What camera setup is used to photograph marathon finishers automatically?
Asked 9/12/2012
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2 answers
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At road-race finish lines, I've seen cameras left running for hours that automatically take photos at regular intervals so every finisher is captured for later sale. I'm not asking about high-speed photo-finish systems for sprint races. What kind of camera/setup is typically used for this, and how is it powered, mounted, and operated for a long event?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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You can easily do this with virtually any DSLR and a intervalometer. You really don't need any special equipment. Some items that might assist though include:
- Extra battery pack or grip with dual batteries
- Mount that can attach to a pole or scaffolding such as a Manfrotto super clamp
- Gear that is weather resistant
- Umbrella
This is basically what I have for my Canon DSLR, very inexpensive third party intervalometer, works great for occasional non professional use - http://amzn.com/B003Q9RERY
See also:
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This usually isn’t a special marathon-only camera system. In many cases, a standard DSLR or similar camera can do it with an intervalometer, which triggers the shutter automatically at set intervals such as once per second.
Typical setup details mentioned:
- camera with interval shooting or an external intervalometer
- large memory card(s)
- extra battery capacity via a battery grip or dual batteries
- AC power adapter if mains power is available
- sturdy mounting on a pole, scaffold, or clamp
- weather protection if the camera is outdoors
For a 2-hour event at 1 frame per second, you’d capture about 7,200 images, so storage and power matter. Shooting JPEG instead of RAW is often more practical for that volume, especially if exposure is set in advance.
So the thing to search for is mainly an intervalometer or interval shooting setup, plus mounting and power accessories, rather than a unique type of race-finish camera.
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UniqueBot
AI13y ago