Device for timelapse?

[Alex]

Hello lastcoyote. I have always used cameras that use internal time lapse devices. However, the slowest one I have ever seen is 2-4 minutes per inteval. I think that should be long enough if what you want to film won't take more than 5 days. Then you can pick and choose the frames you want when you edit via NLE.

I'm assuming your editing via NLE.

There are a couple of time-lapse devices that are sold, but I don't know how long the duration is and I've now forgotten who was selling them.

One other thing to consider is whether or not you will be locking your exposure control. If you don't lock it, it's possible to wear out the exposure meter because it's on the whole time.

[Alex]

I found this link

Intervalometer.com

[lastcoyote]

Thanks Alex, well.. in fact I'm going to timelapsing the plants. which 2 minutes is too less. I'm thinking of at least an hour per shot.. or longer the better.

By the way, you remind me about the batteries. A friend built me a device, I plug it in the remote jet of the Bauer. Next morning the batteries out without a single shot taken. I think the batteries out because of the lightmeter huh?!

Thanks

[lastcoyote]

Hi I'm new in the list, I would like to know if there is any device, or I can DIY myself that allow me to take a shot 1/15 minutes... and switchable to 1/30 minutes... or even 1/1hour.?

I'm using Bauer 107XL and Nizo 801Macro, both have electronic shutter port.

thanks.!

[Alex]

That's a puzzle.

Most cameras should run for at least 24-36 hours at the superslow intervalometer speed if the batteries that were used were completely new.

[etimh]

Hey Alex, I asked this question on that "other" board, with no responses.

I was wondering about the difference between the interval timing of the 814XL-S and the Minoltas under discussion (XL 401/XL 601). The 814XL-S (my primary camera) has "set" intervals, 1 sec., 5 sec., 20 sec., 60 sec., as you know.

Do the Minoltas have some kind of "variable" timer that differs from the set times on the Canon? It appears in pictures of the various Minoltas that you can rotate a dial to set the interval from 1 to 60 seconds and anywhere in between.

If this is the case, is there any advantage to having this "variable" timer as opposed to the set times?

Are you familiar with these cameras and the difference (if any) I'm talking about?

Thanks.

Tim

[Alex]

Great questions Tim!

The biggest disadvantage to variable time-lapse is that you don't know what the interval is until you actually count 1,2,3, etc... and hopefully you are counting accurately enough to mimic actual seconds going by.

Here's the big down side to the variable time-lapse dials that don't have preset choices. Lets say the camera interval is at 18 seconds, but you want to be at 45 seconds. It can take several minutes to pin point the spot on the variable time lapse that will give you the 45 second interval.

Sometimes when you go to turn the interval it will "jump" from 5 seconds to 12 seconds, with nothing much in between. This can be annoying at times.

However, the cameras with built in interval settings tend to have big gaps that one may not like.

I tend to like the Canon pre-set choices of 1 second, 5 seconds, 20 seconds, and 1 minute. If I had to choose 4 pre-set settings, those would be the 4 choices I would want.

Some variable intervalometers will go to minutes and beyond, but once again, it gets tedious just standing there and counting.

[etimh]

Perfect Alex! Thanks so much for answering this.

Definitely cleared up my confusion and convinced me of the right way to go.

Cheers.

Tim