Just registered, mainly as I'm looking for info on time lapse stuff, from a camera setting point of view.
I assume you are not using the quicktime movie option but capturing actual photos via software, which is the best way as you are not limited by movie resolution.
Converting Jpeg's into a movie is easy and painless, you can convert it into an AVI using VirtualDub which is freeware and works with both avi and image sequences.
See
Working with image sequences - virtualdub.org
but essentially you open the first image within the program and save as avi.
If you've not used the application before or done much with video files, you'll also need to read the guides on
- compression (i.e. to create an xvid or divx video rather than uncompressed)
- filters. You simply add these via a dialogue, but a Resize filter may be useful to change the resolution. Additionally you may want to add free 3rd party filters like MCS Deflicker that will reduce lighting changes.
I have a Canon A80 and decided to trial time lapse (so I can record time travelling on my boat along canals, rather than my current one of snapping stuff that's interesting).
To explain how easy it is here's my first test:
It was simply shot out of my window (hence the reflections as no filters etc) using the software that came with the camera when I originally got it.
As I already use virtualdub for other stuff I had it set up. So I simply found and installed the deflicker filter (simply copy into the plugin directory).
- opened the first image jpeg
- set compression to xvid, 1-pass, quality 4
- added the deflicker & resize filters via the menu
- clicked "save as" to save as an avi and went for a coffee
It took under 5 mins and produced a 2MB video