Gunther,
I'm addressing this directly to you because I've seen that you use the NikonD7100. This maybe isn't a DDB or LRT question but maybe a Nikon D7100 question.
I've gotten my D7100 connected to DDB on my Macbook and on a tablet via the TP-Link MR3040 router. Great stuff. However, the Macbook version of DDB doesn't have any kind of intervalometer, so I need to use the camera's internal intervalometer or use an external intervalometer shutter release device. But when I connect the router to the camera with the USB cable, the interval shooting entry in the D7100's menu is grayed out and not accessible. So, in this case, I would not have the ability to make use of DDB's LRT Holy Grail functions and the camera's intervalometer at the same time. By the way, the camera's internal intervalometer is grayed out in the menus whether I connect the USB cable to the TP-Link or directly to the MacBook.
In your experience with this camera and the connection to the TP-Link via USB, have you had the same problem? Do you use the camera's internal intervalometer or do you use and external intervalometer device? Are there camera settings I have mis-set on the camera that disables the internal interval timer when USB is connected?
Thanks for any help.
Don
I never use the internal intervallometer and don't recommend to do so. It's not reliable and it locks the camera. Apart of this it doesn't work when USB is connected, like you noticed. Just get yourself a cheap external timer, for example the "Pixel" timer. Just connect via cable and you are good to go.
Gunther,
please respond to this question for me, as I didn't find an answer anywhere in these forums.
QDSLR Holy Grail function requires that image capture in RAW and JPG be occurring in order to function.
The on camera intervalometer is disabled, meaning an external one is required.
I use the Nikon MC-36. I have two options:
When shooting during the day, I use on average a 5 second interval.
The intervalometer is configured as follows:
Delay: I use 2 seconds for the camera to settle.
Long: I leave it at zero, as I set that on the camera, say its 1/125 sec for arguments sake.
INTVL: this is the sum of Long and dark time (min 3 seconds) and I will often use just 3 seconds.
When shooting at night, I use 3 seconds between all shots.
The intervalometer is configured as follows:
Delay: I use 2 seconds for the camera to settle.
Long: I set this on the camera, and I usually use 30 seconds
INTVL: I would use 33 seconds which gives me dark time and exposure time to complete each frame.
The question then is, when using qdslr and the holy grail function:
Your instructions say to include dark time for your longest shot.
This is where I get confused.
So I am shooting a day to night transition.
If I set my intervalometer to shoot for 33 seconds intervals, because thats my longest exposure, there is a 33 second gap in my day time pictures which is obviously not what I want.
How do I change the interval (which in Nikon speak is the sum of the length of exposure and dark time) as the ramping function lengthens the exposures?
Thanks,
Malcolm
I wouldn't set any delay on the interval timer, we have to save that time... :-)
I don't recommend to ramp the interval.
I would use 16 seconds for day and night. This will avoid any accelleration as well and keep the things simple while you are practicing.
Maybe Zoltan and I will come up with a solution for interval ramping, but this will have to be done in qDDB then in order to be smooth.
Gunther, do you shoot Canon or Nikon?
I thought you were a Nikon guy?
There are significant differences between Canon operation and Nikon.
Do you use a 10 pin intervalometer on your Nikon camera?
I am not requesting an interval ramp.
I am stating that it appears impossible to get a smooth transition from 1/8000 exposures to 30 seconds exposures using an MC-36 intervalometer without changing the the interval. You say keep it simple. 16 seconds interval in day time is forever, the clouds will be choppy, and at night its not enough, the stars will be too dim.
Anyway, the 2 seconds delay is not a loss. It is only applied at the beginning of the sequence one time.
HI Malcom,
I shoot canon and Nikon. Canon 6D, Nikon D800 and D600.
Especially the 6D and D600 have a very good low light performace. Even shooting the Milky Way with 12 Secs exposure with ISO 6400 is not a problem, but I'm aware of the fact that other sensors like the D800 and the DX sensors need longer times.
I was recommending shorter times and not changing the time to keep things simple for you to learn the process. If you have clouds, you are right - they are mostly too fast with 16 seconds. But on the other hand, if you have clouds they mostly don't go away to give place to the milky way ;-) So it's it's not often the case, that you have to take care of clouds during the day, and getting a clear sky in the night for the stars.
So mostly I either shoot with clouds, then with shorter intervals, make the transition and then end the sequence. Or I shoot on a clear day, hen with longer intervals until the milkyway emphasizing on that.
Changing intervals while shooting is alway problematic, because, if you have clouds you will clearly see the accelleration, an effect, that I don't like at all.
If you have a clear sky or very high clouds, you could change the interval after sunset. DslrDashboard is totally fine with that. Just set the maximum shutter to Interval-3Sec before changing it, and increase it after changing the interval. Then DDB will start increasing the shuttertime.
Hope, I could help.
Best
Gunther
Maybe we have different ideas of what the holy grail of timelapse is...my holy grail is shooting from day into night, with the same small 3 seconds gap between each frame, regardless of exposure length.
Then you are doing interval ramping as well and won't get a time lapse with constant speed. Your timelapse will have an accelleration.
I don't think what you are planning to do is possible currently with dslrdashboard.
ok, so as I understand you...
Either you base your interval on daytime intervals, say 5 seconds and shoot until dark then end the sequence.
Or you base your interval on nighttime intervals, say 15 seconds and shoot just before dark and into darkness.
But combining these two by starting in the daytime at 5 sec intervals, with sunshine in the pic and transitioning to night time at 15 seconds intervals is a bad idea, and likely impossible (unless its not cloudy, then the transition will be smooth)
In the last case, if my night sequence interval is 15 seconds, then the whole sequence must be 15 seconds interval including the daylight part of the sequence.
The reason for this is to avoid any ugly acceleration.
I have it right?
thanks for your explanations,
Malcolm