Time Lapse Project - CHDK

 Canon Hack Development Kit

Today I loaded the CHDK firmware to my SD Card.

I Located the appropriate firmware on the wiki http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

Followed the installation guide here: http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/File:CHDK_Installation_Guide.pdf

Then it was finished! (I thought it would be harder than this!)

So I took the next step and located a script for running the time lapse auto shoot..


I came across another part of the wiki where users had already written scritps to perform these actions!

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/UBASIC/Scripts:_Ultra_Intervalometer

I tried a few different scripts, but ended up using the one below:

rem Author - Keoeeit
 rem Upgraded by Mika Tanninen
 @title Ultra Intervalometer
 @param a Delay 1st Shot (Mins)
 @default a 0
 @param b Delay 1st Shot (Secs)
 @default b 0
 @param c Number of Shots (0 inf)
 @default c 0
 @param d Interval (Minutes)
 @default d 0
 @param e Interval (Seconds)
 @default e 10
 @param f Interval (10th Seconds)
 @default f 0
 n=0
 t=(d*600+e*10+f)*100
 if c<1 then let c=0
 if t<100 then let t=100
 g=(a*60)+b
 if g<=0 then goto "interval"
 for m=1 to g
  print "Intvl Begins:", (g-m)/60; "min", (g-m)%60; "sec"
  sleep 930
  next m
 :interval
   n=n+1
   if c=0 then print "Shot", n else print "Shot", n, "of", c
   shoot
   if n=c then end
   sleep t
   goto "interval"

Then on the camera I loaded the script up, and it started shooting!

This is all too easy :)

One question I had was, how do I get the script to start as soon as the camera is turned on?
Turns out there is a feature for that in CHDK already as well!

As I was researching how to do it, I came across this persons issue where they had turned autostart on by accident!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/canonsx30/discuss/72157626084300606/

So I enabled autostart and the script... auto started!

Naturally I grabbed my gorillapod and threw it onto my window ledge and took it's very first time lapse!

Above: The camera on my Joby GorillaPod SLR Edition.

How did it turn out you ask?

See for yourself :)

(I reversed the footage, as it was more interesting watching the sunrise.... set.. so to speak :) )

Time Lapse Project

I recently stumbled across the CHDK website < http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK > and started to get interested in just how easy it was to turn a normal Point and Shoot camera into a Time Lapse beast!

I've previously shot my time lapses with a web cam hooked up to a computer:

Air-Stream LAN #15 Time Lapse

Then I wanted greater quality, so I purchased an Intervalometer and Power Adaptor for my Canon EOS 400D:

Air-Stream LAN #17 Time Lapse

It got my thinking... just how far could I go with my love of Time Lapse.

To produce a good time lapse video, you require plenty of SD card space (Or hdd space), continuous power, a camera in a fixed position and.. time!

So a regular Point and Shoot camera can't really give you plenty of SD Card space or continuous power.. until I realised Canon produce Power Adaptors for some of their Point and Shoot range!


Of course, until I purchased a camera, all of this was just ideas.

Then someone posted for sale, second hand, a Canon IXUS 80 IS for $45!

I did some research and found out it was indeed compatible with the Canon AC ADAPTER KIT ACK-DC10. Half my issue solved!

Here it is, in all its used beauty :)

Now on to finding out how to load the CHDK firmware on... stay tuned.