Timelapse - shutter timing options

[McMount]

Hi!

Now when we have this options to make timelapse with RED there also should be option to use long exposure i.e. 1-10 seconds or even more. That would make it possible to make so much different timelapses than with 1/2 second exposure time.

I do think it wouldn't be ahrd to add that when the timelapse options is already made there. Now you only need to work with some more time.

I tested it with Varispeed mode with 1fps / 360° shutter and also with Timelapse mode with frame per 1 and 2 second / 1/2sec exposure time. When you need to get some motionblur your timelapse only the Varispeed will now give the nearest result with the 360° shutter. I think if there would be long exposure times in timelapse option it would made the RED more usable and better camera.

Maybe in next build? 17 or 18??? =)

[MikeCurtis]

agreed- I rigged up a tripod out the moonroof and drove around Sunset Blvd at night with 1/2 second exposures shot every 1 second - REALLY wanted to do longer exposures, but it wasn't an option. AFAIK, this is just somebody tweaking a menu setting, ought to be pretty easy to do...

-mike

[David Wilson]

Mike - if the goal is to shoot 1 fps with a 1 second exposure, I think that is possible now by setting:

camera to 24fps
shutter mode set to relative
framerate set to 1/24th
varispeed checked on
then go to framerate and dial the frame rate all the way down to 1 sec.
the shutter speed will follow down to a 1 second exposure time.

Likely you already knew this but it was such a revelation when it was explained to me I thought I'd pass it along just in case.

Doesn't change what McMount is saying that it would be great to have timelapse mode with long exposure times - 1 frame every 5 seconds with a four or five second exposure time - that would be wonderful - shoot in the middle of the desert on a moonless night.

I have had issues with a number of hot pixels at slowspeed/long exposure time setting however.

[Conrad Hunziker]

Yes, the relative shutter is the key. Its relative to the base frame rate (the rate its played back at). So 1/24th is the lowest it'll go, which means a 1 second exposure at 1 fps.

As for hot pixels, make sure you are doing a black shading each time you go into timelapse mode with long exposures. Im not sure what the cutoff is, but its best to black shade at whatever exposure and frame rate you will be shooting at. That also means to black shade AFTER you return to normal 24/25/30fps shooting.

Both of those have given me excellent results.

[David Wilson]

Conrad - many thanks for the black shading tip. I've read that before but had forgotten. I'll definitely try that next time I do slow fps/long exp shots.

[BASSAM MSSALATIE]

Thanks you David passing this informations

[BASSAM MSSALATIE]

For this very long exposure time 1 sec/frame
Do we need to ake some arrangements to protect the sensor if we were doing
Outdoor day time laps ?

[Manuel Wenger]

Would it be possible for the future to store these black shading data, and load it on demand. let´s say one standard shading file after a calibration at 24/25 fps and a second one for long exposure times ?

thanks
Manuel

[David Wilson]

For this very long exposure time 1 sec/frame
Do we need to ake some arrangements to protect the sensor if we were doing
Outdoor day time laps ?

Bassam,

In order to do slow fps with long exposure time in daylight you need to stop way down on the lens as well as use a great deal of ND in order to get anything other than an entirely white blown out frame.

I've done that and it does work well but typically the slow fps/long exp approach makes most sense in low light situations.

David

Manuel's thought about storing and recalling black shading data is an interesting thought.

[shin sugino]

If you want to make time lapse with long exposure, why don't you use Canon DSLR. With their software and laptop you can make any combination of exposure and timing. I own 2 Red camera and many Zeiss lenses. When I have to shoot time lapse, I just use my Canon. Their software is very very stable.
I shot 30 second TV spot using 5 EOS Rebel with their cheap zoom lens. January to October Apple tree frozen in winter to close up of ripe apple in October shooting one frame per 60 minutes 24/7 for ten month.
Trying to shoot long exposure and long interval time lapse on Red is kind of stupid. EOS Rebel (new cost $650.00 with lens) will deliver far superior result and simple solution for that. No sensor worries, no black shading, easy to set up and huge resolution.

[Tom Lowe]

shin, people here know all about DSLR timelapse shooting.

but cameras like Red One or the HVX200 can be much more convenient (ie, "hassle free") than DSLR shooting, both in terms of shooting and post. not to mention the lack of wear on a DSLR's shutter. it's easier to whip out a movie camera, roll, drive down the road, roll again, throw on a telephoto lens, roll again, put it in the car for some drivelapse action, roll, stop, hop out and shoot a timelapse of the clouds, etc etc. DSLRs shoot great stuff, but they can be a pain, too.

[shin sugino]

point is you can shoot long exposure time lapse now with DSLR. You don't have to wait for Build 17,18,19 or 20.
Ease of set up for the shoot? 35mm DSLR is lot easier to set up. Editing is as easy as Red (or as cumbersome ).

[Tom Lowe]

thanks for setting us straight.

why bother to ask for improvements in Red One timelapse, when shin sugino has ruled that DSLRs are all that is needed.

[Mike Gifford]

DSLRs are without a doubt great for single frame exposure

However timelapse and stopframe animation can both involve all sorts of techniques, frame rates etc way beyond single frame capture.

I, like Tom, want to do all this and 0 - 120 fps all on the same camera,
a camera that is designed to work with the best cine glass, easy to rig in
demanding situations and capable of almost any technique

I'd love to see some serious improvement in exposure times in build 18, and in the timelapse menu I'd like to toggle between REDRAW and uncompressed
- why wait for the DSMC ?

[Andrew Walker]

For now I use my 40D for night timelapse and the Red for day timelapse. There both are just tools to get the particular shot I need. Once Red gets their timelapse settings squared away I might be using it for most of my timelapse shots. But sometimes I find myself in places that I would rather not bring my Red. But timelapse in 4K looks amazing.

[McMount]

Well, I think there might be some use for long exposure timelapses. I was pulling focus in one advert where we made some timelapses, but because of REDs present specs, we shot some timelapses with Canon 5D. I think the interval was 5 secs and exposing time was 2,5 secs and it makes some really nice effects to the moving crowds. We were shooting in a railwaystation among the people who are coming and going...
But I really hope to see Long exposure function in newer firmwares.
It's very good when you can just right after the shot see it in real time and then you know it right away that if you need another or new one.
But when you're doing it with like Canon 5D, you need to take your laptop with you and render a video from it to see it... so much hassle about so simple thing, if it just would be in RED. =)