Time Lapse and Slow -mo

[Denada Chile]

Hi guys, tomorrow I'm shooting my first time lapse, I need a link to the best settings possible available for the HVX.
I'm placing the camera in a high place framing a very crowded street in Santiago, Chile.
any help on this issue? Thanks

[BenB]

I always use the time lapes in my FS-100 which is easier and more powerful than the settings in the HVX. But to use only the HVX, a couple of things to keep in mind.

How long do you need to shoot, and what sort of time to you want it compressed into? For example, I want to shoot a whole hour, and have it play back in 30 seconds. Well, you do some math and figure out at, let's say, 24fps, 30 seconds would be 720 frames. So, and I suck bad at math, figure how often to you have to shoot in order to only record those 720 frames over an hour? Then on the HVX you select the time lapse setting that most closely matches. On an FS-100 you set the exact time you came up with, any setting possible from 1 frame to 24 hours.

Also, set your iris and focus to manual! You don't want a temporary shadow from a cloud or anything to make the auto mode re-set your shot in the middle of everything. I'd pick a time of day that will give you the most consistant day light throughout the time you want to cover.

Make sure your tripod is stable and secure!!!!!

And I'd use the fastest shutter speed (my personal preference) you can use without sacrificing image quality. Unless you want a more blured look, use a slower shutter speed that will give you more motion blur in each frame. Just remember you can't get the streaking effect that still cameras can get, not with video.

And plan for how often you will have to swap out your P2 cards.

Plug into electrical outlets if you are able. To require the camera to set there running for such long times, don't risk being cut off too soon by a battery not playing nice, if possible.

[JCP]

I'm having trouble with the time-lapse functions of my HVX and Firestore as well.

Yesterday, they seemed to be sync-ing quite well, but I can't seem to get them to work together without having to insert a DV tape, and I just want to record onto the FS-100.

I have the camera set as follows:
480i/60i
DVCPRO
Interval (1F, every 10seconds)
Video Cam mode

under "Other Functions" I'm set at:
1394 control: BOTH
1394 CMD SEL: REC_P
PC MODE: 1394 Device


As for the FireStore, I'm set like this:
Record mode: Time Lapse
HDD Mode: DVCPRO/DV
Format: Raw DV
Functions: FA TAPELESS
Control: LOCAL

I thought I had everything covered, but obviously not, since the HVX screen just flashes "I-" and when I hit the REC button, nothing happens.

Anybody know what I might be doing wrong?

[BenB]

Ah! Now I get it! To record time lapse on the FS-100, you do NOT do anything to the HVX but let it sit there and focus on a shot. Do NOT set the time lapse on the HVX when using the FS-100. You set the FS-100 to do time lapse, set the interval (I don't see your interval setting for the FS-100), then hit record on the FS-100, NOT the HVX.

The FS-100 has to do the time lapse recording on it's own, the HVX can not be recording at the same time during time lapse with the FS-100. Just turn off the time lapse fuction on the HVX, and let it just supply the picture. The video is streaming through the firewire cable, even though you don't hit the record button on the HVX. Do NOT hit the record button on the HVX, ONLY use the record button on the FS-100 when doing time lapse.

I hope I'm making this understandable.

[JCP]

Perfect sense. I just switched the camera setting to "NORMAL" instead of "INTERVAL", and it works perfectly.

Oh yeah, I also set the FS-100 to "Tapeless" instead of "Local".

Thanks for the help.

[Denada Chile]

Hi guys, I'm a total failure.
I set the HVX on 12 fps over 720/24 recorded on my FS100, and I can't really see a great difference, almost no change, a little blur. Also when imported to FCP the vid rate appears 60 fps not 12 (is it because it's not native?)...but for my purposes of speeding the image (shot over a crowded street for 5 minutes, so movement could look faster) didnt work. Interval on camera not better? how do you program the interval on the FS100....uff I'm really exhausted with all the formats and numbers...will it ever get easier?

[BenB]

When using the FS-100, do NOT set the time lapse on the HVX nor hit the record button on the HVX. That specific is not well explained in the FS-100 user manual, thus the video tutorial I'm doing, as the FS-100 manual really does gloss over some important details.

Turn the HVX on, leave it. On the FS-100, go to the RECORD menu, scroll down to TIME LAPSE, hit the right arrow key to open that menu, set the amount of time between each frame to be recorded. Press the record button on the FS-100, NOT on the HVX. Done.

You can NOT set time lapse on the HVX and FS at the same time, then they are both recording frames at different rates, and the HVX will totally screw up the video stream being sent to the FS.

WHEN USING TIME LAPSE ON THE FS-100: do NOT set TL in the HVX at all, do NOT press the record button on the HVX at all!

Only set the time lapse on the FS and hit the record button on the FS ONLY!

[Denada Chile]

Cool BenB I'll try that later...thanks.

[GDV]

What if I want the firestore to record a time lapse with more than 1 Frame per interval? Can that be done? Or is that one of the cons of doing it through the FS100?

[BenB]

The FS-100 can be set to time lapes anywhere from 1 frame per second, to 1 frame per 24 hours.

[GDV]

The FS-100 can be set to time lapes anywhere from 1 frame per second, to 1 frame per 24 hours.

Can it do, say, 2 frames per second or per 24 hrs.? What I'm hinting at is the apparent difference between interval through FS100 and the interval IN the camera, which lets you record multiple consecutive frames (if so desired) every interval.

i.e.: I want to record 5 frames every 10 seconds, is there a way to do it in the FS100 without having the 5 frames be recorded intermittently throughout the 10 seconds and instead at the BEGINNING of every 10 seconds (a time lapse of 5 fluid frames after 5 fluid frames and so on)?

I hope i'm explaining it well... I don't particularly need to do that yet, but it'd be good to know i guess...

thanks

[BenB]

It's a Time Lapse, not an interval recording mode. So you only get one frame at each interval. You set it by standard Time Code. The shortest time is actually 1 frame. What is 1 frame, you ask? If the HVX is set to, let's say, 24fps. 1 frame would be one frame every 24th of a second. So you can do less than one second interval. Say I've set the HVX for 60p recording, I set Time Lapse on the HVX for 00:00:00:30, I get one frame very half second.

But no, it's not as configurable as inside the HVX. But drop Focus an email, let them know you'd like to see it added in the future. The FS-100, IMHO, is far from complete at this point in time. It has a bunch of things they can, and I believe will do to it in the future. I'm almost certain that VFR in Native modes is coming soon, too.