Which camera for image every minute?

I

ianabc

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For adventures this summer ...

I would like to fix a digital camera to some part of the boat
and set the camera to take a shot say every minute or perhaps every 5 minutes.

Which digital camera would be best for this?
 
I have yet to find a camera that comes with an intervalometer built in. Some DSLR's can be triggered by software but that means having a remote PC or something. There is this device that will do a trigger.

What is needed is a decent compact point and shoot camera with a built in time lapse function. I suggest a GoPro

If you want to make a decent timelapse video of an entire holiday you need to take 1 or 2 frames per second rather than once per minute. The problem then becomes memory capacity and also the ability of the camera to keep up with the frame rate.

What I want is a video camera that records a continuous loop of say the last 30 minutes. Then when there's an almighty cock-up on the foredeck I can press a button, preserve the last 30 minutes and start a new loop.

I could settle a few disputes that way :) 'See I TOLD you a said port not Starboard' :)
 
Ricoh do a superb compact that you might find on Ebay for about £90 but I dont have the model no. to hand.
An iphone with a time interval app will do the same thing - I did my commute home with the iphone bluetacked to the dash - worked a treat.
 
I have an Olympus SP510UZ with a timelapse facility. It is several years old and only cost about £120 new. The current equivalent model no longer seems to do it but there are some SP510UZs on eBay at £50. You can download the manual from the Olympus web site to check that the specification is suitable for you.
 
Video

I'm guessing that you want to use the result to create a video. Time-lapse might be the correct term (whatever). I did domething similar when I was north of the Arctic Circle one summer, to record the sun dipping then rising again without completely setting. I did it with a video camera - a digital recording to mini-DV tape. I used a Sony Camcorder that had a time-lapse facility and the result is a ready-made video rather than loads of images that you have to stitch together.

if you don't have one already you might be able to get one second-hand quite cheaply because tape has (almost completely) been superseded by memory stick/card in the handycam market.

Personally I like tape. It's cheap and readily available in remote places if you run out.
 
Pentax K-r is low end DSLR with that function built in. If you are planning to make a time-lapse film from the images then remember to reduce the picture size to the bare minimum (2Mp for K-r) or the processing will take forever. Also set the exposure mode to manual or you'll get a strobing effect as the camera keeps changing the settings.
 
I have been experimenting with time lapse on the Go Pro HD. The quality of the videos are impressive, but there are some downsides. Battery life is only about 2.5 hours, even in time lapse, so you will have to either plug it in to a charger (which will stop it from being waterproof anymore) or buy the extended battery pack. The Go Pro can only store up to 9999 images, after that it starts back at 0001 again (I'm not sure if it overwrites, or gives an error though). I tried to get around the image number limitation buy using an Eye-Fi card and setting the software on my computer to automatically delete the images on the card after download. I haven't had much success with that yet, and the card does seem a little slow.

It does sound like an interesting project though -- may have to try something like that on my boat this summer.
 
Go Pro HD2. Excellent images. Plus I've now written some scripts to do some cool stuff including image stabilisation, super slow-motion and tilt shift with them.

If you want to judge the quality before buying, have a quick look at the likes of Top Gear and James May's Man Lab.
 
Digital Time Lapse capable cameras...

Thank you for the help.

Below is a list of more cameras that appear to be ruggedized or waterproof

and have TIME LAPSE capability.

No particular order except that I believe esteemed forumite DylanWinters uses the first one and more expensive ones too!

Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA100


Casio EX G1


Samsung HMX-W200




Brinno Timelapse Weatherproof HD Camera and similar format clone dedicated time lapse wildlife or plant cameras
 
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