Making a timelapse with my D40. Need some answers to my questions.
24 replies, posted
So I've been planning on making a short "test" timelapse video of the sunset at a beach nearby, and I've got some questions.
1. How many batteries would I need in order to make a 1000/1500 picture timelapse. How long can 2 fully loaded batteries take pictures?
2. How should I take the pictures when I don't own an intervalometer? I have a remote for my D40, but that's pretty much it. What "strategy" or whatever should I use?
3. Making the pictures into a timelapse afterwards: How do I do it? What Frames Per Second should I use? What is the best "free" program that can do this?
4. Lens: I've got a 35mm f/1.8 Nikkor lens, and the 18-55 stock lens. They both have their good and bid sides. The 35mm has a good "manual focus" since it stays in place always, while the 18-55mm one has a weak manual focus that moves with just the smallest push and can take the focus out of the picture, but it has a wider view. Which one should I take?
5. Camera settings: How should I keep them? How should I change them? How do I change them in a way it becomes virtually un-noticable on the video afterwards?
I'd really appreciate answers, and more advice is very welcome.
1. Not that many, even with brand new batteries. Use a battery grip for extra power.
2. You'll need an intervalometer, just get one off ebay for £15.
3. I don't know :v:
4. Just autofocus the 18-55 and flick the af/m switch to m and leave it or go to settings and turn off autofocus once it's focused.
5. Put it in manual everything (including white balance) and find the correct exposure, compensating for the light that will change.
Is there even an Intervalometer that would work with a D40?
Or do they work with all brands?
Not sure, try searching on google. :)
Use 24 fps or 30fps. anything else looks distracting to most people.
without an Intervalometer, you could try to use some camera control software with your computer.
Thought that would mean carrying a laptop with you the entire time
You'd still need to get the correct cable, AFAIK, you can't use the USB port to control the camera.
[QUOTE=Roll_Program;29763255]You'd still need to get the correct cable, AFAIK, you can't use the USB port to control the camera.[/QUOTE]
Actually you can, I am able to use it to shoot using my computer.
I tried with my D90, didn't know Nikon's could do that.
[b]1[/b] dunno.
[b]2[/b] I have a canon that came some stuff that allows me to use my netbook to adjust time intervals, maybe nikon has something similar?
[b]3[/b]I've only made one timelapse so this is what I found to be helpful for figuring out how many pictures you need to take and the interval between them.
Say you want to your video to last 1min in real time at 24fps so that would be.
24fps x 60seconds = 1440 pictures
Ok and assume the event lasts 2 hours then...
7200seconds / 1440 pictures = 5 sec interval.
Virtual Dub can mash the pictures together and then you can edit the video in some other program like Sony Vegas or AE.
I thought you could program a TI calculator to work as an intervalometer.
You can, but I'm pretty sure you need some weird cable.
You just need a 2.5mm cable, the kind used in those cabled cell phone headsets. They're cheap. I made an intervalometer that way. But I guess it doesn't work on a lot of Nikon cameras.
I think I'm going to try with my laptop. I am unsure though how long the laptop battery can stay alive. Do you guys think it will last for about 4 hours?
[QUOTE=booster;29773017]I think I'm going to try with my laptop. I am unsure though how long the laptop battery can stay alive. Do you guys think it will last for about 4 hours?[/QUOTE]
Possibly. Make the screen turn off but don't make it go into standby or shut down. Shut down all uneeded programs, disable the wifi/bluetooth, etc.
My netbook gets about 8 hours running a very minimal Linux install with everything disabled.
[QUOTE=FalseLogic;29772432]You just need a 2.5mm cable, the kind used in those cabled cell phone headsets. They're cheap. I made an intervalometer that way. But I guess it doesn't work on a lot of Nikon cameras.[/QUOTE]
That's neat. Most of what I do in math class is program on my calculator so now I'd be able to play with cool intervals, or intervals that take a shot when you lose a game or something.
[QUOTE=Roll_Program;29763838]I tried with my D90, didn't know Nikon's could do that.[/QUOTE]
My D90 works using the USB.
I can usually get up to 2k-3k shots on a single charge, but that's because many of them are in bursts.
You'll probably be able to get near 1000 shots though.
