Recording Movies of Star Movement (Star Time-Lapse) (PowerShot G9 X Mark II)

Last Updated : 09-Dec-2016
Issue Number : 8203342100

Solution

By recording a time-lapse movie that combines images shot at a specified interval, you can create movies with fast-moving stars.

You can adjust the shooting interval and recording duration as needed. Note that each session takes a long time, and requires many shots. Check the battery level and memory card space in advance.

The procedure for shooting start time-lapse movies is explained below.

1.Turn the camera on.

Press the power button.

2.Enter [SCN] mode.

Set the mode dial to [SCN].

3.Choose a shooting mode.

Touch [ ], and then touch [ ][ ] or drag up or down on the screen to choose a shooting mode.

NOTE

If the default settings have not been changed, [ ] will be displayed.

4.Choose [

].

Follow steps 3 in "Specific Scenes" and choose [ ], and then press the [INFO.] button.

Touch [ ], and then press the [ ] button.

NOTE

Zoom is set to maximum wide angle and cannot be adjusted.

5.Configure movie settings.

Touch [ ].

Touch an item, and then choose the desired option.

Touch the desired setting and press the <> button.

The options that can be configured in [Start Time-lapse Movie] mode are shown in the table below.

Item	Options	Details
Save Stills	Enable, Disable	You can choose to save each shot collected before the movie is created. Note that when [Enable] is selected, [Effect] is not available.
Effect		Choose movie effects, such as star trail.
Shot Interval	15 sec., 30 sec., 1 min.	Choose the interval between each shot.
Frame Rate	(NTSC) 　 (PAL)	Choose the movie frame rate.
Shooting Time	60 min., 90 min., 120 min., Unlimited	Choose the length of the recording session. To record until the battery runs out, choose [Unlimited].
Auto exposure	Lock to 1st shot, For each shot	Choose whether exposure is determined by the first shot or adjusted for each shot.

Estimated playback time based on shooting interval and frame rate (for a one-hour session)

Interval between Shots	Frame Rate		Playback Time
Interval between Shots	NTSC	PAL	Playback Time
15 sec.			16 sec.
15 sec.			8 sec.
30 sec.			8 sec.
30 sec.			4 sec.
1 min.			4 sec.
1 min.			2 sec.

NOTE

There will be a delay before you can shoot again, as the camera processes the images.
If the camera runs out of battery power or memory card space, shooting stops and a movie created from the images up to that point is saved.
A shooting interval of [1 min.] is not available with these effects: [ ], [ ], [ ], or [ ].

6.Secure the camera.

Mount the camera on a tripod or take other measures to keep it still and prevent camera shake.

7.Check the brightness.

Press the shutter button all the way down to shoot a single still image.
Switch to Playback mode and check image brightness.
To adjust the brightness, turn the [ ] ring on the shooting screen and change the exposure level. Check brightness again by taking another shot.

8.Shoot.

Press the movie button to shoot.
Press the movie button. Recording begins, and the indicator on the back of the camera blinks.

Do not disturb the camera while shooting.
To cancel shooting, press the movie button again. Note that cancellation may take up to about 30 seconds.
The camera operates in Eco mode while shooting.

IMPORTANT

There will be a delay before you can shoot again, as the camera processes the images.
If the camera runs out of battery power or memory card space, shooting stops and a movie created from the images up to that point is saved.
ISO is set to Auto and cannot be changed.
Aperture cannot be changed manually.
The [Date/Time] you started shooting will be recorded in the image.

NOTE

Sound is not recorded.
For easier viewing, try choosing MENU > [ -2 ] tab > [Night Display] > [On] before shooting.
You can also access the screen in step 5 by choosing MENU > [ -6 ] tab > [Star Time-Lapse Movie Setting].
Images saved with [Save Stills] set to [Enable] are managed as a single group, and during playback, only the first image is displayed. To indicate that the image is part of a group, [ ] is displayed in the upper left of the screen. If you erase a grouped image, all images in the group are also erased. Be careful when erasing images.
Try switching to manual focus mode to more accurately specify the focal position before shooting.
Battery performance decreases at low temperatures. Try warming the battery pack a little by putting it in your pocket, for example, ensuring that the terminals do not touch any metal objects.