How can I shoot sunrise/sunset timelapses with a smooth sky gradient transition?

Question

I want to shoot a timelapse sequence of a sunrise using my Canon 200D. It does support a timelapse video mode, but the settings are quite limited - I can either set everything manually, set auto-exposure for the first shot only or set auto-exposure for all shots. If I try shooting in the first two exposure modes I get the obvious problem of the scene getting too bright as the sun comes out in the sky. If I set the camera to auto-exposure on every shot I get uneven lighting as the exposure meter doesn't guarantee a smooth gradient.

I've read online that the solution to this issue is to use a bulb intervalometer, which essentially let's you fine tune how quickly the exposure changes between shots. However devices that support this are quite costly (300$+) and I'd rather not invest in them right now. Is it possible to achieve the same effect by connecting a phone or a laptop to the camera and using a piece of third-party software?

Here's an example of what I'm trying to achieve

You might have better luck finding software that takes your sequence of auto-exposure images and adjusts the exposure in each one to create a smooth transition. — Caleb, Oct 13 '17 at 14:54
Never tried doing this before, but would a graduated ND placed at the horizon line solve for allowing a more consistent exposure from foreground to sky as the sun comes up? — OnBreak., Oct 13 '17 at 15:05
@Caleb I've thought of that too but couldn't find it after a quick search. — JonathanReez, Oct 13 '17 at 15:08
@Corey a graduated filter solves a different problem. I need to get the sky to evenly transition in color between shots, avoiding any visible 'jumps' — JonathanReez, Oct 13 '17 at 15:10
@NikitaSokolsky - gotcha - would love to learn more. Do you have a link to something you're trying to replicate? — OnBreak., Oct 13 '17 at 15:11
Nearly a duplicate: Where can I find a “bulb ramping” intervalometer which will work with a Canon T3i? — Caleb, Oct 13 '17 at 15:40
@Caleb I did see that post but Magic Lantern doesn't work for my camera and I don't want to buy an extra device — JonathanReez, Oct 13 '17 at 15:45
@NikitaSokolsky It looks like your 200D lacks a connection for a wired remote; if that's true, the intervalometers on the market won't work with your body anyway. — Caleb, Oct 13 '17 at 16:02
@NikitaSokolsky - Still researching it - but I'll have to give it a shot to be sure - but it seems that shooting auto through the sun cresting the horizon would work, then using a grad ND and auto shooting to keep sky and foreground in alignment through the rest of sun-up would get all the shots exposed correctly - and other fine-tuning could be done in post no? — OnBreak., Oct 13 '17 at 17:04

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 30 '18 at 19:52

One option is:

Get a manual lens, probably a cinema lens, or one that does not "snap" too easily.
Make your calculations on the aperture range.
Make calculations on how are the increments you need to make.
Change the aperture manually.
Shoot in raw so you can make micro adjustments in post.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 25 '18 at 19:28

0

Buy a simple intervalometer from Amazon. Expose each frame for half the time of the interval between frames to get smooth results.

answered Feb 25 '18 at 19:28

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You misunderstand the question. OP isn't asking about smooth video motion. He's asking about smooth exposure transition because the large change in light levels during a sunrise or sunset. – scottbb Feb 26 '18 at 02:24

How can I shoot sunrise/sunset timelapses with a smooth sky gradient transition?

2 Answers2