K5 Interval Shooting - anyone using it?

leadfoot · 12-27-2012, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by Dr_who

I have used it recently in fact, however I asked for a Intervalometer for Christmas as I need more control over it's abilites that the built in one couldn't do. Mainly functionality in bulb mode over 30s. The one I got was Hahnel Giga T Pro II Wireless Remote Review in this review (Pentax was used as it's compatabile with the Canon one). Interesting features include it being wireless, as well as being a remote trigger. Also you can set a timer on the timer. So you can do a burst of 24 frames every 3 seconds, and then pause 30min, and redo burst of 24 frames. Which is really handy for stop motion videos ect. Again I mostly want it for Bulb mode of 4-5 minutes for astrophotography stacking.

For general use however the built in one in the camera is nice and can be useful for group photos, settign it up on a tripod and have it take a few images in succession ect.

That Hahnel unit has some really nice features. Thank you for the link.

Dr_who · 12-27-2012, 02:11 PM

Originally posted by leadfoot

That Hahnel unit has some really nice features. Thank you for the link.

Well and for $129 Can. it's a pretty darn good deal price wise as well.

johnmflores · 12-30-2012, 03:51 PM

Some nice stuff Leadfooot!

Here's something a bit more prosaic,

You Tube

**Big Bob** · 01-01-2013, 12:29 PM

Nice time lapse work on this thread. Here's a time-lapse of a busy intersection in Pittsburgh. About 350 shots, one every 10 sec's for a little over 1/2 hour. Used K-5 with 16-45 zoom.

Zenfolio | robert wells Photography | Pittsburgh Time Lapse

hll · 08-13-2013, 12:51 PM

any idea why k5 ii's intervalometer does not work properly when shooting pics with long exposures??? it takes only a couple of shots and stops.

**The Kellyboy** · 08-13-2013, 02:07 PM

Slightly off topic, I'm taking wedding pics on Thursday and I'm going to set my K7 up for interval shooting during the service while I shoot with my K5.
I'll set it to start about 5 minutes before the service and take a pic every 15 seconds. I'm impressed that AF kicks in prior to each shot as well.
I'll be able to get shots from 2 different angles, and if only one of them is a keeper I'll be happy!

Skymist · 08-13-2013, 04:16 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by hll

any idea why k5 ii's intervalometer does not work properly when shooting pics with long exposures??? it takes only a couple of shots and stops.

The interval setting is overridden by exposure time. You cannot combine some settings. See the first post here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5/143409-k-5-astrophotography.html

hll · 08-19-2013, 03:15 AM

Originally posted by Skymist

The interval setting is overridden by exposure time. You cannot combine some settings. See the first post here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5/143409-k-5-astrophotography.html

it will be helpful, thanks!!!

**Wingincamera** · 08-19-2013, 06:49 PM

I just tried this the other day with my K-5 II and the 18-135 lens. I had to process each frame in LR, then used LR to make the video.

You Tube

asp1880 · 08-20-2013, 02:26 AM

Originally posted by johnmflores

Some nice stuff Leadfooot!

Here's something a bit more prosaic,

Breaking Down a Campsite in 1:11 - YouTube

What's that slight rotation every other frame? Is that the automatic horizon correction working against you, or is it an unstable tripod? Fun stuff by the way. Timelapse is always entertaining.

Regards,
--Anders.

kadajawi · 08-26-2016, 04:17 PM

So I am trying to take a star trail photo now... K-5, set to interval shooting. 30s exposure, 1 second interval. First time I did it it stopped after maybe 30 minutes. I resumed, now it stopped after maybe 7 minutes. That seems... ridiculous. Why would it do that? Interval shooting should be a very simple thing to implement, and if it has issues, to fix with a firmware update. Now I have to stand outside next to the camera for hours, instead of being able to sit in my car and trust the camera that it works...

Is there any trick to get it working reliably? Breaks are kind of a big issue with star trails...

Ah, I just found the other thread saying I should set it to 32s for 30s exposure times... I did that, but now I am afraid it won't work reliably...

Ok, wait. If I set it to 32 seconds, it will take a photo... 30 seconds later the photo is done, it will wait 32 seconds, and then take the next one. Absolutely not what I want!

