Time-Lapse Movies

Still photos captured at a set interval are combined to create a time-lapse movie. This provides an accelerated view of processes that normally happen slowly, such as changes in a landscape, plant growth, or celestial motion.

  1. Select [Shooting: Time-lapse movie] ().

  2. Select [Time-lapse].

    • Select [Enable].

  3. Set [Interval].

    • As you set the number, refer to the [Movies] time required (1) and [Playback] playback time (2).
    • Turn the Quick control dial 1 dial to select an option (hours : minutes : seconds).
    • Press SET to display [Adjust].
    • Set the desired number, then press SET. (Returns to [Select].)
    • Can be set in a range of [00:00:02]–[99:59:59]. (An interval of once per second is not available.)
    • Select [OK] to register the setting.

  4. Set [No. of shots].

    • As you set the number, refer to the time required ([Movies]) and playback time ([Playback]).
    • Turn the Quick control dial 1 dial to select an option (digit).
    • Press SET to display [Adjust].
    • Set the desired number, then press SET. (Returns to [Select].)
    • Can be set in a range of [0002]–[3600].
    • Make sure the playback time ([Playback]) is not displayed in red.
    • Select [OK] to register the setting.
    • The playback time ([Playback]) is displayed in red if the card does not have enough free space to record the specified number of shots. Although the camera can continue recording, the recording will stop when the card becomes full.
    • Playback time ([Playback]) is displayed in red if the [No. of shots] setting results in a file size exceeding 4 GB for a card not formatted in exFAT (). If you keep recording in this condition and the movie file size reaches 4 GB, the time-lapse movie recording will stop.

    Note

  5. Select [Movie rec. size].

    • Available movie recording sizes (a combination of resolution, frame rate, and compression) are displayed. Options vary depending on the [Main rec. format] setting.

      For details on main recording formats, resolutions, frame rates, and compression, see Main Recording Format and Movie Recording Size.

    • With [Main rec. format] set to [XF-HEVC S YCC422 10bit]

      • NTSC: 8K-U 29.97 fps Standard (intra-frame), PAL: 8K-U 25.00 fps Standard (intra-frame)
      • NTSC: 8K-U 29.97 fps Light (intra-frame), PAL: 8K-U 25.00 fps Light (intra-frame)

    • With [Main rec. format] set to [XF-AVC S YCC422 10bit] or [XF-AVC S YCC420 8bit]

      • NTSC: 4K-UHD 29.97 fps High image quality (intra-frame), PAL: 4K-UHD 25.00 fps High image quality (intra-frame)
      • NTSC: 4K-UHD 29.97 fps Standard (intra-frame), PAL: 4K-UHD 25.00 fps Standard (intra-frame)
      • NTSC: 4K-UHD 29.97 fps Light (intra-frame), PAL: 4K-UHD 25.00 fps Light (intra-frame)
      • NTSC: Full HD 29.97 fps Standard (intra-frame), PAL: Full HD 25.00 fps Standard (intra-frame)

    Caution

    • Full HD is not available when [Shooting: Movie cropping] is set to [Enable], or with RF-S/EF-S lenses attached.

  6. Select [Main rec. format].

    • The available main recording formats are listed.
    • For details on these options, see Main Recording Format.

  7. Set [Auto exposure].

    • Fixed 1st frame

      When taking the first shot, metering is performed to set the exposure automatically to match the brightness. The exposure setting for the first shot will be applied to subsequent shots. Other shooting-related settings for the first shot will also be applied for subsequent shots.

    • Each frame

      Metering is also performed for each subsequent shot to set the exposure automatically to match the brightness. Note that any functions such as Picture Style and white balance that are set to [Auto] will be set automatically for each subsequent shot.

    Caution

    • Significant changes in brightness between shots may prevent the camera from shooting at the specified interval when [Interval] is set to less than 3 sec. and [Auto exposure] is set to [Each frame].

