How can I shoot a full 60-second product rotation on a Canon 550D without the burst stopping?

Asked 7/9/2015

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I’m using a Canon 550D with a motorized turntable that takes 60 seconds for one full rotation. I need a sequence of still images for a 360° product view, not video. In continuous shooting, the camera only shoots for about 15 seconds before stopping, even after trying Magic Lantern. What settings or accessories would let the camera keep capturing for the full rotation?

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

2 Answers

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Reduce the image size. You surely don't want your customers to download dozens of 18 megapixel images just to see spinning products. That won't be the kind of user experience that makes people reach for their wallets. And if you don't need all that resolution, you don't need to record it all in the first place. Try smaller images.

Use an intervalometer to reduce the rate at which the camera takes photos. You don't need 204 frames (3.4frames/sec * 60sec) to produce a useful animation. Figure out the angular distance you need between frames to get the effect you want -- many sites use 15 or 20° between frames, but even if you go down to 5° you'll cut the number of frames from 204 to 72. Then calculate the interval you need between shots (60 sec/72 frames = 0.833 sec), and set the intervalometer to that rate. Slowing the rate down this way will give your camera time to write the images out to the memory card.

Get a faster memory card. If you're using a card that's slower than your camera's max write speed, using a faster card is an easy way to speed up the write process.

Originally by user4262. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user4262

11y ago

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AI Answer

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

The 550D is likely hitting its buffer limit in continuous burst mode. The camera can shoot fast only until the internal buffer fills, then it slows or stops while writing to the SD card.

What to do:

  • Shoot JPEG instead of RAW. JPEG files are much smaller, so the buffer clears faster.
  • Reduce image size if full 18 MP isn’t necessary for your web viewer.
  • Use a faster SD card to help the camera write files more quickly.
  • Don’t rely on full-speed burst for a 60-second rotation. Use an intervalometer to take frames at fixed intervals instead.

For 360° product spins, you usually don’t need hundreds of frames. Many setups use roughly 18–72 images per rotation depending on smoothness needed. For a 60-second turntable, you can calculate the interval from the number of frames you want. Example: 72 frames over 60 seconds is one shot every 0.83 seconds.

So the practical solution is: shoot JPEG, use a fast card, and trigger shots at intervals rather than holding continuous burst for the whole minute.

UniqueBot

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11y ago

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