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Okay, bit of a bizarre one here. We've got a new building going up over half term, being built off site and delivered flat-pack style and assembled in location. Someone (presumably someone who has seen Caversham Road timelapse - first edit.mov - YouTube) had the idea that it would be cool to set up a camera taking a photo every few minutes and then stitch it together into a 2-minute film.
Anyone have the first idea what we would need to do this, and how we go about it?!
If you have a Canon camera you could try installing CHDK on the SD card as that enables time lapse photography. Suppose the main problem there would be battery power, so you would need a model that you could charge with an AC adapter or via USB
There is probably a far easier way!
Old laptop, webcam (£20), tilaphos software (free, slightly strange interface, seems to be working ok).
Watching new classrooms being build as we speak. Only downside of the webcam approach is the poor picture quality. If you can go the canon / chdk route, do so - you'll get the high speed clouds effect, amongst other goodies.
The easiest way is certainly by using a webcam, if you can spend a bit more on one then obviously you'd get a better end result, but the way I've done them in the past is to use my Canon 350D with a timer remote connected to it that took a shot every x seconds (settable, just can't remember what I set it to) then stitch them all together afterwards - I used QuickTime Pro to do it as you can specify frames per second etc. Worked out quite well actually the last one I did.
In fact .. this is it .. Time Lapse Harwes Farm - YouTube .. it's just of the cloud formations more than anything else, but I wanted to see how it worked out using the system above .. I plan to use the same setup for a few projects in the coming future ..
We have a Canon 450D SLR and a laptop which I can sit by it for the duration, so it sounds like that is the way to go. What software have you used to control the timer, and how does the camera need to be connected to the laptop?
You have no webcams or similar? There are some pieces of s/w available to do what you you want with the canon what about when you need to change it's battery?
Ben
We have got a webcam, but (like most webcams) it is designed to focus on something less than a metre away, not something on the other side of a small field. As for charging, I was assuming I could leave the camera plugged in to the mains the whole time.
Hiya
Right, I think that the Canon Remote Software that comes with the 450D onwards will do remote operation and timer remote operation.
As for myself, I used on of these .. Timer Remote Control RS-60E3 For Canon 1000D 450D 500D: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo .. well, I say one of these, this is the same thing but with a different name - I got mine from 7DayShop but they don't seem to have the Canon ones on their site at the moment. I set it to take a single photo every 30 seconds and left it to it (changing the battery occasionally as I don't [yet] have a mains power cable). After that, I dropped them into Quicktime Pro using 25fps and the result (after I ran it through iMovie to add the music and titles) is what you see at the link I pasted above ..
The one thing I would point out (something I only realised on the night shots that would have been on the end of the shoot) is to lock the focus on manual - seems a simple thing, but in daylight, the camera is fine, when it get's lower light levels it can be a bit funny (or even focus on something totally random).
Edit:
In terms of leaving it plugged in .. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0083VUV6G .. would do the trick for the 450D (if you don't have something like that already)
If you have a spare Android tablet or smartphone, all you would need is Chainfire's DSLR Controller app and a USB cable to create a time lapse via your EOS 450D.
http://youtu.be/lnxvFYza6Y4?hd=1
Hi,
We use a mobotix camera (cannot remember the model at present) mounted outsite, it uploads to an internal ftp site.
Phase 2 - East Block Demolition Central Hub - YouTube
So, I plug that straight into the camera, and don't need a laptop or anything, right?Quote:
Originally Posted by soveryapt
Yup .. that's right .. captures everything to the card on board (so make sure you put a big card in and set the sizes to something more sensible than maximum resolution/RAW) and away you go ..Quote:
Originally Posted by enjay
Same thing a few quid cheaper:
NEEWER Timer Remote Control RS-60E3 For Canon 550D: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo
Ben
So, that is something which allows me to plug the battery into the mains whilst still in the camera, yes?Quote:
Originally Posted by soveryapt
This seems like exactly what I'm after - now I just need to find somewhere to put the camera!!