Dslr time lapse help needed.

Okay. I am thinking of trying to get a TL together in HD. I realize that HD (1080p) is 1920 X 1080 but my DSLR (XS - 1000D) minimum frame size for a photo is 1920 X 1280. So I have several questions about this.

I have modified my equipment to allow for unlimited shooting. I intend to shoot the 1920 X 1280 at 1 shot per 10 seconds and go for 12 hours. I figure around 4320 total photos when I shut off the camera. I will shoot "set" of course from a stand - AF on and no IS. Manual mode in bright sunlight, F11 and at somewhere in the 1/250 to 1/400 speed range with ISO at 100. The camera is easily capable of reaching this number at this resolution on a 8GB card so that is not a problem.

Processing on the other hand IS or MIGHT be a problem as I would like to have this be an HD video. Approximately 4300 shots processed at 30 FPS should yield a 00:02:24 "movie if my thinking is right. This will be about 100 to 200 people at a gathering shot (well my intent is to try to set up for) in a 200 ft. WIDE area from only as far away as necessary to encompass the area I want. The camera will be set "on" and left running for the 12 hours without any interference except possibly a battery update being done during the process - but the modification I have will allow a battery or batteries to be changed WITHOUT stopping the shooting or moving the camera in any way.

So. When I get the shots. What are the best methods to render a HD version of the photos. I have several softwares that CAN render the file but I am unsure which will work the best. I have Cyberlink Power Director (capable of rendering in .AVI, .MP4. or .MOV) I have used VirtualDub also just not for HD. I works fabulously for just a YouTube video though as it is a click and go type. And finally there is the infamous Windows Movie Maker in WIN 7.

My plan is to try to have a HD video running 1920 X 1280 @ 30fps. If I can.

So what I need to know is:

The minimum "fine" resolution of the XS (1000D) at 1920 X 1280 is high enough?
The 1980 X 1280 will render out to a HD resolution of 1920 X 1080 (or will it be 1920 X 1280 and just "fit" to the HD 1080p players? Or will I need to edit/crop each frame for size BEFORE rendering?
Since there is NO lower resolution than the 1920 X 1280 in the CAMERA - if I need to have the exact 1980 X 1020 then I will need to "Crop" all 4300 of the frames BEFORE rendering? (Knowing this would be useful in setting up the shot as I could just set the camera to have some "dead" area at the "bottom" of the shots that could be "batch" cropped for the size limit.

I have done a few TL's but they have all been small and made using low res shots from P&S so not an issue like these will be. And that is why the asking for guidance from more experienced in these areas.

Hillbille

I have Sony Vegas v10 Editing Software. As part of the Import function, you can import a sequence of photos and it immediately turns it into a video track with 1 photo per frame. That video track can be cropped, edited, time stretched, etc. Render the video track to an HD 1920 by 1080 or any custom settings you choose. Done. This is very easy with the right SW.

-Scott

Here is a detailed tutorial:

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=JPY5Oij6cdc

Vegas is nice - but I really wasn't looking to spend $599 just to be able to render a HD video "on occasion" and I do not intend to attempt to make a living doing either time lapse or video work! LOL!! Just too rich for my blood but thanks for the input.

Hillbille

You can do it in LR and Finalcut Pro.

Instead of getting Vegas Pro, try the Vegas Studio version for around $100. Contains a lot of the same functionality as the Pro, but is limited to 3 video and 3 audio tracks. You can check out all the different versions here. http://www.sonycreativ​esoftware.com/vegassof​tware

Al

Well an update is in order. (Pun) I spent the money and got a very good deal on the software that works for everything I do or want to do as far as Time Lapse is concerned.

I bought an SSD drive and Windows 7. Upgraded my PC system and added the Essentials which includes Windows Movie Maker Live. It is a far more robust version of the older software. I allows editing of .MOV, .MP4 and allows mass import of single frame photographs and simple conversion to video allowing the frame speed to be set manually.

Hillbille