Point-and-shoot for time-lapse

[PatrickCocoa]

I've searched this forum and done some google-ing but haven't seen anything definitive.

I'm looking for a point-and-shoot camera that can do time-lapse. That is, I put the camera on a tripod and set it to, say, one shot per minute. Then I come back a half-day later, download my 720 pictures to iMovie, add a sound track and BAM, I have a dramatic 30 second nature documentary.

Any help on camera model or other advice would be appreciated.

 

[jbg232]

That is a very high end feature and I'm not aware of any point and shoot that does it.

 

[Abraxsis]

There are actually several P&S cameras that handle time lapse. in my humble opinion, the best cost to camera ratio is the Nikon S500. Real optical image stabilization, decent IQ, steel construction, and a really small form factor. I bought one for my recent trip to Canada. I used a small gorilla pod to hang the camera, upside down, from my sun visor in the passenger seat. Set it to a picture every 30sec and drove. 2300 miles later I have a 9 minutes rapid replay of all the driving portions of my trip. Camera cost? 34.95 shipped from eBay.

 

[jbg232]

I stand corrected.

 

[PatrickCocoa]

Thanks

There are actually several P&S cameras that handle time lapse. in my humble opinion, the best cost to camera ratio is the Nikon S500.

Thanks, this is very helpful.

 

[PatrickCocoa]

Thanks and Questions

There are actually several P&S cameras that handle time lapse. in my humble opinion, the best cost to camera ratio is the Nikon S500. [snip] Camera cost? 34.95 shipped from eBay.

A couple of follow up questions, it appears my quest may be reaching a successful conclusion:

- how did you find that the Nikon S500 had time lapse/stop motion capabilities? I've been reading the specs of currently sold point-and-shoot cameras and they're silent on the issue.

- any other manufacturers/models with time lapse/stop motion? The cheapest Nikon S500 on ebay right now is at $60. That's not too bad, and I can wait for a better deal if I get outbid, but if there are other models I can look at that would be great.

Again, thanks.

 

[Xander562]

I've used a Canon SD600 with CHDK for timelapses. Essentially the CHDK mod will give the camera intervalometer capabilities, so you can set it up to take a photo every second, 30 seconds, etc. then once you get all the pictures, you can compile them into a video with quicktime. easy as pie. you can even change the FPS in quicktime, from 10 to 60.

 

[Abraxsis]

First off, be sure to check the specs for alternate names for what you consider time lapse. What you are really after is an "interval shooting mode" or "built-in intervalometer" although some cameras will still use "time lapse" but that is generally a misnomer for a movie mode (as is the case with the S500, which has a time lapse movie mode AND an interval mode, the later being what you need).

The best way, IMO, to find what you are wanting is to pick a camera brand you align yourself with and search for that camera with the keywords "time lapse" or "interval mode."

Another tip is to search Youtube for time lapse movies to see what cameras they use.

Lastly, there is the option of using any old Canon digital and running the CHDK hack on it.

 

[Abraxsis]

The cheapest Nikon S500 on ebay right now is at $60. That's not too bad, and I can wait for a better deal if I get outbid, but if there are other models I can look at that would be great.

The one I bought was a tad beat up on the front steel panel, hence the lower price. however, the rest of the camera was pristine, not a scratch on the LCD. I slapped a LCD protection film on the LCD before I left for Canada, and now I carry it with me when I don't have room to lug my EP-2 or DSLR setup.