description
Time-lapse turns up everywhere now, and a whole equipment category has grown up around it. Five things worth owning, each with a professional pick and a budget alternative: an intervalometer to fire the shutter on a schedule, a power bank so the camera outlasts the light, a motion controller for pans, a slider for linear moves, and a remote controller so you can change settings without touching the rig.
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It seems you can’t turn a corner today without seeing a time-lapse clip.
From appearances in commercials, tourism ads, cutaway scenes in television shows (House of Cards), and even musicians using the films in the background during their performances…time-lapse photography is a huge market! This has sparked a huge growth in entire lines of equipment designed specifically for the time-lapser!
We’ve been dabbling in the time-lapse world here at Phlearn, and have even had a few successful masters visit us this summer such as Shane Black, Michael Shainblum, and Joel Schat! Because of this we’ve decided to share with you some of our suggestions for gear & accessories based on what we’ve tried out, and their alternatives.
Intervalometer (Professional)
View on AmazonThe main tool for all time-lapsing! You can enter pretty much any setting, duration, and interval for your shoot! Using the remote, instead of the system built in to your camera will give you more freedom and stability in your shot. The Canon/Nikon Branded remotes are built specifically for their cameras and will give you the best of the device’s abilities.
Intervalometer (Budget)
View on Amazon“No-Name” Brands will get the job done, but they often come with fewer features and capabilities. These “off market” brands are still a fantastic way to get started and your time-lapses looking great! Keep in mind that the budget brands are often not designed to withstand long-term use and harsh environments the way their professional counterparts are. Regardless, knock-off or original, you’ll need an intervalometer to start shooting epic time-lapse films like Shane Black’s Adventure is Calling!
Power Bank (Professional)
The one thing that seems to happen on every time-lapse or video project, is your camera runs out of power before you run out of shot opportunities! With the right accessories you can keep your camera & accessories charged during those long shots. The ChargeTech PLUG is perfect for this. It’s a BEAST that just never seems to give up!
Power Bank (Budget)
Every mobile photographer’s secret weapon. Power and charge any of your A/C or USB enabled devices. Great for keeping you and your accessories charged and rolling in critical moments! It’s not as powerful as a giant pack, but it’s far more compact and mobile
Time-Lapse Motion Controller (Professional)
View on AmazonAllowing both panning and linear motion control, the Syrp Genie is the last motion controller you will ever need for time lapse photos. Only 4 inches and 3 lbs, it packs a ton of professional level features into a tiny form factor.
Time-Lapse Motion Controller (Budget)
View on AmazonIf you’re not ready to invest in a big motion/pan head for time-lapse and video, but you still want to incorporate some motion in your time-lapse, the Flow-Mow is a great place to start! With a single axis limit and rotation of counterclockwise only, it has a slow and consistent 2 hours of motion for you to shoot video or time-lapse with!
Camera Slider (Professional)
View on AmazonCombine the power of a motion head with a rock solid dolly/rail system that will let you get shots and angles you never thought possible!! The super powerful motor will let you capture controlled motion at insane angles!
Camera Slider (Budget)
View on AmazonA great entry point for a photo/video slider system! While this system doesn’t come with a motor it’s possible to DIY-rig this up with the Flow-Mow mentioned above to add a little extra flair to your time-lapse!
Remote Camera Controller (Professional)
This is an amazing accessory for anyone who needs to monitor and/or make changes to your time-lapse but NOT interfere with the camera! With this device and app, you can control everything on your camera to get the most detailed shot without ever touching your setup!
Remote Camera Controller (Budget)
This is in the budget category, but it’s still a fantastic app/addition for Time Lapse! This device does more than just time lapse, it’ll do distance/hyper lapse, noise activation, tell you the sunset/sunrise hours, and much much more! It’s a versatile tool for the starting time-lapser or even the seasoned pro looking to explore in some other areas without having to invest heavily in gear!
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