What equipment do I need to make architectural time lapse video?
If the camera moves or shakes, your time lapse may be difficult or impossible to view. Therefore, look for a camera and camera accessories (e.g., a tripod) that makes it easy to keep the camera stable. There are multiple cameras you could use in architectural time-lapse video.
Can I use an IP camera for time lapse photos?
Note: IP cameras (i.e. cameras which are connected to a network) are sometimes called “security cameras.” In addition to home and commercial security, these cameras can be used for time lapse photos in some cases. Several Reolink cameras have time-lapse capabilities through recent firmware updates.
What is a construction time lapse?
A construction time lapse is one of the best ways to communicate progress on a construction. It adds excitement to the construction reports. While you can use a variety of cameras to make a time lapse, Reolink cameras are an excellent choice. These affordable cameras support construction time lapse so you can easily create videos.
Which trail cameras have time-lapse capabilities?
The Victure HC200 Trail Camera is a low-cost option with interesting time-lapse capabilities. It can take three shots per trigger action, so you don’t miss fast-moving wildlife, or it can take stills or videos at up to 30-minute intervals over a 72-hour period.
Are time-lapse cameras weatherproof?
Yes, but just how much varies from device to device. The best thing to look for is an IP or IPX rating (charts are available online). These are pre...
How long can I leave a time-lapse camera to run unattended?
It’s different for each model, and something you need to check carefully. The two factors that have the greatest impact are the time-lapse settings...
How do I protect my time-lapse camera from theft?
Many trail cameras come with cases that can be fitted with a locking steel cable, which will deter the opportunistic thief. Time-lapse cameras used...
Materials needed
A Canon point and shoot camera that’s on the CHDK compatibility list. I chose the Canon PowerShot ELPH 130 IS.
Total cost
I didn’t want to put values on every line item above, because chances are it’ll all change. At time of writing, everything documented here cost me around $500. I built this over the course of 4 months.
Step 1: Hack the camera
I decided to go with a Canon point and shoot camera for a couple of reasons. The point and shoot will have much more megapixels than that off-the-shelf model, but the real reason is control. The firmware can be “hacked”, which would allow for automatic timelapses using an addon script.
Step 2: Get the AP and 4G LTE setup
I chose to go with the TP-LINK TL-MR3020 router for a few reasons. Mainly because I know when I power off the USB cable, the 4G card is off too. This saves tremendous amount of battery. I also knew it could be reflashed to run OpenWRT, which would give me a little more control over the device.
Step 3: Time to hack the hardware
First step, let’s learn our power requirements! The end goal is to have this whole setup run on a (big) battery, and have it recharge via Solar. We now have the camera’s firmware setup, and the 4G Wifi Setup, now we need put all this stuff on the bench and try to make it as automated as possible.
Step 4: Figuring out solar power
With everything in the case, it’s time to figure out what kind of solar panel and battery we need. This is where the math gets interesting – and even sometimes contested. Ultimately I ended up asking a question on electronics.stackexchange.com to get some help. Here’s what I know:
Step 5: Mount it in the field!
Finally after months of planning came the big day to hang the camera! Since its a construction site, there was no place to mount it other than on a tree. So I grabbed my ladder and went to work to get the solar panel / battery combo piece mounted.
Best Cellular Trail Camera
The Spartan GoCam is a trail cam that comes with a very fast trigger speed and it is an excellent option for surveillance.
Types of Wireless Trail Cameras
Primarily, there are two types of wireless trail cameras. One of them is the short-range camera while the other is the long-range camera.
How do Wireless Trail Cameras Work?
Wireless trail cameras either run on your cellular data, on your Wifi/Bluetooth, or both. They work like any other device that runs on the internet for file sharing.
Cellular Network Tips to Consider
There are various points that you must have to bear in mind when it comes to choosing a cellular network. The entire performance of your device or the network will rely on this information.
How to Choose the Best Cellular Trail Camera?
When it comes to choosing the right kind of trail camera, there are some other features that you need to consider. In the following passage, we are going to highlight all of them for your convenience.
