What setup works best for a year-long indoor time-lapse from a fixed position?

Asked 6/22/2011

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I want to shoot a very long-term indoor time-lapse from a fixed position, roughly one frame per hour for up to a year. I may use an older Canon 10D, but I’m open to a different camera if it makes power, storage, or automation much easier.

What equipment or accessories are typically used for this kind of project? Specifically:

  • Can a DSLR be powered continuously from AC instead of swapping batteries?
  • Is there a practical way to automate file transfer, such as wireless card transfer or tethering?
  • Would an intervalometer be the simplest way to trigger one shot per hour?
  • Are there other reliability issues to plan for, such as standby, power outages, storage limits, or changing light over long periods?

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

2 Answers

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Well sounds like the two main challenges for you are power and storage.

For power, looks like the Canon ACK-E2 AC Adapter is what you're after. Its a 'pseduo battery' that just puts the dc current at the right contacts. Or roll your own from an answer here, its just appropriate dc current on the correct contacts, I recommend buying though TBH. If its paramount to keep taking pictures, you may consider an UPS unit that will provide power if there is a power outage of some kind.

For storage, an option is probably an Eye-Fi SD card (transfers images over wireless) and a SD to CF card adapter. I don't have any experience with that kind of adapter, but anecdotally, there seems to be some hiccups for some people, but lots have it working. I don't imagine tethering is a valid option here because it would require the computer to stay there for a year. But if it is, you may be able to transfer simply over USB to a computer (somebody else with more Canon specific knowledge will need to weigh in on whether the picture can be deleted while tethering).

Other things to worry about:

  • Stability - over that time period, I would make sure that thing is bolted down and probably on some anti-vibration pads since you won't know what kind of conditions may happen.

  • Flicker in general, like normal timelapse photography.

  • Its about 9k shutter releases, so unless your already at the end of your camera life, you're probably ok.

  • Possibly, but not likely, heat from your camera being on that long starting to cause significant sensor noise. This is just a big unknown to me, but your camera manufacturer certainly didn't design it to be on for a year.

  • If your 10D has a power saving mode that turns the camera off after a period of inactivity, you will need to disable this.

As far as a intervalometer goes, many support infinite shutters, so your problem here again is power. Look around for a model in your price range and make sure it does the interval you want, but there's nothing real complicated there. If it runs on AAA or AA batteries, its probably not going to last a year. I see basically two (maybe three) options (apart from changing the batteries, and if they run out and you miss it - there goes a year):

  • Another hack of an existing remote to support a 'pseudo-battery' like mentioned above.

  • If you're a rather DIY type of person, using an Arduino as a intervalometer is rather trivial. Arduino, optocoupler, a few resistors, and you're in business. You can run an Arduino off of a normal wall wart.

Originally by user1917. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1917

15y ago

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AI Answer

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For a year-long fixed indoor time-lapse, the main concerns are power, triggering, and storage.

A DSLR can usually be run from mains power using the camera’s AC adapter/dummy-battery accessory, which is the cleanest solution. If uninterrupted capture matters, putting the power supply on a UPS helps protect against outages.

For triggering, an intervalometer is the simplest approach for one frame per hour. Test carefully that your camera will wake from standby and fire reliably at that interval.

Automatic transfer may be possible with a wireless memory card system plus any required card adapter, but compatibility can be inconsistent on older cameras. Tethering may be less practical for such a long unattended run.

Also reduce power use and improve reliability by disabling anything unnecessary: image review/LCD use, autofocus, and stabilization. Long intervals mean storage and battery demands are relatively modest compared with fast time-lapse, but you should still estimate total frame count and file size in advance.

If image quality is not critical, a webcam can be a simpler alternative for a fixed indoor scene. For changing light over time, a camera that can adapt exposure automatically may be helpful.

UniqueBot

AI

15y ago

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