Time-Lapse Movie Setup

Note that installing Linux will wipe out any data on your PC. You can download the Ubuntu installer for free (http://ubuntu.com), or buy the DVD from Amazon.

The installation tools will walk you through the entire process, asking you to select various application packages.

You’ll likely want an OpenSSH server so you can remotely and securely log in, a web server such as Apache so you can view your images remotely, and any scripting languages you may find useful, such as Python or Perl.

The easiest way to install software on Ubuntu is using its package manager system. To install gPhoto, log in and enter the command: sudo apt-get install gphoto2

Likewise, you can install FFmpeg (which you’ll use to assemble your images into a movie) like so: sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

It’s likely that you’ll want a video player to view your creation. For Linux, there is VLC: sudo apt-get install vlc

You may also choose to install other programs or libraries. For example, ImageMagick includes a number of command-line tools for manipulating images, and Image::EXIF is a Perl module for extracting EXIF data embedded in your image files.

Before putting your camera in its enclosure, see how it works with the software. Connect your camera to the PC with its USB cable, and power it on. Log into your Linux box and enter the command: gphoto2 –list-config

GPhoto will attempt to auto-detect your camera. If successful, it will output a list of configuration parameters. For many supported cameras, you can manipulate all the camera’s settings just as if you were operating it by hand. For example, to set the image capture size to the lowest resolution: gphoto2 –set-config imgsize=small

Some cameras may need to be identified explicitly, for example: gphoto2 –camera “Canon PowerShot A520 (PTP mode)” –port usb: –list-config

Before capturing an image, Canon cameras must first extract the lens with the command: gphoto2 –set-config capture=on

To capture 3 images at 10-second intervals, enter the command: gphoto2 -F 3 -I 10 –capture-image-and-download

This will capture and download 3 image files into your current directory: capt0000.jpg, capt0001.jpg, and capt0002.jpg. If you have problems, the gPhoto site has good documentation.

One problem I ran into with my Canon A520 was the fact that when its power supply is momentarily interrupted, restoring the power will not automatically turn the camera back on.

Fortunately, I found that my camera will switch on upon power-up if its power button is held in the depressed position.

To do this, I fashioned a simple bracket and setscrew. I bent a 3″ aluminum mending brace as shown in the photos.

Now thread one nut partway down the #8 screw, insert it in a bracket hole, and thread the other nut on the other side, so that it looks like the 1st photo.

Then, positioning the screw directly over the power button, glue it in place with 5-minute epoxy as in the 2nd photo.

Hold onto the nut between the brace and the camera, and turn the machine screw by hand until it begins to tighten against the power button.

You should feel some resistance, and the camera should turn on. Don’t overtighten, as this could damage the camera. Tighten the top nut against the brace to lock the setscrew in place.

Note that with the power button held down, you may not be able to operate the camera manually, as its buttons will be unresponsive. You will, however, be able to operate it remotely using the gPhoto software.

I removed the front cover of the enclosure, cut a 4″×4″ window, and sealed the glass into place with the silicone adhesive.

Camera tripod sockets accept a ¼-20 bolt, which makes it easy to improvise a mount with a single bolt, mounted through the floor of the enclosure. Use a hex nut to tighten a large washer against the bottom of the camera.

I want my camera pitched upward within the enclosure, to capture more of the sky, so my mount includes an L-bracket bent down to about 45° using a couple of pairs of vise-grips.

The camera is attached to the bracket using a ¼-20×1″ machine screw, a big 1½” washer, and a nut. The other leg of the bracket is mounted to the enclosure floor.

If your enclosure has knockouts, you may want to use them for bringing your power cords and USB cables into the box; I just cut a notch at the front of the box floor for easy access with the enclosure cover door removed.

After assembling the enclosure outside, I plugged my PC and the extension cord into the UPS power supply, and ran the power and USB cables out my window.

I made sure the setscrew was properly set to ensure that the power is on, then plugged in the AC adapter and stuffed it, along with anything else that might need protection from weather, inside the enclosure.

Then I mounted the enclosure on my roof.

Hopefully you’ve pointed your camera at something interesting. To capture an image every 10 seconds for 1 hour, log into your Linux box (or open a terminal window), and enter the following command: gphoto2 -F 360 -I 10 –capture-image

When it completes, you’ll see that the current directory is filled with image files. Enter the command: ffmpeg -f image2 -i captd.jpg -sameq FirstMovie.mpg

This will assemble the images into an MPEG movie file. To view it, open it with VLC: vlc FirstMovie.mpg

At the default 24 frames per second, this gives you a whopping 15 seconds! Of course with this setup you’ll be able to make movies much longer than that. To tell gPhoto to run indefinitely until you interrupt it (using control-C), simply set the -F flag to 0: gphoto2 -F 0 -I 10 –capture-image

This just scratches the surface. The gPhoto and FFmpeg programs are extremely powerful, and the possibilities are endless for creating beautiful time-lapse movies that span days, months, or even years.