Personal View site logo
Make sure to join PV on Telegram or Facebook! Perfect to keep up with community on your smartphone.
Please, support PV!
It allows to keep PV going, with more focus towards AI, but keeping be one of the few truly independent places.
MJPEG FPS setting for Timelapse on GH2
  • GH13TimelapserGH13Timelapser
    Hi, I'm the author of GH13Timelapser - a tool to process timelapse video made using the mjpeg video mode on the GH13.

    It works by taking footage from a GH13 with the mjpeg frame rate changed to 2fps using ptool - it can stream copy the frames out and reassemble them losslessly - but more interestingly has interval/shutter settings that will blend frames together to simulate a longer interval/shutter as required. The frame blending has the added benefit of reducing low-light noise significantly.

    I put together a demo here:


    Here's the tool GH13Timelapser: http://timelapser.net/

    I've had a few people contact me about using GH13Timelapser with a hacked GH2 but from what I can tell, the MJPEG fps setting hasn't been implemented in GH2 ptool - probably because it was deemed as not being useful (it has no purpose other than timelapse from what I can tell)

    Is there any way to add MJPEG x/fps support for the GH2?
  • 128 Replies sorted by
  • GH13TimelapserGH13Timelapser

    Some great cloud shots there - thanks for sharing!

  • humpmanhumpman

    I still use this tool, very easy to use, here is the video i done with, shot on gf2.

  • Dusty42Dusty42

    @ricker, the settings in MJPEG are completely separate from AVCHD. I am using Nick's SpanMyBitchUp and the settings for MJPEG from Low Light. I get pretty good bit rates from MJPEG if I don't set the 2fps. But as soon as I set the 2fps, I get only 6 to 7 Mbps for mjpeg. The AVCHD is unaffected though.

    Do a search for 100mbps MJPEG Low Light by LPowell and you will find the setting. Put the settings in and then set the 2fps for timelapse.

  • Dusty42Dusty42

    All, What is the bit rates you are all getting at 2fps in mjpeg mode? I am getting only 6 to 7 Mbps. If I remove the 2fps setting, I will get about 50Mbps. I patched the 720 mjpeg mode to 1080 using the Low Light setting. I double checked my settings and reset the camera after patch. I also reformatted the card.

    Here are the settings that I use (by LPowell):

    720p30 width=1920 720p30 height=1080

    E1 Quality=400 E1 Table=24 E2 Quality=200 E2 Table=36 E3 Quality=175 E3 Table=48 E4 Quality=150 E4 Table=4

    Thanks

    Sorry. I figured this one out as follow:

    1. Total file size/clip's length, this gives me MB/sec.
    2. Convert MB/sec to kbps (1MB = 8,000,000 bits)
    3. Sub the audio bit rate from #2

    I was a little confused that the values of E1 through E4 set the bit rate like in AVCHD. But I think the values for E1 through E4 are different.

  • rickerricker

    Can someone point me to this mpeg timelapser patch, without anything else. Just the mpeg changes, i'm worried if I use the Cbrandi 44mbs + timelapser, it may miff up some other settings i'm unaware of. (i.e how do I know driftwoods patches replace every setting of Cbrandins?)

    So the solo timelapser mpeg settings patch would be very helpful!

  • stockhausenstockhausen

    @Hwulex , hi there,, Yes, after donating towards it I was marginally "miffed" as they say here, that pTool 3.64 didn't implement GF1 2fps,, BUT considering the crazy amount of work Viteliy had gone to It wasn't surprizing PLUS I had the foresight to invest in cheap GF2 body last dec and that does the 2fps beautifully so my Miffedness lasted mere seconds, if yr impatient and have £150-£170 to spare go GF2.. chomping at the bit will only wear yr teeth out :]

  • HwulexHwulex

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev Just like @stockhausen I'm chomping at the bit for GF1 Xfps. I'd like to humbly add to the request for supporting the GF1. Thank you excellent sir!

  • tidatida

    Please find in below link a similar method of that what @GH13Timelapser has done for MJPEG. Tis method is able to handle AVCHD Timelapses.

    http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/2232/different-times-at-one-location-extended-dynamic-range-solution-for-1080p-videos#Item_1

  • thehazthehaz

    Hi guys, thanks for all the love you guys put into the GH2. Panny should acknowledge the work that's being done here and for moving so many of their GH2s out into the world. We really can't thank you enough.

    I'm just trying out this time-lapse thing on my camera but unfortunately can't install the timelapser app on my Mac. I'm working in AE for now. Anyone managed to solve this?

  • duartixduartix

    @Chhatrapal It's probably this: http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/comment/36956#Comment_36956

  • ChhatrapalChhatrapal

    I am using this for a while now ... i have noticed 30 min limit on my 32Gb 30MB/s sandisk card ... Is it because of 2fps setting or complexity or because original 30 min limit applied on the original Firmware ... How can i do ... say 2 hr time lapse shoot?