  8. Set [Screen auto off].

    • Disable

      Even during time-lapse movie recording, the image will be displayed. (The screen turns off only at the time of shooting.) Note that the screen will turn off when approx. 30 min. elapse after the shooting started.

    • Enable

      The screen will turn off when approx. 10 sec. elapse after the shooting started.

    Caution

    • Even if [Screen auto off] is set to [Disable], the screen turns off during exposure. Also note that images may not be displayed if the interval between shots is too brief.

    Note

    • During time-lapse movie recording, you can press the INFO button to turn on/off the screen.

  9. Set [Beep per Time-lapse movie taken].

    • Set to [0] to prevent the camera from beeping for each shot.

  10. Check the settings.

    • Time required (1)

      Indicates the time required to shoot the set number of shots with the set interval. If it exceeds 24 hours, “*** days” will be displayed.

    • Playback time (2)

      Length of the time-lapse movie.

  11. Close the menu.

    • Press the MENU button to turn off the menu screen.

  12. Read the message.

    • Read the message and select [OK].

  13. Take a test shot.

    • Press the INFO button and double-check the time required (1) and interval (2) shown on the screen.
    • Set the exposure and shooting functions, then focus.
    • Press the shutter button completely to take a test shot, which is recorded to the card as a still photo.
    • If there are no problems with the test shot, go to the next step.
    • To take more test shots, repeat this step.

    Note

    • Test shots are captured in JPEG FineLarge quality.
    • In [Manual exposure (movies)] mode, you can set the shutter speed in a range of 1/4000 to 30 sec.
    • You can set the maximum limit for Auto ISO in [Movies] mode or in [Manual exposure (movies)] mode with ISO Auto, in the [Time-lapse movieMax for Auto] option of [Shooting: MovieISO speed settings] ().
    • If you have set [Half-press] in [Custom Functions: Shutter btn function for movies] to [Meter.+Movie Servo AF], it is automatically changed to [Meter.+One-Shot AF] when you set up time-lapse movie recording.

  14. Press the movie shooting button.

    • The camera is now ready to start recording a time-lapse movie.
    • To return to step 13, press the movie shooting button again.

  15. Record the time-lapse movie.

    • Press the shutter button completely to start recording the time-lapse movie.
    • AF will not work during time-lapse movie recording.
    • A recording icon “●” is displayed on the screen as the time-lapse movie is recorded.
    • When the set number of shots are taken, the time-lapse movie recording ends.
    • To cancel recording time-lapse movies, set [Time-lapse] to [Disable].

Note

  • Using a tripod is recommended.
  • Taking test shots as in step 13 or even recording test time-lapse movies beforehand is recommended.
  • The movie's field of view coverage for both the 4K and Full HD time-lapse movie recording is approx. 100%.
  • To cancel time-lapse movie recording in progress, either press the shutter button completely or press the movie shooting button. The time-lapse movie shot so far will be recorded on the card.
  • If the time required for recording is more than 24 hours but not more than 48 hours, “2 days” will be indicated. If three or more days are required, the number of days will be indicated in 24-hour increments.
  • Even if the time-lapse movie's playback time is less than 1 sec., a movie file will still be created. In this case, [Playback 00'00"] is indicated as the playback time.
  • If the shooting time is long, using the household power outlet accessories (sold separately) is recommended.
  • YCbCr 4:2:0 (8-bit) color sampling and the BT.709 color space are used for 4K/Full HD time-lapse movies.

