I will be starting a long Archaeology documentary shoot spread over three years to be shot on two HD251e cameras and i have been asked to draw up a wish list of equipment i will need.One of my clients requests is a time lapse camera that will record for possibly three months, I don't have much experience with time lapse i.e what the best camera is to use, power requirements etc .

I am aware most prosumer cameras can shoot some form of time lapse however as it is over a three month period I don't see those working due to power requirements.

What I need to know is are there any cameras specifically designed for the purpose of timelapse that someone has had experience with?.And how does the power supply work? do they need mains power? if not how does the battery work over so long a time?. They have a large budget so any suggestions are most welcome.

I have six months before I begin so I am doing my homework and dvinfo was my first port of call.

Thanks in advance.

Andy.

What do you define as "time lapse"??? How often do you need a picture taken?? (I can't imagine you'd need them very often on a dig..)

You could even do the job with any digital still camera and assemble the frames in software.

Once you set up a reference spot to take the picture, you'd only have to put the camera in the same spot every time and click the shutter.... far easier than doing a continuous cinefilm....

Tim, thanks for the reply. I've just done a couple of hours digging through google and have come to that conclusion also.I intend to do numerous tests to find out exactly how often i will need to take a picture but i imagine somewhere around one picture every half hour or so.

It would appear all i need is a good digital 35mm still camera and Intervelometer.Does anyone know of a good reliable intervelometer on the market? there are many of them but some real world experience would put my mind at rest.

The client has said he will be buying the equipment rather than renting it which will give me time to do all my testing etc well in advance which is a bonus.

Thanks again

Andy.

I came across this controller which seems to be ideal for what i want. Linked to a good quality digital camera it should achieve what i'm after. Has anyone used this before?.

http://www.bmumford.com/photo/camctlr.html

Hi Andy,

I have not used this particular gizmo but I can recommend the harbortronics intervalometers. Vary easy to operate and reliable in my experience so far. Mine has been maltreated in every way and still works after a dunking in the indian ocean. The website is www.harbortronics.com.

Good luck,

Jay

Hi James, thanks a lot for the info. I have been talking to harbortronics about their full package after descovering them a few days ago by pure chance but if i hadn't your info would have saved my life so thank you. I'm learning a lot about time lapse and it will be a good addition to my portfolio.

Andy.

Andy,

If you use a Canon SLR Digital Camera you can use the TC-80N3 Timer remote controller. You can set a dial to take a picture anywhere from 1 second to 99hrs. 59 minutes 59 seconds. Here is a link to some info on it: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=164271&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Good Luck,

Richard

Thanks Richard, I think i'll need something with a little more juice to go the three months. I've spoken via email to Mark Roberts at Harbortronics who has been very helpfull with my tech questions and has also provided some literature on he subject for me which is a great bonus.

Their standard time lapse package is exactly what i need for such a long period. Here is the link http://www.harbortronics.com/detail.php?id=54 .

Thanks for taking the time to help Richard.

Andy.