Making time-lapse videos is fun. They exaggerate the passing of time and reveal a whole different view of the world. I carry my Platypod Ultra everywhere so I’m always ready to set my camera to time-lapse mode and record traffic or clouds or airport work or a wildfire.
And making them is simple, too. Many cameras — and even smartphones — have settings for creating a time-lapse. Look for it under interval shooting in your camera’s menu. Then set the exposure using Manual mode. Oh, and there is one more thing …
Always use manual focus
You must use manual focus for time-lapse sequences. If you leave the camera in autofocus mode (as I did below) the camera will hunt for focus between frames and will probably focus at different distances. This results in a pulsing look during the video. It looks like it stutters in and out. Like the example below, I’ve ruined several otherwise good sequences by forgetting to switch to manual focus.
Manual focus is easy
To manually focus for time-lapse, just use autofocus to focus on an object in your frame, then switch the camera or lens to manual focus. The lens will stay focussed at that distance until you move it or, heaven forbid, bump it.
Make time-lapse videos for fun and stock
Making these videos is not only fun. They make good stock footage, too. Use manual exposure settings, and, most importantly, switch the camera to manual focus so it doesn’t shift focus between frames. I can’t wait to see what you make.
Photofocus has lots more time-lapse tips; be sure to check them out!
If I am doing a timelapse of a plant that is growing and blooming towards the camera and the initial manual focus is on the bud but then the flower blooms, how do I keep the bloom in focus if it gets closer to the lens without using AutoFocus?
They can move a lot can’t they? I’ve given up on anything macro out-of-doors. There is no such thing as ‘no wind’ and even on a cloudless day, the sun’s illumination changes by the minute. I use an indoor setup with artificial lights in a room that allows no natural light to enter. The stable light sources does seem to reduce movement somewhat but not much. For a single flower (Dandelion, Daisy), I cut a single flower and put the stem through a piece of clingfilm stretched over a glass of water. Keep the stem above the clingfilm as short… Read more »
Manual focus is a no-brainer when doing macro-timelapse. I say ‘no-brainer’ after doing exactly that for a timelapse that took two days to complete.
Don’t use autofocus for timelapse, just don’t. That doesn’t mean you cant use autofocus for the initial setup. After that, manual all the way.