Comments on: My next time lapse experiment – any good advice? http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/ The personal web site of Eirik Solheim Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:19:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Walter http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-1498 Walter Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:00:10 +0000 http://www.eirikso.com/?p=281#comment-1498 I was looking for an outdoor time lapse system that I could set and forget for the duration of my house being built. (ok - I would replace batteries for camera and change card). I was wanting to make a film of the construction in progress. I do not think I can do it as cheap as I want (or wife allow), but I saw the site http://www.harbortronics.com/, and they make equipment that I think will control many aspects of the camera. This may help with exposure, focal length, and time of day. I think it relies on the camera's clock for time of exposure. Walter I was looking for an outdoor time lapse system that I could set and forget for the duration of my house being built. (ok – I would replace batteries for camera and change card). I was wanting to make a film of the construction in progress.
I do not think I can do it as cheap as I want (or wife allow), but I saw the site http://www.harbortronics.com/, and they make equipment that I think will control many aspects of the camera. This may help with exposure, focal length, and time of day. I think it relies on the camera’s clock for time of exposure.
Walter

]]> By: Eirikso http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-1497 Eirikso Sun, 18 Feb 2007 07:54:35 +0000 http://www.eirikso.com/?p=281#comment-1497 I managed to set up the camera and the software to snap pictures at any given interval. I still don't know how to make it snap pictures only when it's daylight. I must admit that the project has been on status quo for the last couple of months. Maybe I should pick it up again. Here are two experimental videos I made with the system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zkSRwqhhWw http://one.revver.com/watch/78897/flv/affiliate/3443 ...guess it's time to find that window and put up the camera... I managed to set up the camera and the software to snap pictures at any given interval. I still don’t know how to make it snap pictures only when it’s daylight.

I must admit that the project has been on status quo for the last couple of months. Maybe I should pick it up again. Here are two experimental videos I made with the system:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zkSRwqhhWw
http://one.revver.com/watch/78897/flv/affiliate/3443

…guess it’s time to find that window and put up the camera…

]]> By: David Rowbory http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-1496 David Rowbory Sun, 18 Feb 2007 01:34:27 +0000 http://www.eirikso.com/?p=281#comment-1496 So, did you get the project done? It's close to a year on? So, did you get the project done? It’s close to a year on?

]]> By: Eirikso http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-1493 Eirikso Wed, 22 Mar 2006 19:59:58 +0000 http://www.eirikso.com/?p=281#comment-1493 Yes. Good idea. Avoiding changes in the framing is the most important issue. A change of focus will change the magnification. I'll have to see what the software supports when I run it in command line mode. Yes. Good idea. Avoiding changes in the framing is the most important issue. A change of focus will change the magnification. I’ll have to see what the software supports when I run it in command line mode.

]]> By: russ http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-1492 russ Wed, 22 Mar 2006 12:21:15 +0000 http://www.eirikso.com/?p=281#comment-1492 I would recomend fixing the focal legnth if you can. If you don't you will see the image enlarging and shrinking from frame to frame depending on the exposure and light. I would recomend fixing the focal legnth if you can. If you don’t you will see the image enlarging and shrinking from frame to frame depending on the exposure and light.

]]> By: Eirikso http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-1495 Eirikso Sat, 25 Feb 2006 22:00:24 +0000 http://www.eirikso.com/?p=281#comment-1495 So far I think I'll go for a "take too many pictures and do some clever post production" approach... One picture every 10th minute on full auto...? With some scripting I'll be able to try different videos of the footage. One short one with a picture at noon every day for a year. One longer with a picture every hour etc... I'll do some more experiments at home before I send the system to a nice place with a fantastic view at the western coast of Norway. I'll set up the computer with UltraVNC so I will be able to control it remotely. So far I think I’ll go for a “take too many pictures and do some clever post production” approach…

One picture every 10th minute on full auto…? With some scripting I’ll be able to try different videos of the footage. One short one with a picture at noon every day for a year. One longer with a picture every hour etc…

I’ll do some more experiments at home before I send the system to a nice place with a fantastic view at the western coast of Norway.

I’ll set up the computer with UltraVNC so I will be able to control it remotely.

]]> By: Timo http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-1494 Timo Sat, 25 Feb 2006 21:07:02 +0000 http://www.eirikso.com/?p=281#comment-1494 Great video! So what's your strategy for making a year's worth? Great video!
So what’s your strategy for making a year’s worth?

