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Time laps - need info ASAPNor'easter moving in Thursday. :(

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Posted by Draggar: Tue Dec 27th, 2016 12:35

1^st Post

We have a Nor'easter (and a real one, not the ones our local news loves to hype up) moving in Thursday and I would like to get a good time lapse (my iPad will do it but I'll need it for entertainment).

I'm thinking my D5500 will be good for it but last time I did it I got very few pictures (and no AC charger that plugs into the camera) - maybe 100. I am going to try to get as much out of it as possible - even get the battery to a full charge before I start.

As of now, they're expecting it to start around 11am or noon on Thursday and go though the night into Friday morning, so I may need 24 hours of shooting (wow). They're now predicting 14-18 inches of snow (that estimate keeps going up - and oddly it's almost 60 out now).

I think last time I had it take a picture every 15 seconds - I think my iPad does every 30 so I may try that. Maybe even a lower resolution to help with battery life? I'll have the setup between a curtain and the window so internal lights shouldn't be an issue.

My memory card shouldn't be an issue, though.

Posted by jk: Tue Dec 27th, 2016 13:03

2^nd Post

I think one picture every minute or even every 5 minutes will give you a nice result. I think more often is overkill in a 24hr period.
That would equate to 288 (every 5mins) or 1440 (every minute) images. You then need to put them into a good software to make a time lapse.

The critical issues are.

1. You need an Intervalometer, It is located in the menus of your D5500.

2. Large enough SD card in camera. If you shoot JPGs then it should be OK but with changing light conditions then you will get colour casts so shooting RAW is a better option. I guess that would mean a 32GB or 64GB SD card.

3. Powering the camera continuously for 24hrs. You really need an external PSU for the camera. I think this may be your main issue. You need one of these.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EH-5-EH-5A-EH-5B-EP-5A-AC-Power-Adapter-kit-for-Nikon-D5200-D5100-D3200-D3100/111103970071?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D38661%26meid%3D2299b4cc2ada43aea4b9d901a0162fb4%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D322326411476

4. Processing the images and converting into a movie file will need a good piece of software. You will needs plenty of HDD space and RAM on your computer to do this.

Good luck.
If you want help with software you need to tell us what type of computer you use. Mac or Windows?

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Posted by Robert: Tue Dec 27th, 2016 13:40

3^rd Post

Go for smaller JPEG's they use less battery to save. For action with people I use 20 seconds, stars and star trails 30 seconds.

I would have thought minute intervals for weather pix? If 24 Hrs, you WILL have exposure issues. You will need to manage dusk and dawn manually. Preferably by doing tethered shooting with a laptop. You need to gradually expand the ISO at dusk together with increasing the shutter times. If left on full auto with auto ISO I understand strange things happen when the camera runs out of range on one setting and it can ruin the set.

There is a tutorial on the Lonely Speck website I think. If not look up "Holy Grail time-lapse" because it's one of the harder time-lapse sequences to master due to the exposure range you have to adjust for. Especially with snow scenes, going from white out to black out and back to white out!

I plan to do one some time but not quite got around to it yet. Been too busy this year.

I think I would budget for another battery, even with three batteries I have struggled with my D300s on long sessions over a couple of hours. I did one for two 8 hour days and it was a challenge getting the next replacement batteries charged before the next one was flat.

Oh! and set long exposure noise reduction to off. It takes the same time to reduce the noise as the exposure and it eats batteries!

____________________
Robert.

Posted by jk: Tue Dec 27th, 2016 14:14

4^th Post

Oh I also forgot to mention.
Use camera in Manual Focus mode else it will hunt on snowflakes, etc in the night light!

Remember if you manually change battery you need to reset your intervalometer, etc and start all over again. Hence the need for a mains psu insert.

____________________
Still learning after all these years!
https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none

Posted by Draggar: Tue Dec 27th, 2016 14:22

5^th Post

Computer, HDD, RAM - not an issue. I've done video editing and 8mm to digital conversions on it. :D

I've done some basics before and the Nikon software didn't do a bad job with it - I think I mainly need to learn timing and settings.

The external power supply is on my list (and maybe a thought w/ my Amazon gift cards instead of a lens?).

Manually changing - we'll see how that goes. I don't remember if my camera came with a USB cable (probably did - and it's somewhere) and Nikon probably has software to help with that.

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