RAW images enabled accidentally on interval. How do I disable? - RAW Shooting and Processing - CHDK Forum

RAW images enabled accidentally on interval. How do I disable?

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I've been using CHDK and the interval.bas script on A460 cameras I attach to race cars to get on-track shots (example) for over a year now, and I've been very happy with the results. The only problem has been that sometimes the "shoot RAW" option becomes enabled while I'm going through the sequence of setting up the camera after attaching it to the car, and the memory card gets filled up with a few hundred RAW images instead of 2,000+ JPG images. Since perhaps 0.5% of the images I get are usable, this is a problem.

I'm a race official as well as a journalist covering the event, so the camera installation and setup always takes place under some serious time pressure, during the short interval between the driver's meeting and putting the cars on the track. Typical sequence:

1. Screw/ziptie camera to mounting bracket on car.
2. Boot camera to CHDK.
3. Enable CHDK via "print" button on camera.
4. Check settings to ensure that interval script is enabled and configured correctly. During this time I always check to ensure that the "Save RAW" option is not checked.
5. Disable CHDK via "print" button on camera.
6. Turn LCD display off, to save battery life (this being an endurance race, the camera will be on the car and shooting for at least 8 hours). If I could find a way to turn off the display via CHDK, I'd do it, but this system works.
7. Enable CHDK via "print" button on camera.
8. Press shutter button to start interval script. Tell driver to hit the track.

When I get the camera back at the end of the race session, I often find that RAW shooting has been enabled at some point after Step 4. This never happens on the SD800IS I use sometimes, only on the A460. My photographs are used for online publication, maximum size 1600 pixels wide, and so I have no use for the higher quality of RAW images. Quantity is what I want.

So, I'd like to be able to do one of two things:
1. Completely disable CHDK's ability to shoot RAW images, or
2. Figure out what default setting or sequence of inputs I'm using that causes RAW shooting to become enabled.

Any advice?

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Offline reyalp

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Re: RAW images enabled accidentally on interval. How do I disable?
« Reply #1 on: 29 / April / 2011, 12:36:03 »
What you describe is probably the "raw shortcut". See http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK_User_Manual#Key_Shortcuts

Fortunately, you can control the raw setting in script, so it should be sufficient to put set_raw 0 (or set_raw(0) if the script is in lua) somewhere near the start of the script.

You can similarly have the script press the "display" button to turn off the display, but that will probably need to check which mode it is in because it cycles through several.

If you post the script you are using, I can make these modifications for you.

Longtime fan of your automotive writing :)
Don't forget what the H stands for.

Re: RAW images enabled accidentally on interval. How do I disable?
« Reply #2 on: 29 / April / 2011, 18:58:26 »
You mean like this?

rem Interval shooting

@title Interval shooting
@param a Shoot count
@default a 10
@param b Interval (Minutes)
@default b 0
@param c Interval (Seconds)
@default c 10

set_raw 0

t=b*60000+c*1000
if a<2 then let a=10
if t<1000 then let t=1000

print "Total time:", t*a/60000; "min", t*a%60000/1000; "sec"

sleep 1000

print "Shoot 1 of", a
shoot
for n=2 to a
    sleep t
    print "Shoot", n, "of", a
    shoot
next n

end

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Offline reyalp

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Re: RAW images enabled accidentally on interval. How do I disable?
« Reply #3 on: 29 / April / 2011, 21:24:20 »
That should  ensure raw is off.
Don't forget what the H stands for.

Re: RAW images enabled accidentally on interval. How do I disable?
« Reply #4 on: 29 / April / 2011, 23:33:40 »
Cool, thanks for the help.

*

Offline reyalp

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  • 14125
Re: RAW images enabled accidentally on interval. How do I disable?
« Reply #5 on: 30 / April / 2011, 00:36:17 »
If you want to have the script turn off the display, putting the following just after set_raw should do it on a460
Code: [Select]
if get_display_mode = 2 then
goto "dispoff"
endif
click "display"
goto "checkdisp"

:dispoff

This will probably only work on cameras that have an optical viewfinder.
Don't forget what the H stands for.

Re: RAW images enabled accidentally on interval. How do I disable?
« Reply #6 on: 30 / April / 2011, 11:24:31 »
The display-off code works great. Since I'm always setting up the camera with a bunch of panicky racers swarming over their hoopty in the few minutes before the green flag (never mind that we drop the green on a random car and so getting onto the track first makes no difference), anything that reduces the number of steps I need to take during setup is a big help. Thanks!

 

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