Question about WB setting for time-lapsed photography

[EL Pistoffo]

I'm planning on shooting a sun-setting scene with time-lapsed photography over the span of a couple hours I figure. My question is about the WB setting on my GoPro. Should I set the WB to Auto or Camera-Raw? I may wind up with hundreds of photos and don't want to have to fine tune each. These will be merged into a shot video clip then do a sorta Ken Burns effect on it. Any correction I may have to do could be done once all the pics are merged into video sequence.

Also, since the rest of my video footage I will be editing this with is shot at 60fps. Should I calculate a 60 still photos from time-lapse for every 1 second of video? So if I want 6 seconds of time-lapse video i'll need 360 still photos? I'm a bit confused.

My setup:
GoPro Hero3 Black Ed.
12MP Wide
Protune on
WB AUTO?
Tripod

 

[flareside]

I'm a bit confused.

I'd have to agree.

WB adjustment is a function of Protune and Protune only works with video. Still photos are only taken using Auto WB (you have no choice in the matter). But as Auto WB is fine for sunsets, you're okay here.

Timelapse is not shot at 60fps. 60fps is high speed video. And as timelapse is only viewed at 30fps to get the interval you need to take the photos at, multiply the anticipated final video time (in seconds) by 30 and then divide that into the length of time that you expect to take photos (in seconds).

i.e. for for 6 seconds of video: 6 sec x 30fps = 180 shots
2 hours in seconds = 2 x 60 x 60 = 7200 seconds
Timelapse interval = 7200 / 180 = 40 second intervals (which is not an available choice)
At the closest available camera interval of 30 seconds, this would yield 240 shots or 8 seconds of video.

This is just the simple version however as there are plenty of adjustments that can be made in post altering fps. One of the best is using 4K video sped up in Cineform to give the appearance of timelapse. This method yields ultra smooth cloud motion and as it is done in video mode, Protune is available.

Finally, should you find yourself ever having to adjust the WB (or anything else for that matter) across a whole set of timelapse photos, consider using Lightroom. All you have to do is fix one and then have it apply that fix to all the rest.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

I'd have to agree.

WB adjustment is a function of Protune and Protune only works with video. Still photos are only taken using Auto WB (you have no choice in the matter). But as Auto WB is fine for sunsets, you're okay here.

Timelapse is not shot at 60fps. 60fps is high speed video. And as timelapse is only viewed at 30fps to get the interval you need to take the photos at, multiply the anticipated final video time (in seconds) by 30 and then divide that into the length of time that you expect to take photos (in seconds).

i.e. for for 6 seconds of video: 6 sec x 30fps = 180 shots
2 hours in seconds = 2 x 60 x 60 = 7200 seconds
Timelapse interval = 7200 / 180 = 40 second intervals (which is not an available choice)
At the closest available camera interval of 30 seconds, this would yield 240 shots or 8 seconds of video.



This is just the simple version however as there are plenty of adjustments that can be made in post altering fps. One of the best is using 4K video sped up in Cineform to give the appearance of timelapse. This method yields ultra smooth cloud motion and as it is done in video mode, Protune is available.

Finally, should you find yourself ever having to adjust the WB (or anything else for that matter) across a whole set of time-lapse photos, consider using Lightroom. All you have to do is fix one and then have it apply that fix to all the rest.

Thanks for the answer. My only concern is that when I edit my main video in Vegas Pro, the project is in a 60fps format, which matches and keeps the original camera video. This way I can alter clip speeds (slow down) with a smooth result. The final output is in 30fps. The problem I might encounter is when I try to add a 30fps clip (created from time-lapse stills) into a 60fps project. I'm not certain but I think Vegas Pro will prompt for some type of fps mismatch error.

This thread should probably be under Production, sorry.

 

[dfx]

Thanks for the answer. My only concern is that when I edit my main video in Vegas Pro, the project is in a 60fps format, which matches and keeps the original camera video. This way I can alter clip speeds (slow down) with a smooth result. The final output is in 30fps. The problem I might encounter is when I try to add a 30fps clip (created from time-lapse stills) into a 60fps project. I'm not certain but I think Vegas Pro will prompt for some type of fps mismatch error.

But there is no original video. There's only a collection of stills. If you create a video out of a series of stills, you can choose the frame rate yourself. You can set it at 60, 30, 15 or 3.1415 fps if you wish.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

I will make a short video clip with the stills then insert that clip in to another project(60fps) of a longer video. If I set the time-lapse video project to 60fps, would I not need 1 still photo per frame = 60 still photos per second of video? My head starting to hurt.