  • JDNJDN
    For anyone wanting to add timelapser to your favourite GH2 patch, here's the simple way. First, load any of the patches here with timelapser. Then load your favourite patch -- so long as the patch doesn't mess with MJPEG settings, the timelapser MJPEG settings will remain intact, you just have to go back and check them to turn them on.

    Apologies if this is old news, just figured it out when trying to move timelapser onto aquamotion so thought I'd share.
  • lowriderlowrider
    yes I have the same trouble, Mac- wine , ptools launchs fine but timelapser does not, I tried several ways, comand line, all!
  • EtbEtb
    @jeffryalan

    Timelapser take a lot of processor ressource so i recommend you to run your win os in a performance way: native bootcamp for huge files to treat, and via a vm soft for shorters..
  • jeffryalanjeffryalan
    tried to get Timelapser to work on my mac using Wine and Crossover (ptools working fine with those) but it wouldn't work for me.

    Anyone have a suggestion for optimal workflow on Mac?
  • EtbEtb
    Yep. Ok i got an answer. VGA upscale-stretch over 480p...
  • EtbEtb
    Hi @GH13Timelapser and otherz! Thanks for brainstorming share!

    I found really practice to shoot with this tweak, but concerning setting i have a question...

    If i have well understand, there are a maximum of near 750 lines 'usable' in mjpeg of gh2.
    So i think 720p is the optimal setting for both HD and VGA (until you haven't the time to transcode in 1080p in post, at the sacrifice of short length timelpase - 2g limit).

    So in the feeling of the quantum patch of Dr Driftwood (top quality but short recording AND usable quality and long recording), i have try to set the recommanded setting for VGA (Quality 160-140-120-100, all table 4) and a doubled setting for HD (320-280-240-200, at 4 too)... All in 720p.

    It's a correct approach for hq mjpeg?

    Edit: with my HD setting i reach near 30 minutes of recording (at near 9Mb/s). Just have do the test.
    Edit2: and one hour with my VGA setting (at near 4Mb/s)...

    Correct me if i am wrong, but when you are in VGA and change it to 720p, it's a real 720p or it's upscaled 480p??
  • booguiboogui
    hello everyone
    really the timelapse feature, but i have a quality problem. i attached a jpeg capture of my clip that i edit with Premiere 5.5, (interpret footage, frame blending, speed up) but i get this from the footage, see the blue in the sky. what can i do to improve this ? many thanksimage
    Sequence 1.jpg
    1920 x 1080 - 127K
  • johnnymjohnnym
    @GH13Timelapser

    Have you experienced the GH1 freeze-frame for a few seconds then continuing?

    Every few minutes it seems to hang for a while, then resumes.
  • astrabanastraban
    Well... Problem solved. :-)
  • astrabanastraban
    I'm not sure there is any compression : the tool just discard some frames (depending on the chosen interval) and blend the remaining one if you chose to (shutter setting)... What you have is loseless mjpeg frames in .avi container - which doesn't allow same amount of grading than proper raw pics... But @gh13timelapser can explain the exact process if i'm wrong...
  • jfrojfro
    DUH, what an idiot I am. Just looked at my output from the timelapser prog and it is AVI. Why did I think it was compressed before. Sorry for the posts. I should pay more attention.
  • jfrojfro
    I have used GH13 timelapser, but haven't figured out how to output a uncompressed file or a 422 file.
    Reason for my question is if I want to do some color work or any editing on the final movie, I'm out another generation which I don't want to do manytimes.
    I'd like to take the g13 timelapser output and then edit it without a compressed generation loss.
  • balazerbalazer
    @greenbean, I started a new topic for AVCHD 1080p time lapse photography:
    http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/1559/avchd-1080p-time-lapse
  • GH13TimelapserGH13Timelapser
    @Jspatz It's necessary [or at least recommended] if you want to use the frame blending in GH13Timelapser as otherwise you'll get multiple short light streaks in each blended output frame.

    What you would typically do is shoot 2fps with 1/2 second shutter, then throw the footage at GH13Timelapser with settings like Interval 8 | Shutter 4. What this does is make one output frame for every 8 input frames and it will blend together 4 frames to do this. This will give you the same shutter speed to frame rate ratio that is commonly used for film - with the shutter open for half the length of the interval between frames [24fps film is traditionally shot with a 1/48 second shutter]

    If you're sure you're not going to want to use frame blending then you might want to use a shutter speed of 1/4 which will give you the same ratio. Any shutter speed that is significantly shorter will prevent the light streaks that you mentioned, but tends to look like a stream of pictures instead of smooth motion.
Add a Comment