How should I set an intervalometer for 25-second exposures on a Canon 7D?
Asked 3/16/2016
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I want to shoot about 399 frames on a Canon 7D using an intervalometer, with each exposure set to 25 seconds. What should I set for the interval between shots? Is about 27 seconds enough, or should it be longer? Also, should I turn off image preview to save time or battery, and does the intervalometer's delay setting simply control how long it waits before starting the first exposure?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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You might need more than a two-second margin -- on some camera settings, internal noise reduction takes as long as the photo, so it might be 25 or more seconds between shots.
Turn off preview, not so much to save time, but to save power usage. On my camera, I find that the LCD back-light drains the battery more than the exposure itself. A reasonable compromise is to use preview for the first few photos to check exposure and alignment, then shut it (without shaking the camera). Of course, if using an external power supply, leave preview on... the camera should take the next shot even while showing the last.
BTW, don't forget the "rule of 500", if photographing astronomical objects without a clock drive. To prevent noticeable star trails, exposure should less than 500/ f.l.
Originally by user35542. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user35542
10y ago
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Set the interval to be longer than the actual exposure time. For 25-second exposures, 27 seconds might work in simple cases, but leave extra margin because some settings can add processing time between frames. In particular, long-exposure noise reduction can make the camera take about as long again before it’s ready for the next shot. If that’s enabled, you may need roughly 50 seconds or more between shots.
Turning off image preview is mainly helpful for saving battery power rather than speeding things up. A good approach is to leave preview on for the first few shots to confirm exposure/composition, then turn it off for the long sequence.
Yes — the delay setting is the wait time before the first exposure starts.
If this is for night sky photography, also keep in mind the “rule of 500” to limit visible star trailing: maximum exposure time is approximately 500 divided by focal length (35mm-equivalent focal length is the safer guide).
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