How to shoot time lapse the right way over night?

[jukkasil]

I have shot about 10 rolls of K40 testing time lapse possibilities of my super 8 camera (Bauer 709 XL).

They all look just great, especially these ones I have used 7-8 hours to shoot them with 1 frame per minute time lapse option. I have shot clouds, fog, sunsets etc.

I live in Finland and Summer is going soon here, so what is very special in Scandinavia, we have lot of light almost all 24 hours of day during Summer (especially during the middle of June, 21 th of June no totally sunset at all).

So, I'm planning to make some test time lapse filming over night during midnight sun time, putting my camera over the hill near of our house and let it clicking itself there about 24-36 hours (with that same 1 fpm time lapse option).

So, which f-stop would be the best to do that thing?

I want the result be nice clear image through the whole scene without totally black frames, so that you'd see landscape also during midnight hours, but also without getting any white frames (overexposed ones), when sun is getting up.

So, some kind of compromise setting for f-stop.

F5,6 or 8 maybe?

[vidwerk]

I Can't help you with your question, but I do have a question for you. I once saw a National Geographic documentary which was filmed close to the north pole. There was a timelapsed shot of the sun moving very quickly horizontally across the distant horizon of course, over the duration of what appeared to be 12 hours or so. Is this the effect that you are going for?

Simon.

[jukkasil]

Well yes, something like that.

You know, the position I'll put my camera (top of the hill), I can get very beatifull landscapes and if I also use this very long time lapse , by this way I try to get effect, where in the final result we'd see sun is going from right side (morning) of camera rotating to the left side (night) and so on.


And this all will be about 20-30 seconds in final film. This would look very cool!

Because light situations will change much during so long time lapse period, I have to try some kind of compromise for f-stop.

Have any of you out there tried this kind of effect?

[Giovanni]

Hi Jukkasil,
if the light conditions are going to change so much, during your time lapse shot, I fear it will be almost impossible to set the aperture to a 'compromise' f-stop: in any case you'd obtain too dark or too bright portions, on your film...
My Nizo 801macro, and perhaps other cameras but I don't know which ones, has got the B option, as SRL still cameras: it can automatically change the iris aperture, during a time lapse shot, according to the light changes.
Using it, I suppose it would be very simple to obtain the effect you desire...
G.

[supa_ate_sixteen]

I would have to say to take the automatic route as well. My Nizo 6080 does auto iris when your doing timelapse and works great to compinsate except when then sun is setting directly in the lens. This usually triggers the auto iris to close down all the way which looses all detail except for the sun itself. You might want to consider the manual route but definetely changing the f-stop over the period of the day and opening the iris open when you hit low light situations. I always wanted to do time exposures (which I hear the Nizo 801 does) over the course of the night and holding the shutter open for as long as it takes to get good star exposures. To get good exposures through a day and night timelapse shot would be amazing. You say the sun stays out all 24hrs?

[S8 Booster]

Here it is; The midnight sun:

[jukkasil]

Thanks for your tips, well I think I'll try first use that Bauer's auto exposure mode with time lapse. I have to be sure put my camera right position, so that sun isn't shinging direct to the camera during any time of day, otherwise these frames will be underexposed, I have already tested it.

For Supa_ate_sixteen: Yes 21th of June we have that kind of situation, 24 hours of sun shining 8) , also the whole June and July we have almost same kind of light situation, so I have plenty time to test this out.

I planned to test it today at the first time, but now it's too cloudy, maybe tomorrow! :lol:

[rhcvatni]

I live in the northern part of Norway so we basicly have the same lighting conditions during summer as in Finland. I've been thinking about doing long time lapse shots during the summer for a long time now, and i have also been wondering about using auto exposure or not.

I've also been thinking about taking this to another level, and I might run into some exposure problems with this too. First I need some kind of mechanical or electric motor to turn the camera. The idea of this beeing, that the camera is placed on top of a hill overlooking the city and follows the sun continously for 24 hours+. From the hill I'm able to see the sun completely for 24 hours of the day during summer. And when the camera turns away from the city you'll get the midnight sun with the ocean and the beautiful mountains of Lofoten (Lofot veggen), Then the camera will be turning towards the city again.

I know it can be done and it will look amazing. I just need some kind of motor to turn the camera 360 degrees over the course of 24 hours. Anybody have any suggestions.

Thanks!

[jukkasil]

Great idea rhcvatni!

One of my friend did about ten years ago same kind of mechanical system that moved his 35 mm still camera, when he wanted to shoot moon with very long exposure times (he got very great pictures!).

You'll need some kind of gear with suitable electric motor and maybe some kind of timer to rotate camera in a right (slow) speed.

[Guest]

I know it can be done and it will look amazing. I just need some kind of motor to turn the camera 360 degrees over the course of 24 hours. Anybody have any suggestions.

Thanks!

You may want to check what the amateur astronomers use today in their hobby. Following the sky during the observation is the key thing and there are programmable computerized setups available. Some twenty years ago building your own telescope was a hot thing and there were relatively cheap synchronized electric motors available for the purpose, probably there were also some which did 360 deg/24h.

[crimsonson]

pro DPs use a tripod with a timer/motor to do time lapse with movement. Its nothing new. It might be too expesive for you (rent maybe it?). Or maybe you can ask someone to rig something for you.

Regarding expsosure - Nizo 800 series has a function called Auto B. Its time lapse WITH extended exposure. It uses a seperate light meter (found above the lens) to determine the exposure for each frame (up to a minute or as little as 1/56 of as sec).

[mIke]

...Nizo 801macro, and perhaps other cameras but I don't know which ones, has got the B option, as SRL still cameras: it can automatically change the iris aperture...
G.

Sorry when I bore you with old threads but the new forum invites to do this:

IMO, Nizo xx1‘ "B function" applies an external sensor that changes only the speed of the onboard interval timer independently from the aperture (iris) control. Thus the minimal exposure/shutter time obtained derives from the maximal intervalometer speed of 6 fps and is far longer* than 1/50 s even if you have the shutter in a position that is not recommended for "B".
*according to the corresponding manual: 1/8s if shutter fully opened

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