Field testing an X-T1 for time lapsing - after action report

I own three Fujifilm X Series cameras (featuring an APS-C sensor): an X-T1; X-T3; and X-T5. The camera body is slightly bigger and heavier from the X-T1 to the X-T3 to the X-T5. To some extent that's a moot point when the camera is used for time lapsing, since it is mounted on a tripod. But it's worth noting because for me part of the appeal of the X-T1 was it's smaller and lighter than my Canon 5D Mark II full-frame sensor camera.

The X-T1 = 16.3 MP (number of effective pixels). The X-T3 = 26.1 MP. And the X-T5 = 40.2 MP. In some ways, the X-T3 is the Goldilocks of my Fujifilm cameras -- it takes photos that are neither too small nor too big -- they're just the right size for time lapsing.

Why try the X-T1 for time lapsing?

So why did I decide to field test the X-T1 for creating time lapses? Because I would rather not have to change lenses every time I want to shoot either an "all sky" time lapse or "wide angle" time lapse. You might be asking yourself "Isn't interchangeable lenses one of the more compelling reasons to buy a better camera?" Yes, it is. But every time you remove a lens from the camera body is an opportunity for dust to settle on the camera sensor. And that's not good. So I prefer to change lenses only when necessary, under controlled conditions.

My tentative plan was to be able to use my X-T1 with the Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens for "all sky" time lapses and use my X-T3 with the 18-55mm kit lens for "wide angle" time lapses. My plan probably would work if I set the X-T1 to shoot JPEG only, but I prefer to shoot both JPEG plus RAW images. Although I don't always use the RAW files, I like to have them in case I need them.

Strike 1. The write speed is too slow!

In the end, the slower write speed of the X-T1 processor doomed my plan. A five (5) second interval is probably sufficient time for the camera to save both JPEG and RAW files to a memory card. In my experience a five (5) second interval for "sky lapses" makes time seem to pass too quickly, so that's a no go.

I prefer using a two (2) second interval for "sky lapses." I set the X-T1 for a three (3) second interval as a compromise to enable the camera to write files to the memory card. But it was immediately evident the X-T1 struggled to write files that quickly. (It's worth noting the X-T3 can save compressed RAW files (RAW RECORDING > COMPRESSED); the X-T1 cannot.)

Strike 2. The X-T1 LCD is too difficult to see outside!

The X-T1 LCD screen doesn't have an official rating for brightness (in nits) but it might be the dimmest screen of all the cameras I own. I had to remove the camera from the tripod and go to a shady place in order to test exposure and make the settings for "INTERVAL TIMER SHOOTING" and I still struggled to see the screen. 

Strike 3. You're out!

I bought a new Viltrox DC-A1 field monitor with a brightness rating of 2,800 nits. HDMI out from the X-T1 is Playback only, so no joy there. (The X-T3 works beautifully with the Viltrox. More about that in an upcoming blog post.)

What are the take-aways?

A sample size of one proves nothing but as a result of my field test I'm fairly confident in saying the X-T1 is not the best tool in my camera toolbox for time lapsing.

That being said, the X-T1 is still a very useful camera for simple still photography and videography (although I don't shoot enough video to be sure about the latter).

Related Resources 

• More quick-and-dirty video editing using QuickTime Player - a blog post by Walter Sanford
• Blog posts with label "Fujifilm X-T3."
• Why I LOVE the Fujifilm X-T3 Camera (10:14) - a YouTube video by pal2tech (Chris Lee)

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

More quick-and-dirty video editing using QuickTime Player

Two time series of photos were taken during the afternoon on 01 June 2026 using my Fujifilm X-T1 camera and a Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens. Apple "QuickTime Player" was used to render JPEG images from each photo set into a time lapse video. Both videos were edited using Apple "Photos."

The entire dome of the sky is shown in the 190° circular field of view: the zenith is located in the center of the image; the horizon is located around the outer rim of the circle. The sky was covered by low level cumuliform clouds and high level cirroform clouds. Notice the wind shear between the lower- and upper clouds.

