What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set? - General Help and Assistance on using CHDK stable releases - CHDK Forum
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What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set?

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Offline robrobbob

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What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set?
« on: 19 / February / 2009, 12:17:26 »
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Hi all,

I've been using Chdk on my S3 for a while, what a great firmware patch! 

I'd like to set up my camera on a tripod and have it take a photo every minute or two of something, what's the best way to do so with CHDK?  I worry about my battery running out after a few hours, are there ways to get around that?
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Offline Microfunguy

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Re: What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set?
« Reply #1 on: 19 / February / 2009, 12:26:11 »
Quote from: robrobbob on 19 / February / 2009, 12:17:26
I worry about my battery running out after a few hours, are there ways to get around that?

Read this page http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/sdm/tlapse.htm

There is an option to turn-off the screen.

You can go through the examples here http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/sdm/tlapse2.htm
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Offline PhyrePhoX

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Re: What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set?
« Reply #2 on: 20 / February / 2009, 02:54:27 »
you would have to install SDM for this, a fact Microfunguy somehow forgot to mention.

If you still want to use CHDK, there are a lot of interval scripts floating around. Just add the command to turn off display and you're set. Also, plugging in a headphone jack into the av-out will disable the display as well, maximizing time. you should also set cam to manual focus, which will save energy as well.
but perhaps a better script writer is of more help to you than me.
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Offline fudgey

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Re: What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set?
« Reply #3 on: 20 / February / 2009, 03:00:45 »
Quote from: PhyrePhoX on 20 / February / 2009, 02:54:27
you should also set cam to manual focus, which will save energy as well.

Actually that's true only if delay between shots is short, because in manual focus mode camera input current is increased. AFAIK, nobody's tried to find out how much energy it takes to focus once compared to that increase, so I can't tell where's the limit.

But otherwise manual focus indeed should be used to prevent focus from failing in the dark and floating around when it's not dark (unless you need focus to follow closeby objects in your timelapse), and also to stress the focus mechanism less (could affect your camera's lifetime eventually).
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Offline barret

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Re: What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set?
« Reply #4 on: 20 / February / 2009, 04:24:04 »
when I'm making timelapses with tripod, i try to disable as much functions as possible: i set fixed Av, manual focus, no review, no stabilizing, LCD off... i just turn off everything i can.

also, using power supply is a good idea :)

you might also want to disable power saving functions for such long delays between shots (i think 3 minutes is max).
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Offline robrobbob

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Re: What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set?
« Reply #5 on: 05 / March / 2009, 09:39:00 »
Quote from: barret on 20 / February / 2009, 04:24:04
when I'm making timelapses with tripod, i try to disable as much functions as possible: i set fixed Av, manual focus, no review, no stabilizing, LCD off... i just turn off everything i can.

also, using power supply is a good idea :)

you might also want to disable power saving functions for such long delays between shots (i think 3 minutes is max).

Thanks for the replies!  I'll try to get a power adapter for it, that sounds like a good idea and I'll try it out with manual focus...
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Offline robrobbob

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Re: What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set?
« Reply #6 on: 20 / March / 2009, 15:01:21 »
Another question for you guys.  Is there a risk that I'll wear out my camera if I run an interval script on it for about 8 hours?  I'd like to do that, with 1 minute intervals...
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Offline fe50

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Re: What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set?
« Reply #7 on: 20 / March / 2009, 15:25:48 »
Quote from: robrobbob on 20 / March / 2009, 15:01:21
Another question for you guys.  Is there a risk that I'll wear out my camera if I run an interval script on it for about 8 hours?  I'd like to do that, with 1 minute intervals...

No !

8 hours = 8 * 60 minutes --> 480 pictures, that's absolutely nothing, we have well working Powershots with over 50.000 shots here in the forum...

Serving energy for 8 hours could be a problem for you - you can use a external power supply, maybe your camera can also run for 8 hours with an optimized script (power management, display off)...
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Offline fudgey

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Re: What's the best way to do a multi hour time lapse set?
« Reply #8 on: 21 / March / 2009, 10:14:59 »
yea, the number of shots is small and it's not a problem to have it powered on for that long either, I've had mine outside for three days straight (more than once) shooting with 10 to 20 second periods...from external power of course.

But of course any risk is yours, a pigeon could poop on it :D.
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Offline fe50

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« Reply #9 on: 21 / March / 2009, 15:13:28 »
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