Time lapse photography

[Feanor]

I'd like to take a time lapse sequence from the balcony of my flat in Embra to show the dance of the busses which is quite entrancing.

This would be about 4 or 5 hours, which I'd look to compress to about 30 seconds, probably looking a bit Benny Hill.

Any general pointers as to how to approach this?

[benborp]

What equipment do you have to hand?

[Andy64]

30 seconds footage @25fps will be 750 images needed - @30fps 900 images gives average of 4.5 hours
So you'll need to set the camera to take a photo every 21 seconds or 18 seconds.
Use a tripod if you got one, bean bag, ziplock freezer bag 3/4 filled with flour/sugar/whatever, to steady it
Garmin Virb free software stitches them together (forgot what it's called)

[Andy64]

This pretty much explains it
https://expertphotography.com/best-time-lapse-settings-photography/

[fruitcake]

Does your camera have an intervalometer?

[andrew_s]

30 seconds footage @25fps will be 750 images needed - @30fps 900 images gives average of 4.5 hours
So you'll need to set the camera to take a photo every 21 seconds or 18 seconds.

You also need to consider how fast the buses are moving.
The bus in a frame has to be identifiably the same bus as the bus in the previous frame, which, if it's had time to go 100 yards round a corner, won't be the case.

If the interval is too long, you'll get the buses vanishing from one location and appearing somewhere else, without any illusion of smooth but fast movement.

I'd suggest that you try out various intervals, taken over periods of half an hour or so, and see what they look like, before committing to the full 4-5 hours

[fuaran]

Also consider the shutter speed. If fast shutter speed, it can appear rather jittery. Often best to have a slower speed, so you get a bit of blur, helps to get some movement between frames. So a smoother video.

And make sure you have enough batteries. Or some sort of mains power for the camera, if it supports it.

For software, I have used VirtualDub.

[FifeingEejit]

I have a timelapse in mind too, I'd totally forgotten that the Garmin Virb can do it until mentioned above.

[Salvatore]

Also:
- Use manual exposure & fixed ISO . If (given the same shutter speed), the aperture jumps (even 1/3 stop)  from one frame to the next, where will be noticeable flicker)
- Don't use auto white balance
- Use manual focus
- You don't need your camera's greatest resolution.
- Turn off any stabilisation