Backyard Camping and Time-lapse

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO320
“My Tent” Cedar Park, 2020

Tonight I camped out on the backyard deck to do some gear testing. I received a summer sleeping bag and wanted to see if I could be comfortable in it at 40°F, or what layers I would need to add. If I can take the Aegismax sleeping bag instead of the Marmot Trestles 15, then it would save a few pounds of weight as well as a ton of space in the pack.

Well, I can say that I was comfortable, if a tiny bit chilly, wearing socks, thin thermal leggings, thin thermal top, REI 650 down jacket, and beanie. I put on the jacket because I know that will always be in my backpack, summer or winter, and I didn’t think just the thermal top would be enough. I do think 40°F is the lower limit for this bag, though. And if it is windy, maybe 45°F is the lowest I would take it out with. But I am happy with the results. Now I know!

I also set up my tripod and camera to do a bit of time-lapse. It turns out that the clouds ruined it, but I managed to get about 1,000 exposures, so I’m not to displeased. Check out the video below:

Backyard Stars with the Fujifilm X100T

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 13 sec, ISO800
“Starry Night” Cedar Park, 2020

こんばんは。How’s it going?

This evening the skies in my neighborhood were relatively clear so I set up my Fujifilm X100T in the backyard to do a little astrophotography time-lapse. I got started a bit late, and it was very cold, so I only let it run for about an hour. Still, I am pleased with how it turned out. Please take a look:

Speaking of cameras, the Fujifilm X100V was announced recently, and I am almost positive that I will be upgrading from my X100T. The new model will be a huge step up for me since I will be skipping a generation (X100F). As far as time-lapse capabilities go, the X100T’s longest shutter speed while using the electronic shutter was only 1 second, thus forcing me to use the mechanical shutter which causes a bit of flickering. The X100F fixed this by maximizing it to 30 seconds. Also, the maximum number of exposures using the interval timer has changed from 999 on the X100T to “infinity” on the X100F. This will be key for creating longer time-lapses without having to babysit the camera. Exciting!

The only thing I still wish for is the ability to lock down the aperture during the time-lapse. The way it works with the T is that the aperture re-adjusts every photo, so there is a slight difference in each exposure which causes flickering in the time-lapse. This forces me to shoot wide-open, which isn’t always the best… However, the X100V has a new lens design which makes shooting at f/2 much sharper. All-in-all, the X100V will be better for time-lapse photography, and I am looking forward to it!

Last Light

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 1/125 sec, ISO200
“Last Light” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

We had a really nice sunset today, with some fast-moving clouds. I set up my camera for a quick time lapse. It’s very short because there were only a few moments left of light. Check it out!

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~