With the setting at 3 seconds it seemed to work for a while... but eventually it stopped again. How could you guys get it to work reliably?

Gimbal · 08-31-2016, 08:51 AM

Originally posted by kadajawi

Ok, wait. If I set it to 32 seconds, it will take a photo... 30 seconds later the photo is done, it will wait 32 seconds, and then take the next one. Absolutely not what I want!

No that is not how it works, the timer runs continuously, even during the exposure. So if you set the timer for 20 seconds the shutter button will be triggered every 20 seconds, that is 3 times per minute until the number of triggers has expired. This is regardless of the exposure time.

If the exposure is less then 20 seconds you will get 3 pictures per minute, but if it is longer then 20 seconds it will be erratic because the second trigger will come after 20 seconds, but at that time the first exposure is still running so the triggering event will be lost. Therefore you must have a timer setting that is longer then the exposure, add at least 2 seconds to be sure.

Also make sure you don't have long exposure noise reduction activated as that will lock up the camera during the dark frame subtraction, unless you are aware of that and allow time for it.

kadajawi · 09-01-2016, 03:15 AM

Originally posted by Gimbal

No that is not how it works, the timer runs continuously, even during the exposure. So if you set the timer for 20 seconds the shutter button will be triggered every 20 seconds, that is 3 times per minute until the number of triggers has expired. This is regardless of the exposure time.

If the exposure is less then 20 seconds you will get 3 pictures per minute, but if it is longer then 20 seconds it will be erratic because the second trigger will come after 20 seconds, but at that time the first exposure is still running so the triggering event will be lost. Therefore you must have a timer setting that is longer then the exposure, add at least 2 seconds to be sure.

Also make sure you don't have long exposure noise reduction activated as that will lock up the camera during the dark frame subtraction, unless you are aware of that and allow time for it.

Hm. It's odd. I could swear that I tried setting it to 33 seconds, and what happened was it took a 30 second photo, then waited roughly 30 seconds and then fired again. I even have a couple of exposures to proof it! But then at home, with a recharged battery, I set it to 33 seconds or so, and set off the camera. After a few hours the battery was flat, and the camera took photos every 33 seconds. But I don't trust the system... ordered a remote trigger for 5 Euro that can be locked to continuously fire. And 2 more batteries (were cheaper than 1 alone...?). I'm able to charge the battery on the go using a powerbank, but sadly I can't use the powerbank to charge the camera.

It's really a shame, Pentax makes awesome cameras for astrophotography, but battery is always going to be an issue. If only you could operate and charge the camera via USB, that would make very, very long exposures in the middle of nowhere a doddle. Get a big powerbank, insert a fully charged battery in the camera, and off you go. When the powerbank is empty, the camera will continue to run on the internal battery. If necessary, attach another powerbank, the internal battery gets filled up and the camera continues to take photos.

I had dark frame substraction off.

frangutz · 11-17-2016, 04:57 AM

Originally posted by leadfoot

Sometimes you can find remarkable individual images in the sequences. Here are two. The first is a plane headed north - it's not quite dark yet. The second is a meteor.

These are 30 second exposures at 18mm with the 18-55mm WR kit lens, ISO 3200, f/5. This is when I learned you need a grip with a second battery - it was near freezing, and the camera battery died after 325 shots (one shot per minute). Basically, the K-5 was on all the time for 5+ hours, 30 second exposure and 30 sec dark frame subtraction (I think, but not sure), every minute. Says something about the battery life on a K-5. I should have shot these at 6M jpeg instead of 2M, but this was my very first try.

This was my inspiration to try the intervalometer, just blew me away. It was posted here or on the other site. This is a Canon 5DMkII I think. It does not have a built in intervalometer, so this guy had to use an external one. Plus a ton of other equipment to shift the camera during the shots. He is a remarkable photographer.

Hey Leadfoot, I have to say this is an amazing piece of work! I love it. I just got into playing with my K30 time lapse function for my son's school project - and in searching on how to do it, this page came up! Wow - this has blown me away. You inspire me! Thanks so much for sharing!!

F.

