looking for timelapse interval records to jpegs...

[bigdogpup]

Does anyone here have a non-DSLR with an interval timer that records to jpeg and NOT the movie function? I've been shooting lots of time lapse stuff with my 20D which is beautiful but pounds the shutter for a couple thousand cycles in a day of playing around plus I'd like something smaller to take hiking...
Here's what I'm hoping for:

1. Interval record function that will go as fast as 2 sec per frame and go for a couple hundred frames at least.

2. Must record to jpeg so I can have high resolution frames (I can import them easily as a sequence into Premiere Pro so I don't need the movie clip method).

3. I'm not interested in anything that I need to connect to a laptop to do...this needs to be completely portable. The interval record function could be a setting in the camera menus or a remote that can be set as an intervalometer (that's how my 20D works).

Anybody got any ideas?

[archiebald]

Very few cameras have an intervalometer.

Try this with a suitable camera....

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

[bjordan]

I have an s2-is and it has an intervalometer. However, it is limited to 1min increments as a minimum, and a maximum of 100 shots. I agree - if you're not afraid to get your hands dirty, look into CHDK.

[bigdogpup]

I'll look into that, thanks. I'm aware that most cameras don't have an intervalometer and that's why I thought I'd ask you guys if you knew of one. The only other way I can think of is a wired remote. The only small Canon I can see that used one is the G10. It looks like the older G's are all wireless remote. CHDK is something I never would have thought existed.

Thanks again and any other thoughts incl cameras with wired remotes are appreciated!

[Chopper Al]

The CHDK hack is great and I have it installed on my S3. You can download many different scripts or write your own. There are several intervalometer scripts available (haven't tried any of them yet). I have the motion detector script as I want to try some lightning photography with it.

If you don't mind having your camera connected to a computer or laptop, there is also software available that will allow you complete control over your camera so you can do time lapse photography fairly easily. And the software will save the images directly to hour computer instead of filling up your memory card. The software I use is called PSRemote (for point and shoot cameras) and there is also DSLR Remote for digital slr cameras. You can find the software at http://www.breezesys.com They also provide trial versions you can download.

Hope this helps.
Al

[c2thew]

canon s5 + CHDK = exactly what you need.

it isn't hard to use chdk, just takes a little bit of practice. it's just another set of menu functions that is accessed by the useless printshare button on your point and shoot

[bigdogpup]

Thanks for your help!
I'm actually ooking at getting an SD800/870 since it's supported by CHDK scripts and is one of the few compacts with a "wide" 28mm lens. I've found that a wide field of view really makes scenic timelapses much more dramatic (ex. storms, sunsets, fog, cityscapes).
CHDK is an amazing project!:D