[editline]12th May 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Miskatonic;29766836]I thought you could program a TI calculator to work as an intervalometer.[/QUOTE]
Only on Canon sadly. I've tried with my D90 to no success.
I made a few timelapses myself, so I have some experience:
[media]http://youtu.be/RjBpCHPxEBw[/media]
[media]http://youtu.be/zHk7iY_JKxA[/media]
(Keep in mind that those are only test shots!)
1. You can't really tell how much photos you will get for it always depends on the temperature outside aswell as on the shutter speed - I can get 500 shots from a single loaded battery when it's daylight, at night I will get about 200. Nonetheless you're going good with having 2 batteries.
2. There's a little program called DCamCapture (google it!) which is a great possibility to make timelapses: You simply connect the camera to your notebook, insert all informations (duration, number of pictures the camera shall shot, intervalls and so on) and there you go.
3. There's a program called ImagesToVideo which is pretty nice for cutting all images into one video without any loss of quality. For the test-shots above I used a framerate of 30 fps = 300 pictures in 10 seconds.
4. It depends on whatever you want to photograph. I assume you want to make a timelapse of a city or some shit, so I would recommend you a wide-angle lens but since you haven't got one in your equipment you're going good with 18mm. Don't forget: ALWAYS use a tripod! Also when you start: let the camera focus automatically and after the first "test-photo" set the focus to manual.
5. Bear in mind that you should never keep the white balance on automatic, instead find the white balance which fits your needs - otherwise your video will be flickering. Also it depends on what time you choose to make a timelapse. When it's bright outside and the sun is shining you can leave the settings on manual with a aperture and shutter speed you like. When you want to have a video which shows the transitions from day to night or vice versa you should choose a manual aperture but let the camera pick the shutter speed for you.
Hope that helped a little bit! When you have more questions just ask. ;)
[QUOTE=TedStriker;29813772]I made a few timelapses myself, so I have some experience:
[media]http://youtu.be/RjBpCHPxEBw[/media]
[media]http://youtu.be/zHk7iY_JKxA[/media]
(Keep in mind that those are only test shots!)
1. You can't really tell how much photos you will get for it always depends on the temperature outside aswell as on the shutter speed - I can get 500 shots from a single loaded battery when it's daylight, at night I will get about 200. Nonetheless you're going good with having 2 batteries.
2. There's a little program called DCamCapture (google it!) which is a great possibility to make timelapses: You simply connect the camera to your notebook, insert all informations (duration, number of pictures the camera shall shot, intervalls and so on) and there you go.
3. There's a program called ImagesToVideo which is pretty nice for cutting all images into one video without any loss of quality. For the test-shots above I used a framerate of 30 fps = 300 pictures in 10 seconds.
4. It depends on whatever you want to photograph. I assume you want to make a timelapse of a city or some shit, so I would recommend you a wide-angle lens but since you haven't got one in your equipment you're going good with 18mm. Don't forget: ALWAYS use a tripod! Also when you start: let the camera focus automatically and after the first "test-photo" set the focus to manual.
5. Bear in mind that you should never keep the white balance on automatic, instead find the white balance which fits your needs - otherwise your video will be flickering. Also it depends on what time you choose to make a timelapse. When it's bright outside and the sun is shining you can leave the settings on manual with a aperture and shutter speed you like. When you want to have a video which shows the transitions from day to night or vice versa you should choose a manual aperture but let the camera pick the shutter speed for you.
Hope that helped a little bit! When you have more questions just ask. ;)[/QUOTE]
Everytime I try to connect my camera with DCamCapture. It just freezes :frown:
Try to reinstall it and then start it with windows vista compatibility-mode.
[QUOTE=TedStriker;29818177]Try to reinstall it and then start it with windows vista compatibility-mode.[/QUOTE]
Thanks! It worked
My first step is done
[media][URL]http://youtube.com/watch?v=w5PdfdFuEsk[/URL][/media]
My eyes are ready.
[QUOTE=booster;29891896]My first step is done
[media][URL]http://youtube.com/watch?v=w5PdfdFuEsk[/URL][/media][/QUOTE]
That looks [b]very[/b] promising albeit the subject is a bit bland in my opinion
[editline]18th May 2011[/editline]
I could use your experience afterwards, I have a D60 and it wouldn't be a bad idea to try this.
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