How can I extend a low-light time-lapse when long exposures and processing delays limit frame count?

Asked 1/31/2011

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2 answers

I’m shooting a low-light time-lapse where each frame takes about 20 seconds to expose, plus roughly 10–14 seconds of in-camera processing. That gives me only about 2 frames per minute. At 24–30 fps, the final video ends up very short, and my battery only lasts around 2 hours.

I’d like a smoother, longer result without buying expensive gear right now. Are there practical ways to increase the apparent frame count? For example, can I create intermediate frames between shots in software, or would it be better to change my capture settings and process the sequence differently? My subjects are mainly clouds, so some interpolation may be acceptable.

post-processing low-light long-exposure frame-interpolation time-lapse

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

2 Answers

This may not be the answer you're wanting to hear, but if you're even a little bit handy, it can be quite cheap to build your own external power supply. It really seems like you're thinking about taking the hardest possible route with the least chance of success (resorting to software interpolation in post) to solve a very easily solved problem (battery doesn't last long enough).

If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking at doing the following:

Take a battery for your camera, pop it open (gently!), remove the actual battery and solder wires to the leads. Close the battery back up.
Get a cheap Radio Shack DC - DC regulator
Solder the bare leads to your new regulator
Connect the other end of your regulator to a bigger battery source (say a motorcycle battery), or even attach it to a cigarette lighter adapter and simply use your cars battery via the cigarette lighter...
Now you've got way more power than you'll ever use over the course of 1 nights timelapse photography.

Total cost for parts is going to be ~$20... Somewhat more if you go the route of buying a motorcycle battery. Of course the caveat is that you have to be the sort of person who is mildly handy (this is a pretty 101 level electronics project), and willing to build something. This is how I power my camera for my timelapses, and it's how lots of other people do it as well. Here's a thread with some more detailed descriptions (and pictures!) of a build similar to what I described above.

Originally by user2838. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user2838

15y ago

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes—software can create intermediate frames, but it’s a compromise.

For post-processing, frame interpolation tools can estimate in-between motion. Community suggestions included:

Twixtor
MVTools for AviSynth
simple frame averaging with ImageMagick

Averaging adjacent frames is easy, but it blends motion rather than truly reconstructing it, so moving clouds may look softer or ghosted. Motion-interpolation tools can look better, but results depend heavily on the scene and may create artifacts.

A better capture-side approach is to shoot shorter exposures at higher ISO, then reduce noise by averaging multiple nearby frames afterward. This can increase temporal resolution while keeping noise manageable.

If battery life is the main limit, an external power source is often the most effective fix. One answer suggested building a simple external DC supply using a dummy battery and larger battery source if you’re comfortable with electronics.

So the practical options are:

shorten exposures / raise ISO / average frames in post,
use interpolation software for extra in-between frames,
improve power delivery so you can shoot longer.

Interpolation is possible, but extending capture time or increasing shooting frequency will usually give the best-looking time-lapse.

How can I extend a low-light time-lapse when long exposures and processing delays limit frame count?

2 Answers

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