If you are interested in time-lapse photography and, by extension, wants to create incredible time-lapse videos, then the Sony A5000 is the right camera for you. With its compact design and 20 megapixels APS-C CMOS sensor, you can easily and comfortably capture the most stunning and crisp visuals for your videos.
In fact, you can zoom in and zoom out without the pixels breaking. So, your time-lapse videos can be much more dynamic and interesting in nature.
Due to the changing nature of photography, time-lapse has become a unique form that has taken the world by storm. Its ability to conserve time and showcase processes that were previously invisible is an incredible feat.
You can now watch a plant grow in a matter of seconds, instead of waiting for days. This time-bending form of photography and videography requires an adequately professional camera to operate on, and the A5000’s many features are the perfect match.
The camera includes a Bionz X image processor and a hybrid AF system with 25 contrast-detect and 179 phase-detect points. These features contribute immensely to the many different ways you would like your time-lapse to turn out.
For example, suppose you want to focus on a tiny cocoon, and see how it grows into a butterfly. In that case, the A5000’s autofocus system is one of the best ways to capture the moment. You can do many unimaginable things and create extraordinary time-lapse videos on this camera.
Here are 5 Tips on Using the Sony a5000 for a Time-Lapse.
Use The Right Interval
Using the right intervals is super important when doing time-lapse photography. Essentially you have to choose an interval of time that you will keep shooting pictures for. If you are recording a video, you have to look at how many seconds, minutes, or hours you want to continuously record. This is because some processes run at different speeds than some other processes.
You have to carefully gauge the intervals at which you will be recording. For example, if you are recording the period of a cocoon breaking into a butterfly and the butterfly’s wings slowly expanding, then you may need an extended interval of many hours as it is a slow process.
However, if you are recording a busy street where people and cars are moving at a fast pace anyway, then you may need a smaller interval of a few minutes. These intervals then get sped up to your desired length.
For example, the butterfly video was recorded for 5 hours but sped up to play for 20 seconds, while the street video was recorded for 10 minutes and sped up to play for 20 seconds.
With the Sony A5000, you can have full HD video recording at 1080/60fps and 24fps. Additionally, you also get many different video features including, 24p Cinema Mode, AF lock, Anti-motion Blur Mode, Chromatic Aberration Compensation (CAC), Dolby Digital AC-3 Stereo, and a Dynamic Range Optimizer. With all these features, you can create whatever kind of time-lapse you please at whatever interval you want.
Take A Lot Of Pictures
An essential part of the time-lapse is capturing lots of pictures. If you are not directly recording videos, then taking pictures on the burst mode is the best way to get all the right frames. Taking as many pictures as possible decreases your chances of messing up the final time-lapse. It also gives you an opportunity to edit individual frames as per your desire. Through this practice, you can get a clearer and more sustained final product.
Taking many pictures has the added benefit of pausing at any moment and looking at exactly what is happening in that frame. When the viewer is looking at the 10 second time-lapse of a cartwheel, which is recorded through a burst shot, she/he can pause and carefully look at the very precise moments of the hand and leg movements.
This practice helps in creating time-lapse videos for teaching purposes and in studying faster processes. All you have to do is to set your camera up for burst shooting mode.
The Sony A5000 comes with 4 frames per second continuous shooting mode with subject-tracking and an ISO range of 100-1600. Additionally, you get a max burst rate of 2.5 frames per second, capturing 420 shots per full battery.
With these features, you can take as many pictures as you want without interruption. Each image will be perfectly focused and will not blur out owing to its previously mentioned functions.
Don’t Move The Camera
It is advised to not move the camera while recording for a time-lapse video. Any movement will disorient the frame, and the entire shot will become displaced. So, whenever you do time-lapse photography or record a video, always remember to use a tripod or fix your camera in one place so that it won’t move. If it moves, the steady frame will be disturbed, and the process you’re recording will not be recorded in its entirety.
For example, suppose you are going on a road trip, and you want to record a time-lapse video of the entire journey. Then, the professional advice would be to either place the camera on the window sill or on the dashboard towards the windshield.
Once you have placed your camera, you must secure it with anything you can find. You can use smaller tripods, or you can make do with any object you think will be able to support the camera and won’t let it move. This way, you can record a seamless journey without interruptions. The final video will also reflect the same.
Since the Sony A5000 has a compact design, you can easily carry it anywhere without having to worry about it toppling over. It weighs less than a pound and is significantly sleeker than any other DSLR, so it can stand on its own at any surface.
It also has an LCD that can tilt at up to 180 degrees, which will give you a good view of the recording if it is placed in an awkward position. Moreover, it comes with a screw-on tripod jack, which is compatible with any tripod, large or small.
Good Music Helps
Good music always helps. Selecting the right track to play in the background is essential if you want your audience to feel what you want them to feel when they look at your time-lapse. Music is often called a connector of sorts.
It helps you connect the content of the video to the viewer’s memory by familiar sounds or sound types. For processes that are faster, you may have to choose upbeat sounds, while for slower processes, you can play softer music in the background.
Music plays into the audience’s memory. For example, if you are shooting a timelapse of a growing plant in a forest. Then you can add jungle sounds like birds chirping, chimpanzees in the background, or even orchestral music to give it a dramatic flair.
These kinds of sounds are associated with growth and the outdoors, both of which will be symbolized in the video. So, it is best to choose your music very carefully.
The Sony A5000 comes with an HDMI jack and a built-in Wi-Fi with NFC capability and downloadable apps. Using the HDMI, you can screen your videos directly onto a larger screen and test out background songs.
Also, through the Wi-Fi and downloadable applications function, you can download video editors and export your video samples wirelessly. Moreover, this camera includes a Dolby digital stereo creator, which helps greatly when looking for good quality music and sound.
Use Different Apps
Using different kinds of applications can always help when you’re creating time-lapse videos. Since you need to have many factors in check, you may need many different kinds of applications to consult.
For example, suppose you’re interested in capturing the sky and its movements. In that case, you’ll need to know things like the weather forecast, open sky clarity, where and when you can view the milky way, and constellation maps. Many apps can help you in this regard.
Some of these include Storm, MyRadar, Dark Sky Finder, Photopills, Google Earth, The photographer’s Ephemeris, and Golden Hour One. These applications will help you find the best spots, predict the perfect weather, and figure out the best time to do time-lapse photography of the sky.
Given that the Sony A5000 can download applications and is compatible with Windows 7, you can directly install the apps onto the camera. You can use the Sony “Playmemories” mobile app and the “Smart Remote Control” app to remotely use the camera. This includes shutter movements and other settings on the camera, which you can access from your smartphone directly.
Additionally, you can also look into other Sony applications by going to the Playmemories Camera Apps website. There you will find a host of applications that will help you with on-camera editing and creating incredible time-lapse videos.
