D7000 Intervalometer advice

Hi All,

Having recently purchased a D7000 I am thinking of setting it up to record a 4hr car journey from the back of the car with the intervalometer. I wondered if anyone could give me some tips on settings etc. so that I end up with some useable images!

Things like the length of intervals I need to set to make the resulting series useable and whether I need to set it manually or the dreaded auto. I intend to mount it on a tripod securely fastened down and see how both a 50mm and a 35mm prime work. I assume an f11 setting would be best?

Also any free software to process the images?

Thanks

John

Sorry, I can't be much help. I did something similar with a GoPro HD camera mounted to my windshield on a long drive. I really just did it for kicks. The windows will mess with your metering so I would test it using spot metering. I ended up using iMovie on my Mac to put all the images together. I photographed for a few hours, sorry I can't remember my interval but it ended up making a 2 minute video. Good luck with your project.

Hi PapaST

Thanks for the reply, I had a quick run around the block this morning with it set on SCENE Sport and it seemed to work ok but most were taken around f3.5 or f4. I mounted it close to the rear window and the pictures were clear enough but I'll try spot metering.

John

Interesting question because it begs more...

1. Do you want this for a slideshow or to merge as a video as PapaST did? This dictates your camera settings because you can be more forgiving about DOF and blur vs. ISO-induced grain/noise with the merge to film - though I don't mind blurred photos
2. Is it mostly highway or mostly city/slower back roads? Faster roads mean more is lost in between shots, so you may want to go more frequently even though it means that you can log a bunch of the same shot at a light (who knows, you could catch the guy behind you in a "pick"!!).
3. Do you want the images to accurately reflect the changes in scenery and illumination (i.e. find a good compromise manual setting that gives you both shutter speed and depth of field and go with it on a fixed focal length) or do you want each image to be properly exposed (introducing the risk of blur due to longer shutter speeds and other focus issues).

...And there are likely others.

Were I to do it (which I've thought about) I would choose an ISO setting that allowed me to shoot persistently at 1/250 or better at f11 or so. Turn the Auto ISO sensitivity ON and choose a maximum ISO you're comfortable with and a minimum shutter speed of 1/60, which should quell most of the gentle movement of a 35 or 50mm.

If you'll be traveling highway speeds then at your max you're covering a mile in about 50-55 seconds. Think about all you can see in a mile and then figure out how much you're willing to miss. If you want to stitch it movie style I'd go somewhere between every 6-10 seconds (5-6 frames per mile) at highway speeds. Otherwise you could go every 10-15 seconds (5-6 frames per minute).

Another way to look at it, on a 4 hour trip you've got 14400 seconds to deal with. If you're shooting RAW then you'll get about 500-600 shots on a 16GB card (If it was me I'd shoot RAW -> Card 1 and JPG -> Card 2, giving you the JPG's to stitch as is and the RAW to play with if there's a particularly cool shot). Play it safe at 500 and that's one shot every 28.8 seconds (one every 14.4 on a 32GB card). That may ultimately be your deciding factor. If you could care less about the RAW then just shoot your heart out in FINE mode and go every 3 seconds, decide on the back end if you have too much and then if you want to keep every other or 1 of every 3. Lots of deleting, yes, but better to have more choices than fewer.

Can you tell I've thought about this a bit? Good luck with the mission, and set yourself a sample course of 10 minutes or so and see what you get.

Jake

First of all many thanks for the great reply, you've obviously given it a bit of thought before!

1. My intention is to merge the images into a video. I tried a similar thing last year with my D60 when we had a tree cut down in the garden. I took a series of shots manually as the guys brought the tree down and used a programme called startrails to merge them. It turned out ok so I thought I'd try it again with the D7000.

2. As I said earlier I plan on using it for a 4 hour long journey which is mainly motorway/highway roads, but I did another trial run on Sunday morning for an hour with 15 second intervals - however the roads were pretty quiet at that time so there's no real continuity to the shots. Again I set it to SCENE sport which took care of focusing ok but with a wide aperture usually in the f4 area - I'll add an image below. As you suggest I will shoot more frequently next time.

