Click here to watch it FULL HD on youtube!

I recorded it this morning. I always thought this kind of time lapse video is very cool, so I decided I would try making one myself. And what you see in the above video is the result of me trying to make a time lapse video with all camera settings on automatic. (fail)

Note to self: next time I (if ever again) make a video like that, use fixed focus, fixed ISO and fixed color tone. Also, have some more patience and let the phone record for a bit longer instead of taking it from my window as soon as I woke up to see the results.

Technical Specifications
Original video file
2592x1944p @ 15FPS (1771,4Mbps) (8,12 GB)
Compressed video with audio replaced by music on Sony Vegas 9
1920x1080p @ 15FPS (10Mbps) (50MB)

Everything was recorded on Nokia N95-3, and the final video is unedited. I got all files straight from the phone, fast forwarded it on VirtualDUB and compressed and added music on Sony Vegas 9.

I would be lying if I said I'm happy with the results lol but this is what happens when you decide to lazily and impatiently record a time lapse video. It didn't take me any effort to make that video.

So, now that I've showed you this video, I'm very curious about you: have you ever made a time lapse video? If so, please post it here! Let's share experiences on how to make one, which cameras and equipment do you use and how do you record the video, the coolest ones you've seen, or anything related.

Great video.

I tryed to make some with my crappy logitech webcam once, didnt have the patience either, but it was still awesome. Would love to make more, but would need a better camera. Timelapse is awesome

Edit: There are special programs for PC that u can use for timelapse videos. Connect ur videocamera through firewire and set the program up. Im not sure, but on some cameras it will turn on the camera to take the picture - after that it will shut off.

Nice effort

What did you use (if anything) to secure the camera in a fixed position? The camera appears to move around at the start - try to avoid moving the camera at all for the best results.

I've done some stop motion animation before (a bit different from time lapse but related) - See here. It's only the first 30 seconds because I haven't had time to make any more . Hopefully I'll be able to complete it over the summer.

Quote from JO53PHS :

What did you use (if anything) to secure the camera in a fixed position? The camera appears to move around at the start - try to avoid moving the camera at all for the best results..

The camera was still - he mentioned he had auto focus on, which is why it seemed to move around a bit.

That is really cool- I wish (and wonder if) my camera can do that - likely not, just a simple point and shoot- but it has taken some awesome pictures so I will have a look in my menus.

Not quite on the same scale, but I got bored and made one of my washing my car (40 minutes -> 27 seconds).

Link here.

Shot using my D40 on a tripod into the window hooked up to my laptop running the camera control software set to take pictures every second or two, and then pulled it all together using Quicktime.

Quote from JO53PHS :

Nice effort

What did you use (if anything) to secure the camera in a fixed position? The camera appears to move around at the start - try to avoid moving the camera at all for the best results.

you've gotta learn to read OP

otherwise, i love timelapse, i've been thinking of trying the same if i had the proper equipment.

Quote from JO53PHS :

I've done some stop motion animation before (a bit different from time lapse but related) - See here. It's only the first 30 seconds because I haven't had time to make any more . Hopefully I'll be able to complete it over the summer.

nice. i've always wanted to get back into 3d ani, but without any project ideas, and a computer capable of fast renders, well, yeah.

Quote from -NightFly- :

you've gotta learn to read OP

I didn't think autofocussing would cause that much 'movement'

Quote from Jakg :

Not quite on the same scale, but I got bored and made one of my washing my car (40 minutes -> 27 seconds).

Link here.

Shot using my D40 on a tripod into the window hooked up to my laptop running the camera control software set to take pictures every second or two, and then pulled it all together using Quicktime.

Can you please post a link to that Software.

Quote from Highsider9 :

Can you please post a link to that Software.

Link here, although it's not free.

You can also use VirtualDUB, which is totally free.
The picture files can be named whatever you want, but they must have numbers at the end (e.g.: 0001, 0002, 0003, or 01, 02, etc), and when you select the first picture, virtualdub puts all of the pictures in the selected folder together and in order. Press Shift + R to change framerate.

Note: if there is one file missing (e.g.: 0005, 0006, 0008, 0009), VirtualDUB will stop addressing pictures on the missing file. I don't know how to use it (the only thing I know is this I've explained now ) so I don't know what to do when that happens.


By the way... well I didn't use anything to hold the phone, just put it on my window and let it there while I slept. I stopped recording when I woke up. And the autofocus didn't manage to get the right focusing for a few times (specially at night), that's why it ended up like that. That didn't happen many times but since the video is fast forwarded from 3am until 9:15am you can easily notice the differences from frames that didn't have focus in the video.