In a previous post, I talked about installing the free CHDK software onto your PowerShot in order to access a bevy of new features. This follow-up post completes the installation process by showing how to download a small script that will allow you to begin making time lapse videos.
The script was written by Keoeeit for the PowerShot S3 IS but has worked on other models of PowerShot. All instructions are for PC users.
Insert Your Memory Card
If you followed the directions from the CHDK post, your camera's memory card should now have the CHDK software installed and running.
Insert your memory card into your computer's card slot and open it in "My Computer."
UBASIC Ultra Intervalometer Script
Next, you'll need to visit the CHDK website to copy the Ultra Intervalometer script. If you've never seen raw programming language, this might be intimidating, but most of the work has been done for you. All you have to do is copy the script from the box at the bottom of the page.
Paste the Script Into Notepad
Open Notepad by clicking on the "Start" button, selecting "All Programs," "Accesories," and then "Notepad." Paste the script from the Ultra Intervalometer website into Wordpad. Make the file name "ult_intrvl.bas". Make sure to change the file type to "All files". Save the file to your memory card's scripts folder under CHDK>Scripts.
The file should now appear on your memory card in the "Scripts" folder.
Adjust Setting in Your Camera
Remove the memory card from your computer and put it back in your camera. Run CHDK and go to "Scripting Parameters."
Select "Load Script From File," and then select "ult_intrvl.bas".
Now you should see "----Ultra Intervalometer----" at the bottom of the "Scripting Parameters" screen. (Please ignore the settings--they haven't been set correctly)
All that's left is to adjust the settings to your liking. I'd suggest using a three second delay, in order to prevent movement in the first frame, and then changing the number of shots to more than you can possibly need. Alternatively, choose no delay and then set the intervalometer to endless. After experimenting with this script, I've decided that the endless cycle is too fickle to use. An endless loop with a delay will cause a delay during every cycle. An endless loop without a delay will skip the set intervals between the last and first shot every time it cycles. The only way to use endless effectively is to set the delay to the same time as the interval time. If I just lost you, don't worry. Just change the number of shots and you'll be ok.
Close the CHDK menu and set up your camera. You're ready to begin taking photos for a time lapse video.
There are several programs designed to turn a series of photos into a video and I'll discuss a few of them over the coming months. The most popular is probably QuickTime Pro ($30), but the free Windows Movie Maker 2 works pretty well and comes pre-installed with Windows Vista.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At least I could make it WORK!!!!!!!!!!!
GREAT!!!!!!!!
cheers from Spain
I’m glad my tutorial helped. This is one of my most popular posts, so I’m always glad to get feedback.
Have fun!
prity cool.
2001/03/13 Many thanks ! It does work on my 2 days old POWERSHOT SX200IS !
Good luck with your new camera. The SX200IS seems pretty nice for the size. Come back and post a link if you end up making a time lapse.
Nothing unusual but at least I started easier thanks to you ! Time lapse made this evening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWM_Zg8oxm0 Cheers !
That’s a lot better than my first video. Thanks and good luck!
great! works whits Canon G11!
I have a Canon SX200IS with the latest CHDK and Ultra Intervalometer script. I have tried, but can’t get the shutter to go off more than once every 2-3 seconds. Ideally, i’d like to take a shot a couple times a second to get a smoother time lapse. Am i doing something wrong, or is it a physical limitation of the camera software/hardware?