Caution

  • Do not point the camera toward an intense light source, such as the sun or an intense artificial light source. Doing so may damage the image sensor or the camera's internal components.
  • Time-lapse movies cannot be recorded when the camera is connected to a computer with the interface cable, or when an HDMI cable is connected.
  • Movie Servo AF will not function.
  • If the shutter speed is 1/30 sec. or slower, the exposure of the movie may not be displayed properly (may differ from that of the resulting movie).
  • Do not zoom the lens during time-lapse movie recording. Zooming the lens may cause the image to be out of focus, the exposure to change, or the lens aberration correction not to function properly.
  • Recording time-lapse movies under flickering light may cause noticeable screen flickering, and images may be captured with horizontal stripes (noise) or irregular exposure.
  • Images displayed as time-lapse movies are recorded may look different from the resulting movie (in details such as inconsistent brightness from flickering light sources, or noise from a high ISO speed).
  • When recording a time-lapse movie under low light, the image displayed during shooting may look different from what is actually recorded in the movie. In such cases, the [Display simulation (enable)] icon will blink.
  • If you move the camera from left to right (panning) or shoot a moving subject during time-lapse movie recording, the image may look extremely distorted.
  • During time-lapse movie recording, auto power off will not take effect. Also, you cannot adjust the shooting function and menu function settings, play back images, etc.
  • Sound is not recorded for time-lapse movies.
  • To start or stop time-lapse movie recording, you can press the shutter button completely, regardless of the [Custom Functions: Shutter btn function for movies] setting.
  • Significant changes in brightness between shots may prevent the camera from shooting at the specified interval when [Interval] is set to less than 3 sec. and [Auto exposure] is set to [Each frame].
  • If the shutter speed exceeds the shooting interval (such as for long exposures), or if a slow shutter speed is set automatically, the camera may not be able to shoot at the set interval. Shooting may also be prevented by shooting intervals nearly the same as the shutter speed.
  • If the next scheduled shot is not possible, it will be skipped. This may shorten the recording time of the created time-lapse movie.
  • If the time it takes to record to the card exceeds the shooting interval due to the shooting functions set or card performance, some of the shots may not be taken with the set intervals.
  • The captured images are not recorded as still photos. Even if you cancel the time-lapse movie recording after only one shot is taken, it will be recorded as a movie file.
  • Set [Shooting: Time-lapse movie] to [Disable] if you will connect the camera to a computer with the interface cable and use an application such as Camera Connect. Options other than [Disable] will prevent the camera from communicating with the computer.
  • Image stabilization is not applied in time-lapse movie recording.
  • Time-lapse movie shooting ends if the power switch is set to Power off, for example, and the setting is changed to [Disable].
  • Even if a flash is used, it will not fire.
  • The following operations cancel standby for time-lapse movie recording and switch the setting to [Disable].
    • Selecting either [Clean now] in [Set-up: Sensor cleaning] or [Basic settings] in [Reset camera]
    • Switching the shooting mode to [C1], [C2], or [C3]
  • Image quality may be lower if you start time-lapse movie recording while a white [Overheating restriction] or red [Overheating restriction (red)] icon () is displayed. For best results, before recording, wait until the white [Overheating restriction] or red [Overheating restriction (red)] icon is no longer displayed, which indicates that the camera has cooled down.
  • With [Auto exposure] set to [Each frame], the ISO speed, shutter speed, and aperture value may not be recorded in the time-lapse movie Exif information in some shooting modes.

Note

  • You can use Wireless Remote Control BR-E1 (sold separately) to start and stop time-lapse movie recording.

  • With Wireless Remote Control BR-E1

  • First, pair Wireless Remote Control BR-E1 with the camera ().
  • After you take some test shots and the camera is ready to shoot (as in step 14, ), set the release timing/movie shooting switch on the BR-E1 to <●> (immediate release) or <2> (2-sec. delay).

  • If the remote control's switch has been set to Movies, the time-lapse movie recording cannot start.

    Camera Status/Remote Control Setting

    <●> Immediate Release

    <2> 2-sec. Delay

    		 Movies Movie Recording
    Test-recording screen Test recording To recording standby
    Recording standby Starts recording To test-recording screen
    During time-lapse movie recording Ends recording Ends recording

Approx. Time Available for Recording Time-Lapse Movies

For guidelines on how long you can record time-lapse movies (until the battery runs out), see Movie recording.