Is this in After Effects? I'm OK as far far as preparing all the images from a DLSR but couldn't find the function for panning across the frame.

I'm sure After Effect with do it but I can do it with the layout tool in Edius 5. It will let you use the large picture and scale/crop/pan to create your desired final frame size.

I believe you can do the same thing in Vegas as well.

[Dave Morrison]

Originally Posted by Andy Tejral

Dave: How did you do the actual timelapse? Digisnap?

Yes, an older Digisnap 2000, IIRC.

I actually have a 4500 and a DigiSnap (alas, the digisnap seems to have died). It is a great way to go. What I don't like about is the programming: it is easy enough to do and certainly is very flexible in what it can do but the need for a computer with a serial port is a bummer. I never got it to work with the usb/serial dohickey.

The 2000 is SO basic and I use the little buttons on the face of the unit. I used to keep a "cheat sheet" with me on shoots when I decided to vary the timing parameters. ;)

The downside to both of these is the wires. You need to supply power to the camera and laptop or make sure the digisnap has adequate power. Then tether the camera to the TL device.

I took one of my Quantum power packs that used to power my electronic flash units and made an adapter that would plug into the Coolpix 990 to power it for long shoots. It would sit on the ground under the tripod, usually. Also, I turned off anything that would deplete the battery faster.

And Dave, I guess I'm not sure that that method of raw processing would be worth the hassle. I've done both auto and manual exposure controls and both seem to result in flash frames due to lighting changes. If you could do keyframing on individual raws, that would be something.

I'd always figure out what the best exposure would be that could carry me through the exposure cycle and stay away from anything AUTO. Too much chance of the image brightness "pumping" if you used AUTO anything.