For example, I might want to do some time-lapse of my cruise ship leaving port and then create a short video clip of it and then insert it into a video of my vacation trip. I just don't want to have to few stills and make a 6 second video clip of it that is jerky. I think it's better to have more stills than to few.

I've never done time-lapse video so I may very well be missing something in the process.

I wish I had my new SD card already so I could put this too the test. I just hope this new SD card doesn't act up like the last one or worse, crash.

 

[dfx]

I will make a short video clip with the stills then insert that clip in to another project(60fps) of a longer video. If I set the time-lapse video project to 60fps, would I not need 1 still photo per frame = 60 still photos per second of video? My head starting to hurt.

For example, I might want to do some time-lapse of my cruise ship leaving port and then create a short video clip of it and then insert it into a video of my vacation trip. I just don't want to have to few stills and make a 6 second video clip of it that is jerky. I think it's better to have more stills than to few.

Ah, I see the problem now. I don't know Vegas Pro, but it should be able to handle fps conversions. Generally speaking, if your final output is 30 fps, then I really see no point in having your project set at 60 fps. Unless that's some funny VP requirement to let you do funny stuff with the 60 fps footage, but that would be surprising. In any case, it should be possible to import a 30 fps clip into a 60 fps project without any loss of quality if the final output is 30 fps anyway. But sure, if you want to be on the safe side, do your time lapse in 60 fps... but most likely it won't be anything but a waste of space and battery.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

Ah, I see the problem now. I don't know Vegas Pro, but it should be able to handle fps conversions. Generally speaking, if your final output is 30 fps, then I really see no point in having your project set at 60 fps. Unless that's some funny VP requirement to let you do funny stuff with the 60 fps footage, but that would be surprising. In any case, it should be possible to import a 30 fps clip into a 60 fps project without any loss of quality if the final output is 30 fps anyway. But sure, if you want to be on the safe side, do your time lapse in 60 fps... but most likely it won't be anything but a waste of space and battery.

I tend do do things on the safe side (overkill). I'll be putting this to the test soon enough. Plus, I will be testing the performance of SanDisks new 64 GB Extreme SD card with the new camera firmware. I'll see if that card can handle the GoPro in Protune mode while keeping up with the 45Mb data rate and not freezing, stopping recording, or bricking the SD card. I've heard a lot of horror stories lately of folks frying their SD card and losing all their video.
I will post a report on it in the near future.

 

[dfx]

I tend do do things on the safe side (overkill). I'll be putting this to the test soon enough. Plus, I will be testing the performance of SanDisks new 64 GB Extreme SD card with the new camera firmware. I'll see if that card can handle the GoPro in Protune mode while keeping up with the 45Mb data rate and not freezing, stopping recording, or bricking the SD card. I've heard a lot of horror stories lately of folks frying their SD card and losing all their video.
I will post a report on it in the near future.

That's funny, I didn't think it's possible to kill an SD card like that. In the very least, it should be possible to format it to get it back to working state. If not, then I'd call that a defect of the card. But that probably belongs in a different thread.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

That's funny, I didn't think it's possible to kill an SD card like that. In the very least, it should be possible to format it to get it back to working state. If not, then I'd call that a defect of the card. But that probably belongs in a different thread.

It's not exactly a defect of just the card. GoPro has been aware of this for quit some time. Lots and lots of complaints from customers. Many returned their GoPros thinking it was defective. That is partly why they just issued a new firmware update, to address this. Also, SanDisk has been the recommended SD card by GoPro till now. They are off the list.

But yes some had their cards bricked. A call to SanDisk or Gopro would simply be answered by "I'm sorry to hear that, you can send your card back to us for replacement or send it to our recommended data recovery service for a recovery fee of $325 if it can be recovered." Needless to say, many could not be recovered.

My SanDisk Ultra 64 SD has been giving me issues with lockups, random recording stops, and on screen errors. I exchanged it for a newer, faster version. If that doesn't work then I'll have to go with one of GoPros new recommended SD cards........What a mission!

 

[flareside]

I think you are overestimating the value of 60fps video. It's good for high speed action photography because you can slow it down in post for effect. It can also be used to reduce jello but so can filters. However it only works in good light. If you try it in low light you will find the end result dark and excessively grainy. For most common situations it merely wastes card space and computer resources. And in the end, you can't even see it. The eye only refreshes about 30 times a second. You will find that youtube is not gonna be all that kind to it either.

But if you must, change the interval in the example above to 15 second intervals and that will get you the 60fps video covering the same time frames.