How do ND filters help with changing light levels? All they do is cut the light down, it's not dynamic so that they change when the light does. You can buy ND filters for DSLRs of course, Cokin ones etc., will only be about £20 or so.
Steve

Sorry Steve, didn't explain myself very well there.

You can maintain long exposures during changing light levels with the ND filters and remove them as the light dims if you do day-to-night time lapse for instance. Although some smoothing between frames or brightness adjustment will be needed in post to correct for the sudden change.

I meant that buying a dSLR and filters as well is quite an investment. I already have a dSLR, but if you don't it's lots to spend.

Surely though if you're doing day to night you'd just leave the NDs on and when it goes dark so does the picture - because that's what you want it do?
Steve

With the time lapse sequences I've shot I wanted the night time exposure to be similar to that I shot in close up under artificial lighting. I guess it depends what you're after. But I think there's a risk you might see nothing or barely anything at all if it gets too dark. Using the /ND filters should allow you to maintain a more consistent shutter speed throughout the sequence. And if you have bright images after nightfall you can always darken the later stages of the video in post.

Mark,

Someone may have done this already and have stock footage of it. I haven't look for Montreal city timelapses, but there seems to be stuff around from other cities. And... you can plug your H1 into AC power.

Either way it's a PITA. But then the footage you get (sped up and lapsed), may be a reasonably valuable piece of stock to have around.

I have to do some timelapse this weekend as well (it's a trade show set-up), so if I come up with any great ideas, I'll let you know.

I have a DSLR (Rebel xti), and HV20, and an XLh1, so I'm not sure yet which one I will set up for timelapse.

Anyone have experience with XLH1 and Adobe OnLocation for timelapse?