3. This point is more difficult for me to decide on. As I am shooting out of the back of the car blurred images don't seem to be an issue as the camera focuses on whatever is behind me. I will have to try setting it manually as you suggest and see what happens. I may try shooting through the side window later on which will introduce movement and blur once I get the hang of it.

I have not ventured into shooting RAW yet so will be using JPEG FINE, I have a 16GB and a 8GB card installed so there should be enough for the journey at 8 second intervals, will the battery last?





I've included this one as there is plenty to focus on, the blur in the bottom lh side is the wiper motor


35mm lens

Exp 1/800th
F Stop f/3.5
Aperture Value f/1.7
ISO 800
Metering Pattern


Finally it's great to hear from someone who lives in the land of "The Boss" one of my dreams is to see him perform in his hometown, maybe one day Till then I settle for any UK dates.

Best Regards

John

I'd use manual focus at about f8. This way, things that are at a reasonable distance won't go blurry on you without your consent.

Update

Due to very wet weather I've not been able to record a journey yet - hoping for good weather this week

Hi Folks,

I was just trying to use Interval Shooting on my D7000 and I get stuck, nothing happens.

I have opened the on borad flash light to use with interval shooting.
Then I have made following settings:

Shoting Mode: P

Interval Shooting:

Start Time: 00:05 - (it means five seconds right?)
Interval: 00:00:03 (three seconds between each picture)
Select intervalsXno. of shots: 002 x 3=6 (two intervals each interval shooting three pictures with three seconds between each picture)

Then I left the cameran and nothing happend for 30 minutes now, as I write it.
I have been checked the interval shooting menue and there iis green square showing - IN PROGRESS - but nothing happens.

Have somebody any idea what is wrong?

Pawel

pawel said:

Interval Shooting:

Start Time: 00:05 - (it means five seconds right?)
Interval: 00:00:03 (three seconds between each picture)
Select intervalsXno. of shots: 002 x 3=6 (two intervals each interval shooting three pictures with three seconds between each picture)

Click to expand...

Start Time is the clock time of day the intervals will begin. 00:05 is 5 minutes after midnight.

You also have an option NOW, to start immediately.

Hi Waynef,

Thanks for the info about the timer.
I would never guess that means real time.
Why there is not also a usual timer to start like in the Selftimer to start within 2 - 20 seconds.
I don't get it.
Since the Selftimer does not work with the on borad flash then the short timer as in Sleftimer should be included into
Interval shooter because this one works wíth on board flash.

It seem that somebody at Nikon has missed something here when user need to use on board flash and
at the saame use the time delay to start shooting.

Pawel

pawel said:

Why there is not also a usual timer to start like in the Selftimer to start within 2 - 20 seconds.
I don't get it.

Click to expand...

I've never thought of it being any big problem. Just start it Now, and then delete the first few shots if you don't want them. Or, you can start it at a clock time.

It is not question of deleting few images from the memory card.
Actualy when we compare compact digital cameras to such
great pieces of equipement as Nikon D series such functions should be obvious.

It is also worth to mention that, if the much cheaper and simplier compact digital cameras has the timer which works with on borad flash and at the same time can be delayed before it start,
it seem a bit cheep.

This also makes me wonder why the cameras in D series class lack such simple yet useful thing.

Pawel

pawel said:

It is not question of deleting few images from the memory card.
Actualy when we compare compact digital cameras to such
great pieces of equipement as Nikon D series such functions should be obvious.

It is also worth to mention that, if the much cheaper and simplier compact digital cameras has the timer which works with on borad flash and at the same time can be delayed before it start,
it seem a bit cheep.

This also makes me wonder why the cameras in D series class lack such simple yet useful thing.

Pawel

Click to expand...

? The DSLR do have self timers, and some have interval timer, but the interval timer only has the clock self timer to delay starting. I guess start it when you want it started. Works for me.

See your D7000 self timer menu C3 - it does does have a minimal combination, it can take groups of photos, each spaced by an interval after the self timer triggers.

Sorry, I can't help any more in that direction.

Please do not misunderstand me, I by no means await from you anything more than you helped me
and I apprebciate it.
I am just exchangimg minds with you about the timer in D series and D7000 in particular and nothing else.

pawel

On the subject of the interval shot mode... is this also good for star trails?