]]> By: Eirikso http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-1487 Eirikso Thu, 16 Feb 2006 21:45:22 +0000 http://www.eirikso.com/?p=281#comment-1487 Very nice! Had a quick look at some of your videos. Beautiful work. I'll have to go back there and download some more of them. I'll check out the programs you recommend. I have now done a quick test. About 24 hours and one picture every third minute. A BAT-file controls PSRemote, IrfanView for resize and AbsoluteFTP to upload the pictures after each shot. You find the pictures here: http://www.eirikso.com/timelapse And the 17 second video here: http://www.eirikso.com/timelapse/Timelapse.wmv Very nice! Had a quick look at some of your videos. Beautiful work. I’ll have to go back there and download some more of them.

I’ll check out the programs you recommend.

I have now done a quick test. About 24 hours and one picture every third minute. A BAT-file controls PSRemote, IrfanView for resize and AbsoluteFTP to upload the pictures after each shot. You find the pictures here:
http://www.eirikso.com/timelapse

And the 17 second video here:
http://www.eirikso.com/timelapse/Timelapse.wmv

]]> By: glenneroo http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-1488 glenneroo Thu, 16 Feb 2006 19:23:35 +0000 http://www.eirikso.com/?p=281#comment-1488 i've been using my own hand-rolled software and (purchased) PSRemote for quite some time now, a bit over a year and i usually do 1024x768 @ 5s intervals or 1600x1200 @ 8-10s and then just speed things up to be how i want them to be in Premiere. That way you dont lose any details and the end product looks a look more "smooth" instead of jerkily jumping frames... Problem is, Canon SDK seems to have some issues where it sends errors and crashes the camera occassionally.. of which myself and several friends have all experienced with 5 different Powershot cameras (new and used) my own software, Canon's software and PSRemote all seem to have this problem. Olympus' own SDK + Pinetree software doesn't seem to have this problem. Anyways i would recommend leaving auto-exposure on if you're planning on capturing night-day transitions or if the weather turns to crap, unless you dont mind changing time-lapse parameters manually the whole time haha noooo fun! Auto white-balance on Canon's is pretty damn good i've never had any probs with it yet.. and i always convert the finished images using MovieSalsa to generate compressed-lossless HUFFY 2.1.1 .AVIs which i then import into Premiere and work with as necessary, usually changing the levels a wee bit to compensate for white-balance adjustment. Alternately you could just set the WB to something that looks good and then adjust the WB afterwards using Premiere or whatever video tool. As for 'too dark' pictures, if you leave it on a auto-exp. and theres some sort of light nearby, the canon will shoot up to 4s which would still capture some light and possibly movement or whatever.. which is also a nice effect i find. anyways i got a bunch of timelapse movies on www.glenneroo.org if you wanna check em out... i too am always learning new stuff :) i’ve been using my own hand-rolled software and (purchased) PSRemote for quite some time now, a bit over a year and i usually do 1024×768 @ 5s intervals or 1600×1200 @ 8-10s and then just speed things up to be how i want them to be in Premiere. That way you dont lose any details and the end product looks a look more “smooth” instead of jerkily jumping frames…

Problem is, Canon SDK seems to have some issues where it sends errors and crashes the camera occassionally.. of which myself and several friends have all experienced with 5 different Powershot cameras (new and used) my own software, Canon’s software and PSRemote all seem to have this problem. Olympus’ own SDK + Pinetree software doesn’t seem to have this problem.

Anyways i would recommend leaving auto-exposure on if you’re planning on capturing night-day transitions or if the weather turns to crap, unless you dont mind changing time-lapse parameters manually the whole time haha noooo fun! Auto white-balance on Canon’s is pretty damn good i’ve never had any probs with it yet.. and i always convert the finished images using MovieSalsa to generate compressed-lossless HUFFY 2.1.1 .AVIs which i then import into Premiere and work with as necessary, usually changing the levels a wee bit to compensate for white-balance adjustment. Alternately you could just set the WB to something that looks good and then adjust the WB afterwards using Premiere or whatever video tool.

As for ‘too dark’ pictures, if you leave it on a auto-exp. and theres some sort of light nearby, the canon will shoot up to 4s which would still capture some light and possibly movement or whatever.. which is also a nice effect i find.

anyways i got a bunch of timelapse movies on http://www.glenneroo.org if you wanna check em out… i too am always learning new stuff :)

]]> By: Eirikso http://eirikso.com/2006/02/02/my-next-time-lapse-experiment-any-good-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-1486 Eirikso Mon, 06 Feb 2006 20:38:58 +0000 http://www.eirikso.com/?p=281#comment-1486 Using a fixed exposure sounds difficult... I guess I'll have to do a couple of test runs. The setup will be available to me through VNC so I have the possibility to adjust and find the best timing and exposure before I start the big one year project... Using a fixed exposure sounds difficult… I guess I’ll have to do a couple of test runs. The setup will be available to me through VNC so I have the possibility to adjust and find the best timing and exposure before I start the big one year project…

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