Easiest way to do a 4 hour time lapse WITHOUT a laptop

inkiboo

inkiboo

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What would the expert here recommend for doing a 4 hour time lapse WITHOUT a laptop.

I know I can get Nikon Capture to take a photo at regular intervals but need a solution without a laptop.

Ideally 10 second intervals.

Any suggestions welcome
 
What camera have you got?

I have a programmable timer remote for my Nikon D300s, which you can set shutter speeds, interval timers, how many shots to take etc.

On higher end Nikons you can also set it all in the camera.
 
Ebay wired timer. Should be around £20 for your camera.
 
stumeech said:
What camera have you got?

I have a programmable timer remote for my Nikon D300s, which you can set shutter speeds, interval timers, how many shots to take etc.

On higher end Nikons you can also set it all in the camera.
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Well that's quite embarrassing; not knowing the features of my camera.

Do any compacts/bridge cameras offer similar functionality? It's a project within work so there is some scope to buy equipment. A G12 sized camera would be perfect or a small Nikon/Canon dSLR.
 
inkiboo said:
Do any compacts/bridge cameras offer similar functionality? It's a project within work so there is some scope to buy equipment. A G12 sized camera would be perfect or a small Nikon/Canon dSLR.
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Your biggest problem with compacts is the battery life. You are talking about 1440 shots whereas the average battery life of a high end compact will give you about 400 or so.

You'd be better off using one of the agency D3 variants as the battery life should be up to it and you can dual card.

I'm basing this on the premise that if you can't tether, then you won't be able to use a mains adapter either.
 
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If you run CHDK (google it) on a Canon compact that has worked well for me in the past. Gives you masses of control so set whatever interval you want. That was on a G9 but you'd need to check whether the newer ones work.
 
stumeech said:
What camera have you got?

I have a programmable timer remote for my Nikon D300s, which you can set shutter speeds, interval timers, how many shots to take etc.

On higher end Nikons you can also set it all in the camera.
Click to expand...

D300s can do interval timer too, built in ;)

OP, yeah, either a high end camera, or a low end canon camera running chdk, and some sort of modded power supply is probably your way forward tbh.
 
inkiboo said:
Do any compacts/bridge cameras offer similar functionality? It's a project within work so there is some scope to buy equipment. A G12 sized camera would be perfect or a small Nikon/Canon dSLR.
Click to expand...

Nikon Coolpix P7000 has an intervalometer ( interval timer built in) and you can get a mains adapter to power it. Interval settings are 30s, 1min 5 mins and 10 mins.

Allan
 
inkiboo said:
It's a project within work so there is some scope to buy equipment.
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Have your company not got any laptops you can use. The software supplied with Canon cameras work really well, don't know about others. I ran a full timelapsed shot over 12 hours of having some kit delivered, one shot every 10 secs. Be warned about wear and tear though - I shot around 5000 shots
 
Byker28i said:
Have your company not got any laptops you can use. The software supplied with Canon cameras work really well, don't know about others. I ran a full timelapsed shot over 12 hours of having some kit delivered, one shot every 10 secs. Be warned about wear and tear though - I shot around 5000 shots
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Inkiboo works for one of the world's largest and most powerful photographic agencies, so I'm assuming that the no laptop restriction is physical rather than budgetary! :)
 
I have no idea how to do this on Nikon kit, or without a laptop...but I'm more interested in what you're time-lapsing inkiboo. :suspect:
 
DemiLion said:
Inkiboo works for one of the world's largest and most powerful photographic agencies, so I'm assuming that the no laptop restriction is physical rather than budgetary! :)
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ooh yeah, just remembered that...lol.


Certainly any pro nikon camera can do it right off interval timer is a setting in the shooting menu, and as long as it's not a million shots the battery should hold out fine for 4 hours... just grab a D3. Practice in advance, the settings can be a touch...cryptic lol
 
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DemiLion said:
Inkiboo works for one of the world's largest and most powerful photographic agencies, so I'm assuming that the no laptop restriction is physical rather than budgetary! :)
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Indeed it is. It's an outdoor time lapse so water proofing a camera is relatively easy but waterproofing our existing laptops is a little what problematic.
 
Pretty much all recent prosumer/pro Nikons can do this - it only gets tricky if you need more than 999 shots. 4 hours at 6 / min would be annoying. 15 sec interval would be easier.

I've also used a G9 with the CHDK hack and it's cool but doubt a battery would last 4 hours.

Here's a t/l shot with D3 and D5000.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLuuofnpjGM - from memory that's about 6 hours plus.

As for waterproofing a laptop.....peli case with some gaffer tape covering the gap where the cable comes out should do it.
 
jamesb84 said:
Not that I want to get your snappers into trouble...but I don't think the waterproofing thing is actually that high on their list of concerns! :nuts:

Oh the stories I could tell...however, they can all tell stories about me. :eek:
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Oh, I am more than aware (and guilty of it myself).

What I should have said that it is easier to waterproof a camera than it is to waterproof a laptop. I take the point of a laptop but if you are leaving this to run for 4 hours then we need to power the laptop as well, waterproof etc.

D7000/D300s seems the way to go.
 
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