08-26-2016, 04:17 PM	#41
kadajawi Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 2,799	So I am trying to take a star trail photo now... K-5, set to interval shooting. 30s exposure, 1 second interval. First time I did it it stopped after maybe 30 minutes. I resumed, now it stopped after maybe 7 minutes. That seems... ridiculous. Why would it do that? Interval shooting should be a very simple thing to implement, and if it has issues, to fix with a firmware update. Now I have to stand outside next to the camera for hours, instead of being able to sit in my car and trust the camera that it works... Is there any trick to get it working reliably? Breaks are kind of a big issue with star trails... Ah, I just found the other thread saying I should set it to 32s for 30s exposure times... I did that, but now I am afraid it won't work reliably... Ok, wait. If I set it to 32 seconds, it will take a photo... 30 seconds later the photo is done, it will wait 32 seconds, and then take the next one. Absolutely not what I want! With the setting at 3 seconds it seemed to work for a while... but eventually it stopped again. How could you guys get it to work reliably? Last edited by kadajawi; 08-26-2016 at 05:23 PM.

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12-27-2012, 10:17 AM	#31
leadfoot Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Oregon Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 131	Originally posted by Dr_who I have used it recently in fact, however I asked for a Intervalometer for Christmas as I need more control over it's abilites that the built in one couldn't do. Mainly functionality in bulb mode over 30s. The one I got was Hahnel Giga T Pro II Wireless Remote Review in this review (Pentax was used as it's compatabile with the Canon one). Interesting features include it being wireless, as well as being a remote trigger. Also you can set a timer on the timer. So you can do a burst of 24 frames every 3 seconds, and then pause 30min, and redo burst of 24 frames. Which is really handy for stop motion videos ect. Again I mostly want it for Bulb mode of 4-5 minutes for astrophotography stacking. For general use however the built in one in the camera is nice and can be useful for group photos, settign it up on a tripod and have it take a few images in succession ect. That Hahnel unit has some really nice features. Thank you for the link.

12-27-2012, 02:11 PM	#32
Dr_who Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 777	Originally posted by leadfoot That Hahnel unit has some really nice features. Thank you for the link. Well and for $129 Can. it's a pretty darn good deal price wise as well.

01-01-2013, 12:29 PM	#34
Big Bob Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 66	Nice time lapse work on this thread. Here's a time-lapse of a busy intersection in Pittsburgh. About 350 shots, one every 10 sec's for a little over 1/2 hour. Used K-5 with 16-45 zoom. Zenfolio \| robert wells Photography \| Pittsburgh Time Lapse

08-13-2013, 12:51 PM	#35
hll Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: new york Photos: Gallery Posts: 297	any idea why k5 ii's intervalometer does not work properly when shooting pics with long exposures??? it takes only a couple of shots and stops.

08-13-2013, 02:07 PM	#36
The Kellyboy Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Pembrokeshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 86	Slightly off topic, I'm taking wedding pics on Thursday and I'm going to set my K7 up for interval shooting during the service while I shoot with my K5. I'll set it to start about 5 minutes before the service and take a pic every 15 seconds. I'm impressed that AF kicks in prior to each shot as well. I'll be able to get shots from 2 different angles, and if only one of them is a keeper I'll be happy!

08-13-2013, 04:16 PM - 1 Like	#37
Skymist Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Monterey Bay, Callifornia Posts: 107	Originally posted by hll any idea why k5 ii's intervalometer does not work properly when shooting pics with long exposures??? it takes only a couple of shots and stops. The interval setting is overridden by exposure time. You cannot combine some settings. See the first post here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5/143409-k-5-astrophotography.html

08-19-2013, 03:15 AM	#38
hll Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: new york Photos: Gallery Posts: 297	Originally posted by Skymist The interval setting is overridden by exposure time. You cannot combine some settings. See the first post here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5/143409-k-5-astrophotography.html it will be helpful, thanks!!!

08-20-2013, 02:26 AM	#40
asp1880 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Lyngby, Copenhagen Photos: Albums Posts: 742	Originally posted by johnmflores Some nice stuff Leadfooot! Here's something a bit more prosaic, Breaking Down a Campsite in 1:11 - YouTube What's that slight rotation every other frame? Is that the automatic horizon correction working against you, or is it an unstable tripod? Fun stuff by the way. Timelapse is always entertaining. Regards, --Anders.

