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Switching off display during running scripts

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Switching off display during running scripts
« on: 25 / May / 2011, 16:20:42 »
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Hi,

I have an SX200 and wanted to create a timelapse video, and I want to extend battery life by switching off the display.
Is that possible to do? A key combination would be preferable to be able to toggle it.

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Offline fudgey

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Re: Switching off display during running scripts
« Reply #1 on: 25 / May / 2011, 16:24:48 »
Just turn the display off before running the script. Then alt+shoot will start the script and display will stay powered off (until the script does something that powers it on again, such as shoots).

Or, emulate the button presses with script commands at start of the script.

Re: Switching off display during running scripts
« Reply #2 on: 26 / May / 2011, 02:06:02 »
Unfortunately there is no menu entry for manual LCD off, only to automatically switch it off after x seconds to save power, the least is 10 secs. I set disable LCD off to never in CHDK then run an intervalometer script to test.

I set the script to shoot in every 10 seconds, the LCD turned off, the script shot, LCD came back and stayed on until the script shot again, which again did not let it turn off, so all in all the LCD would be on all the time. :(

Re: Switching off display during running scripts
« Reply #3 on: 26 / May / 2011, 08:35:49 »
It happens just the same with my A470 (firmware GM1.00E E18, Jan 8 2008): there is no way to switch off the LCD via software/script, but plugging a jack in the output socket. Only worked once with older build I do not remember and a script that includes an option to switch off the display after n frames/shots (lua script by Fraser McCrossan; accurate intervalometer with power-saving and pre-focus, a really great contribution).

Re: Switching off display during running scripts
« Reply #4 on: 26 / May / 2011, 09:07:20 »
May be someone with programming skills could fix this bug with these models and, also important, improve CHDK.

Re: Switching off display during running scripts
« Reply #5 on: 26 / May / 2011, 09:11:15 »
there is no way to switch off the LCD via software/script, but plugging a jack in the output socket.

I have no jack socket on my SX200, so I tried plugging in the USB without success. :(

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Offline msl

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Re: Switching off display during running scripts
« Reply #6 on: 26 / May / 2011, 11:27:17 »
Cameras without an optical viewfinder can't switch off the display.

With script command set_backlight you can switch off the backlight. That should save some power. But remember after each shoot you have to set the command again because the camera turn on the backlight.

msl
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Re: Switching off display during running scripts
« Reply #7 on: 26 / May / 2011, 11:46:37 »
Cameras without an optical viewfinder can't switch off the display.

False, for power saving purposes there is a menu for LCD off!

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Offline msl

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Re: Switching off display during running scripts
« Reply #8 on: 26 / May / 2011, 13:20:38 »
False, for power saving purposes there is a menu for LCD off!

That is not the right function! Cameras with optical viewfinder have a button to turn off the screen. The menu entry for power saving is another thing. This is a time-dependent function.

For the SX200 you can only disable the backlight when using a script.

msl
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Offline fe50

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Re: Switching off display during running scripts
« Reply #9 on: 27 / May / 2011, 00:51:19 »
The menu entry for power saving is another thing. This is a time-dependent function.
Correct; a display-off function only disables the LCD & the backlight - the power saving mechanism disables also the sensor & some other elctronics...

 

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