Spring Time Lapse - DPChallenge Forums

04/22/2009 09:38:27 PM · #1

has anyone worked with time lapse photography? I was thinking that if it wasnt too terribly hard i might do some time lapse of plants growing around the house.

any experience? ideas?

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

04/22/2009 09:40:57 PM · #2

There's a cool garden camera made specifically for this and wasn't even that expensive. Otherwise, I don't think it's all that easy, but what do I know? :)

eta; found it. Brinno time-lapse garden camera

Message edited by author 2009-04-22 21:42:08.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

04/22/2009 09:49:05 PM · #3

I was going to try some a couple of weeks ago (my Canon has a built-in T-L feature), but the real problem is having the camera unavailable for other use for 3-4 days. I'm not sure I'd want to leave it set up in the yard either -- in most places you might as well hang a "Steal Me" sign on it ... :-(

04/22/2009 09:55:19 PM · #4

Would you need a power source for it? I imagine the timer would drain the battery pretty quick. I know my S2 IS has the capability but I've never tried it.

04/22/2009 10:11:22 PM · #5

Originally posted by BeeCee:

Would you need a power source for it? I imagine the timer would drain the battery pretty quick. I know my S2 IS has the capability but I've never tried it.

hmm, thats true. especially with the cold nights here, my batteries go in hours

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

04/22/2009 10:14:10 PM · #6

Originally posted by BeeCee:

oh man that thing sounds awesome!

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

04/22/2009 10:16:15 PM · #7

I think it turns the camera on and off between exposures, or goes into some low-power sleep mode. It is limited to 100 exposures, and I know I can usually get more like 300 on a freshly-charged set of batteries, so I figure it would be OK.

Check in the manual under "Intervalometer" (or as I like to think of it, Interval-O-Meter) for the details. Since you seem to have an adequate "back-up camera" available, you have nothing to lose by setting up the S2 and trying it out; just be sure to report the results!

I was going to set up a camelia bud in a vase under a fluorescent light, set a custom white-balance, and use its Super-Macro mode to pretty much fill the frame with the final bloom, almost 4 days later; I used a full bloom to set up the framing ...

Pipe_Dream

Nikon D700

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

04/22/2009 10:33:23 PM · #8

I did a time-lapse series of me shaving my beard while drinking a margarita, but I don't have any software to put it together. I read that quicktime pro will do it, i just haven't ordered it yet.

I'll post it when i finish it. I just shot it using my d50 and a wireless IR remote taking pictures every 3-5 seconds or so.

Was definitely a fun experience!

04/22/2009 11:16:48 PM · #9

well i just ordered myself one for kicks and giggles. its a miniscule price considered to my normal camera equiptment, so if i hate it im not totally screwed:)

04/22/2009 11:31:44 PM · #10

Originally posted by GeneralE:

I just might try something after the end of this month, and I'll definitely share my results, successful or not :)

And JDubs, now you'll have to give us a review after your new toy arrives!

04/22/2009 11:35:28 PM · #11

Originally posted by BeeCee:

Originally posted by GeneralE:
I think it turns the camera on and off between exposures, or goes into some low-power sleep mode. It is limited to 100 exposures, and I know I can usually get more like 300 on a freshly-charged set of batteries, so I figure it would be OK.

Check in the manual under "Intervalometer" (or as I like to think of it, Interval-O-Meter) for the details. Since you seem to have an adequate "back-up camera" available, you have nothing to lose by setting up the S2 and trying it out; just be sure to report the results!

I was going to set up a camelia bud in a vase under a fluorescent light, set a custom white-balance, and use its Super-Macro mode to pretty much fill the frame with the final bloom, almost 4 days later; I used a full bloom to set up the framing ...

I just might try something after the end of this month, and I'll definitely share my results, successful or not :)

And JDubs, now you'll have to give us a review after your new toy arrives!

of course:) I want to do some shots of my peas growing. i want to see all the little curlys grow

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

04/22/2009 11:46:53 PM · #12

A pumpkin would be a great one for this. Those suckers grow so fast you can literally watch it if you're patient. We had one that sprung from the jack-o-lantern guts in the compost pile and we staked a tape measure by one branch so the kids could keep track. That thing grew 6 inches a day at its peak.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

04/22/2009 11:55:13 PM · #13

When I was a freshman in high school I was taking Biology, and some large (20ft high, 2-4in diameter) bamboo growing in our side yard decided to send up some shoots. As a natural/obvious science project, I mapped out the sprouts and measured them each day before and after school ... there was one specimen which one day in that time grew just over one meter. Talk about being able to sit around and watch the grass grow ... :-)

04/23/2009 12:01:53 AM · #14

Originally posted by GeneralE:

ive heard bamboo is really impressive. too bad it wouldnt last a second up here. ill try a pumpkin though(even though they never actually grow me pumpkins lol)

04/23/2009 12:55:41 AM · #15

Our bamboo doesn't grow that fast, thank goodness! I guess it depends on the variety.

Since I'm impatient, I was thinking about trying this first with one of those grow-your-own men that expand in water. I need a new man anyway :D

SaraR

Sony Alpha a7R III

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

04/23/2009 01:57:54 AM · #16

Originally posted by BeeCee:

Since I'm impatient, I was thinking about trying this first with one of those grow-your-own men that expand in water. I need a new man anyway :D

I didn't know you could grow your own man - are they more compliant than the oven-ready ones?

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

05/02/2009 07:36:19 PM · #17

i think i killed the camer:/ or at least the memory recorder in it

NathanWert

Canon EOS-90D

05/02/2009 09:12:35 PM · #18

I've done time-lapse on only two things, and neither lasted more than an hour and a half (burning building and putting up the Christmas tree).

I would think that placing your normal camera outside for an extended period of time would/could be bad for your camera. Then there is attempting to use your camera while at the same time doing the time-lapse. Which means you'd have to replace the camera in the same place every day. Positioning the camera would be a pain.

I can see doing a time-lapse of a flower blooming, but not from the ground up.

NathanWert

Canon EOS-90D

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

05/02/2009 09:13:03 PM · #19

Oh yeah, the time lapses I've done were also all recorded directly onto my computer and not on the camera.

Mal37

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

05/02/2009 11:44:59 PM · #20

I put togather a time-lapse tutorial a while back. It might help you get started.

For an outdoor time-lapse, you might want to consider finding an older powershot camera (it only has to be 3MP for an HD video) and devising a shelter to protect it from the weather. You will have to figure a way to get AC to it as well as find either a timer remote or connect it to a computer somehow. Sounds like a fun project! Good Luck!

For indoor plants (much easier) do check out the link!

05/03/2009 12:37:16 AM · #21

Originally posted by nickp37:

thanks for the link!

05/03/2009 12:36:54 PM · #22

Originally posted by JDubsgirl:

i think i killed the camer:/ or at least the memory recorder in it

Details, girl, details! :P
How far did you get? What happened? Inquiring minds want to know... :)

05/03/2009 01:10:36 PM · #23

Originally posted by BeeCee:

Originally posted by JDubsgirl:
i think i killed the camer:/ or at least the memory recorder in it

Details, girl, details! :P
How far did you get? What happened? Inquiring minds want to know... :)

well i did a few videos but my computer was acting funky with the avi files and then the next time i plugged in the memory(its just a special flash drive) it said it needed to be formated. so i tried to format it but it couldnt finish formatting it. so now the comupter doesnt even recognize it as having to do with the camera.

so im going to tell the company its being stupid and that i didnt do it:)

05/03/2009 01:32:16 PM · #24

Lol, of course you didn't! But now I'm a-skeered to try....