Regards
It’s not a physical limitation of the software. You should be able to put the interval down to microseconds. My best guesses are you either have a setting off in CHDK or your camera and memory card can’t handle the fast write times. There are other possibilities, so it’s hard to say without more information. I don’t know the SX200 specifically, but it seems it should be able to take faster pictures. If you want a more thorough answer, contact me with through the contact form and I’ll try to help.
hi.is this possible to take photos after every 20 or 40 milli seconds. 1 second = 1000 milli second. what i want is to take 24 photos with my 550d in a second.my calculation is trigger after every 40 ms and exposure time of 1/600 second.in this way i will be able to make a 24fps motion movie.may be its the wrong concept.need ur help.mail me on vishal2241 at gmail.com …………also if not possible with chdk or magic lantern then what are the chances of doing the same with some pulse generator or arduino based circuit
This is a good idea in theory and the basis of all movies shot on film. However, the 550D isn’t designed to fire 24 times a second. The shutter can’t operate that fast, the memory card can’t read that fast, and even if these two things weren’t a problem, your camera’s shutter is probably rated for around 100k clicks. This means a brand new camera would wear out after just over an hour of recording.
The good news is the 550D shoots full 1080p HD video. Is there something you want to do that won’t work with the video mode? The only cameras I know that can record video in such a large format as your camera’s photos are those used for Imax.
Can someone help a newbie out? I’ve been playing with this for hours, and getting nowhere. How exactly do I set the interval before the first shot, and how do I set the time between shots? I see nothing in the menu that allows me to set these values. What is autostart, and why would I use it or not use it? Is there somewhere I can go that has answers to these basic questions so I don’t have to be bugging people with them? I’ve looked everywhere, but this knowledge seems to just be assumed. Thanks for any help!
I just added another photo at the bottom of this post that I hope clears it up for you. The intervalometer settings should be at the bottom of the “Scripting Parameters” screen after you install Ultra Intervalometer. If you don’t see these settings, try re-installing the intervalometer script.
I played around with autostart but I don’t use it. I think it runs the intervalometer script as soon as you turn on your camera. Not positive, though. The only setting you need to adjust above “—-Ultra Intervalometer—-” is “Save params” if you don’t want to reprogram your settings every time.
Hello Owen!
I just found the full menu. I somehow did not have it loaded before. I’m in business now – thanks!
Dean
hello, i can’t get this thing to work.
i followed every instructions but i don’t know what i missed.
i have a canon sx30is with a firmware 1.00n, everything from CHDK is working fine aside from intervalometer. i copied and run the latest update of ultra intervalometer from the website you’ve mentioned but nothing, im able to shot the first picture but that’s all, the interval passed but no shots and the funny thing is when i move the mode dial lets say from Av to Tv it will take a picture then will stop again.
is it because according to the website, the supported firmware is 1.0.1m? or i missed some settings?
I’m not sure why that’s happening. Could you list your intervalometer settings and we’ll try to trouble-shoot from there? The 1.0.1m might be a problem, but there’s nothing you can do about that except wait for an update. It doesn’t look like CHDK works with 1.0.1m yet.
Thanks man for the quick reply:
here’s my parameters:
take note that this script came from the latest version of ultra intervalometer
(http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/UBASIC/Scripts:_Ultra_Intervalometer)
script:
script shoot delay [0]
autostart [off]
paramaters set [0]
save params [•]
ultra intervalometer:
delay first shot (secs) [2]
number of shots [0] *inf
interval (secs) [5]
i also tried the interval.bas/interval.lua included in the CHDK pack but no success, same result
also tried this one:
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Lua/Scripts:_Accurate_Intervalometer_with_power-saving_and_pre-focus
same result.
the CHDK works fine like the RAW capabilities, i can ever play the games etc… i think the problem only exist in the script execution.
is there any settings outside CHDK that may cause this problem?
finally, if the problem is my firmware version (1.00n) i think, we can’t do anything but wait..
thanks a lot!!
My only suggestion would be to adjust the number of shots. Try it at ten just to see if that helps. I don’t like the infinite setting because it causes other issues. I also saw there was a problem with delay+infinite in an early version of this script for your camera.
I don’t know of any settings outside the scripting parameters that could cause that problem. It might be a matter of waiting for an update. Sorry.
Hello again, thanks for your help
i adjusted the number of shots, still no good…
anyway, i think ill just have to wait :)
thanks again and good day!