K20D intravalometer

[nixcamic]

I was thinking of asking for a intravalometer for christmas, but I'm also planning on upgrading to a K20D some time early next year, and noticed that it has one built in. Looking at the specs for it though it only allows you to do 99 shots before it stops. Is this 99 shot limit true? if it is I'll still be asking for an intravalometer.

[SpecialK]

I was thinking of asking for a intravalometer for christmas, but I'm also planning on upgrading to a K20D some time early next year, and noticed that it has one built in. Looking at the specs for it though it only allows you to do 99 shots before it stops. Is this 99 shot limit true? if it is I'll still be asking for an intravalometer.

Haven't used the K20D intervalometer yet. I'm guessing the 99-shot limit is accurate.

Oh, for google purposes, it's intervalometer, like in interval.

[IsaacEastgate]

yep, the limit is 99, you cant select a higher number.
But you can take a laptop out with you and use the pentax remote assistant to take as many photos as you like.
Also remember battery life could be an issue.

Personally, i think 99 shots is fine. Just wait 99, come back and start it off again

[vizjerei]

Originally Posted by IsaacEastgate

Personally, i think 99 shots is fine. Just wait 99, come back and start it off again

Only if the battery still last if it is in cold winter

[pjmarchand]

If your serious about getting into time lapse photography, this isn't the camera for you. 99 frames is no where near enough, and to have to come back and reset the interval is a pain and risks shifting your shot, which could ruin your hole sequence. Don't let anybody tell you different.
What we need is Pentax to create the firmware for the K20, which already exists on the W30. No idea why Pentax puts 99 frame limit on their flagship camera and doesn't have one on a point & shoot.

[nixcamic]

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll just ask for an external intervalometer, I can use it with my GX-10, and it'll still be useful on the k20d when/if I upgrade. I can also lend it out, have lots of friends that would be interested in borrowing one.

[Donald]

what time intervals are allowed: i.e. can I program 1 second, .5 second?

Interval limited by buffer / card writing speed? If so what happens to programmed shot sequence if buffer can't empty fast enough.


For years I have wanted a programmable shot counter. I have ranted here before (dear Pentax...) on the uselessness of the shot down-counter as a wildly inaccurate best guess in the days of digital 1 / 0. I want to program 50 shots, rapid continuous fire, hand held, and actually be accurate with the 50!

[insulinguy]

the limit IS NOT 99!!!! yes - the camera says that but for 30 bucks you can get a timer cable and the K20 will then have unlimited shots -
Timer Remote Cord for Pentax K20D K10D K200D K100D *ist - eBay (item 330346787168 end time Oct-20-09 22:20:30 PDT)

best addition to the K20 ive purchased yet!

[dosdan]

Originally Posted by insulinguy

the limit IS NOT 99!!!! yes - the camera says that but for 30 bucks you can get a timer cable and the K20 will then have unlimited shots -
Timer Remote Cord for Pentax K20D K10D K200D K100D *ist - eBay (item 330346787168 end time Oct-20-09 22:20:30 PDT)

best addition to the K20 ive purchased yet!

Seems great. Found it is a bit difficult to understand the description. Does the count displayed go to 399, but you can continue on past that?

Do you have a link to any WMV/MPEG-2/MPEG-4 video files you've produced from a sequence of shots?

I've not processed a intervalometer sequence yet, but I've done a K20D 21fps burst and replicated each shot 4 times in Sony Vegas Pro 8 to get a 0.336x slo-mo sequence @ 25fps playback rate. 2 jumps into a swimming pool - 13s - 3.6MB - 720x576 - 25 fps - WMV 9 Pro VBR (Peak) 2 Mbps avg, 7Mbps pk, 20s peak buffer, 1 keyframe/s.

http://users.on.net/~dosdan/Slo-mo%20pool%20sequence%20from%20K20D%2021fps%20burst .wmv

I think a intervalometer sequence would also require shot replication when produced as a video clip i.e not 1 shot=1 frame. Possibly 4x-10x.


Dan.

[WheresWaldo]

Dan,

With that intervalometer can specify a number of shutter actuations from 1 - 399, if you specify 0 it will keep going until you shut it off. That is where the 399 number comes from.

[dosdan]

Thanks for the clarification.