08-31-2016, 08:51 AM	#42
Gimbal Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 2,106	Originally posted by kadajawi Ok, wait. If I set it to 32 seconds, it will take a photo... 30 seconds later the photo is done, it will wait 32 seconds, and then take the next one. Absolutely not what I want! No that is not how it works, the timer runs continuously, even during the exposure. So if you set the timer for 20 seconds the shutter button will be triggered every 20 seconds, that is 3 times per minute until the number of triggers has expired. This is regardless of the exposure time. If the exposure is less then 20 seconds you will get 3 pictures per minute, but if it is longer then 20 seconds it will be erratic because the second trigger will come after 20 seconds, but at that time the first exposure is still running so the triggering event will be lost. Therefore you must have a timer setting that is longer then the exposure, add at least 2 seconds to be sure. Also make sure you don't have long exposure noise reduction activated as that will lock up the camera during the dark frame subtraction, unless you are aware of that and allow time for it.

09-01-2016, 03:15 AM	#43
kadajawi Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 2,799	Originally posted by Gimbal No that is not how it works, the timer runs continuously, even during the exposure. So if you set the timer for 20 seconds the shutter button will be triggered every 20 seconds, that is 3 times per minute until the number of triggers has expired. This is regardless of the exposure time. If the exposure is less then 20 seconds you will get 3 pictures per minute, but if it is longer then 20 seconds it will be erratic because the second trigger will come after 20 seconds, but at that time the first exposure is still running so the triggering event will be lost. Therefore you must have a timer setting that is longer then the exposure, add at least 2 seconds to be sure. Also make sure you don't have long exposure noise reduction activated as that will lock up the camera during the dark frame subtraction, unless you are aware of that and allow time for it. Hm. It's odd. I could swear that I tried setting it to 33 seconds, and what happened was it took a 30 second photo, then waited roughly 30 seconds and then fired again. I even have a couple of exposures to proof it! But then at home, with a recharged battery, I set it to 33 seconds or so, and set off the camera. After a few hours the battery was flat, and the camera took photos every 33 seconds. But I don't trust the system... ordered a remote trigger for 5 Euro that can be locked to continuously fire. And 2 more batteries (were cheaper than 1 alone...?). I'm able to charge the battery on the go using a powerbank, but sadly I can't use the powerbank to charge the camera. It's really a shame, Pentax makes awesome cameras for astrophotography, but battery is always going to be an issue. If only you could operate and charge the camera via USB, that would make very, very long exposures in the middle of nowhere a doddle. Get a big powerbank, insert a fully charged battery in the camera, and off you go. When the powerbank is empty, the camera will continue to run on the internal battery. If necessary, attach another powerbank, the internal battery gets filled up and the camera continues to take photos. I had dark frame substraction off.

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11-17-2016, 04:57 AM	#44
frangutz Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 28	Originally posted by leadfoot Sometimes you can find remarkable individual images in the sequences. Here are two. The first is a plane headed north - it's not quite dark yet. The second is a meteor. These are 30 second exposures at 18mm with the 18-55mm WR kit lens, ISO 3200, f/5. This is when I learned you need a grip with a second battery - it was near freezing, and the camera battery died after 325 shots (one shot per minute). Basically, the K-5 was on all the time for 5+ hours, 30 second exposure and 30 sec dark frame subtraction (I think, but not sure), every minute. Says something about the battery life on a K-5. I should have shot these at 6M jpeg instead of 2M, but this was my very first try. This was my inspiration to try the intervalometer, just blew me away. It was posted here or on the other site. This is a Canon 5DMkII I think. It does not have a built in intervalometer, so this guy had to use an external one. Plus a ton of other equipment to shift the camera during the shots. He is a remarkable photographer. Hey Leadfoot, I have to say this is an amazing piece of work! I love it. I just got into playing with my K30 time lapse function for my son's school project - and in searching on how to do it, this page came up! Wow - this has blown me away. You inspire me! Thanks so much for sharing!! F.