Sorry it's been quiet on the blog and also I haven't been able to respond to comments and questions. I was working all weekend day and night cleaning up some warehouse space trying to setup a small studio. You know, I haven't had time to test my Timelapse Remote (intervalometer), and it would have been a perfect opportunity to have shot a timelapse against the work we were putting in. Lots of scrubbing, cleaning, and painting it's looks really different from when I first walked in. It's coming along quite nicely, but there's a lot more work ahead.
Fred Cavender from TuperHero.com picked up the Timer remote shown in this article here to test out his 7D Timelapse skills. Fred was also the one who was showing off his DIY DSLR shoulder rig modeled after the RedRock EyeSpy, and there's a much more updated version at his own website TuperHero.com. If you're looking into a remote For Canon 7D & 5D Mark II owners, here’s the proper remote (works on both).
Emm
Post authorIf things are too fast, you would just take more pictures in faster intervals. Slowing the framerate of the video down wouldn't work well.
Leo Telles
You always put 24fps for timelapse? cause i think sometimes the things very very fast , i wanna try if 10fps can ever be good or not gonna give me the timelapse style results?
Emm
Post authorI've never had any problems with my shutter, but I don't much timelapse. I ask the same question, but I don't know of anyone who's had any issues with too many shutter actuations. It will make a difference if you plan on selling it though.
Leo Telles
Hmm, thanks Emm. You think that makes timelapse once in a while can reduce a lot the camera life? or it would be just like making a video of that long. Or it just not that big of a problem?
Emm
Post authorYes no On/Off switch, just pull the battery or flip it backwards.
Leo Telles
I'm new in intervalometers, but mine is very close to this one fred. Mine have not off switch , this is normal ? i mean , you let it on 'forever' ?
Fred Cavender
I didn't get exactly the one Emm showed on his blog, I got this one : https://cgi.ebay.fr/DIGITAL-TIMER-REMOTE-FOR-CANON-5D-MARK-2-II-1DS-1D-7D-/170480642026?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Photography_DigitalCamAccess_RL&hash=item27b17027ea
It's a little more expensive, but ordering from the UK, I got it in a fews days, and I can set it up to 399 exposures which is pretty cool. Just leave it for two hours and come back 🙂
I which I had used longer exposure on the office scene, it would have looked much better.
Leo, I leave it on manual, and I think you should, otherwise you'll get a flickering uneven image since the exposure and aperture will keep changing. Actually on the first sunset I did change the settings during the timelapse. It was getting dark too quickly so I boosted the ISO a little. Hence the "flash" in the sky, which I thought ended up looking pretty cool.
Nice video Dan!
Emm
Post authorYou have to set it to Zero and then it will be infinite. Don't set to 99.
Dan Young
I picked up this same remote for my t2i and gave it a try. I think I would like the remote better if the 'number of shots' was greater than 99. I know that you can 'infinitely' shoot, but I found myself counting the exposures cause I knew I was looking for 5 seconds worth.
I did the following at 2 sec intervals.
https://www.vimeo.com/13663236
I have also seen a lot of difference in other peoples work when they use a longer exposer to accentuate movement - especially on things like people on the street and cars. I do not think it would work well on the plants.
Leo Telles
Thanks a lot both of you . Just one last question, normally you leave on manual set the aperture, shutter speed and leave it there, or there times that you would put on "P" mode? Because i'm thinking, the P mode is good but not that accurate and with people moving or some cloud for the sunset can let the timelapse very jumpy, isn't it?
Fred Cavender
As you said Emm, it all depends on what's going on. If you have people moving around, you should take a pic every 2-3 seconds AT MOST to get some movement. If it's a sunset, than a picture every 8 to 16 seconds depending on how long and smooth you want it should be good.
Also, playing around with shutter speed gets different effects like someone sitting still and people moving around him with motion blur...
FYI, if memory serves, I think I did a photo every:
- 5 seconds for the plant growing
- 8 seconds for the first sunset
- 16 seconds for the second sunset
- 6 seconds for the office (which I find is too much, too jumpy, 1-2s would have been better)
Emm
Post authorI'm not an expert, but I think it depends on the subject and fast things are changing or moving. You would estimate your shot time depending on how smooth you want the image to playback. If the span is too long it will look jumpy. If you have a very slow changing subject then you would take photos at longer intervals. If you have a faster moving subject then take shorter intervals. These are individual frames, so you can put it into any timeline you want. Anyone care to chime in?
Leo Telles
nice, very good video. I bought mine and still waiting to they deliver soon. Let me ask you one noob question, you have to make simple math to know how long time you want to put in a second (like 1 minute to happens in a second) and make 24 photos for each (like divide the minute in 24 and se the intervalometer to shoot in evert 1/24 of a minute ) and then put together in a 24fps video in quicktime opening a 'image sequence'. That's it ? or there is any easier way ?
Thanks a lot