View Full Version : How to make a Timelapse like this with video or only Photo? Settings?


Andy Corleone
March 22nd, 2009, 04:15 AM
Hi, I'm interested in do a time lapse like this:

Stock Video Footage: Tokyo Rainbow Bridge - Sharp HD time lapse (http://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/308160/tokyo-rainbow-bridge-sharp-hd-time-lapse.html)

but Have a Few Questions:
1) He used Video Camera or Photo Camera? (I think was photo right?)
2) How many shoots Do need to have that look? i meant I assume was at 25fps or is slower? (So for a 10sec Clip I wil need 250 images?)
3) Whihc is the best Speed, Aperture, ISO people recomend for a night shot like this? (I think I read a 5sec shot is a standard trick right?)
4) Which frecuency I have to take one image from the other?

thanks in advace for any coment.

Philipp Straehl
March 28th, 2009, 02:34 PM
I assume it was a video camera, because the boats move very smoothly. But you can get similar results with still cameras or webcams in single frame mode. I was able to create good looking time-lapse footage with 1600x1200 pixel resolution using a webam and a software that captures a frame every 3 seconds. If objects move relatively fast, you must go for 1 fps or 5 fps. For slower moving objects like clouds, one frame at every 3-5 second is enough.

The only difficult part is the automatic white balance and gain settings, which can significantly change after some seconds; the result is flickering. With a webcam, there is this limitation, you have to switch off all automatic settings. With a good still camera however, it may be possible to find a solution for this (I don't own and never owned a good still camera, therefore I don't know).

Here is another good time-lapse footage (I don't know how it is done):
YouTube - Sydney East Suburbs time lapse last of 08 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kauc_gqN_10)

It is in HD, and with Firefox and the appropriate plugin you can download the mp4 (around 80 MB).

EDIT: ah, I just saw that the Tokyo timelapse was made with a Nikon D300. So I was wrong.