The "Scene 1" time lapse video was created from 133 photos: first image = 2:43 PM; last image = 3:05 PM. 22 minutes of actual recording time resulted in approximately eight (8) seconds of "raw" time lapse video, given the recording settings I used. Notice the video seems to go into "turbo boost" soon after the start of the clip. I'm not sure how/why that happened.

Scene 1

The "Scene 2" time lapse video was created from 209 photos: first image = 3:07 PM; last image = 3:28 PM. 21 minutes of actual recording time resulted in approximately seven (7) seconds of "raw" time lapse video.

Scene 2

Panorama Photos

The following panoramic composite images were taken using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode. The iPad was mounted on a tripod located in the shade of the tree shown at the top of Scene 2.

 01 JUN 2026. 3:36 PM. Panoramic view. (15009 x 3822 pixels.)

The tree on the left side of the next image is the same one shown in the video.

01 JUN 2026. 3:40 PM. Panoramic view. (15722 x 3734 pixels.)

Tech Tips

The music track for both videos is "Fog Mist" by TrackTribe, available from the YouTube Studio Audio Library.

I plan to use "DaVinci Resolve" to create a movie that includes both video clips featured in this blog post. In the meantime, I wanted to share the preliminary results from the first field test using my Fujifilm X-T1 to capture time lapses. Technical details plus my analysis of the take-aways from the field test will be the topic of a future blog post.

Related Resources

• Quick-and-dirty video editing using QuickTime - a blog post by Walter Sanford
• Blog posts with label "Fujifilm X-T3."

Post update: I think I figured out why Scene 1 seems to go into "turbo boost." I was concerned a three (3) second interval between shots might not be sufficient time for the older camera to write both JPEG and RAW files to a relatively older memory card. Turns out my concern was justified. I looked at the EXIF info for the first 26 photos in Scene 1 and discovered an instance when the time interval between shots is five (5) seconds. (If it weren't such a tedious process then I would have checked all of the photos.) That might have happened more than once, but as I said, I didn't check all 133 photos -- once is enough to cause the noticeable glitch in the time lapse.

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

DaVinci debut

The following video features two time lapse video clips that show the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon on 13 May 2026. This is my first video produced using "DaVinci Resolve."

The video looks best when viewed in full-screen mode.

The entire dome of the sky is shown in the 190° circular field of view: the zenith is located in the center of the image; the horizon is located around the outer rim of the circle. The clouds are moving from southwest to northeast across the sky.

Related Resource: Fisheye on the Sky - a blog post by Walter Sanford

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All right reserved.

Post update: Two of my friends have been telling me to flip the upside-down tree in Scene 2. (Apparently an upside-down tree caused them to feel cognitive dissonance.) So I flipped the scene.

Scene 2 flipped vertically.

Then my friends suggested both clips should be flipped so the atmosphere appears to flow in the same direction in both clips. So I did.

Both scenes flipped vertically.

Which version do you prefer?

Quick-and-dirty video editing using QuickTime

Simple video editing is as easy as drag-and-drop using Apple "QuickTime Player," as shown in the following example.

"Fisheye on the Sky" | 13 May 2026 | Fairfax County, Virginia USA

The entire dome of the sky is shown in the 190° circular field of view: the zenith is located in the center of the image; the horizon is located around the outer rim of the circle.

The video was created by following these simple steps.

1. Open the first video clip using Apple "QuickTime Player."
2. Drag-and-drop the next video clip on top of the open "QuickTime Player" window.
3. Repeat as often as necessary to add more video clips.
4. Click the "Done" button on the video timeline.
5. Drag-and-drop a music track on top of the open "QuickTime Player" window.
6. Click the "Done" button on the video timeline.
7. Save the edited movie using a new filename.

Video segments are separated by a "jump cut" -- smooth transitions aren't supported by QuickTime. So far I haven't experimented with adding a title screen at the beginning of the movie and a credits screen at the end, but I know it is possible.

How to combine video clips

Source Credit: Google AI.

How to add music to a video

Source Credit: Google AI.

Related Resource: "Fisheye on the Sky" - a blog post by Walter Sanford.

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Fisheye on the Sky

Two time series of photos were taken during the afternoon on 13 May 2026 using my Fujifilm X-T3 camera and a Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens. Apple "QuickTime Player" was used to render JPEG images from each photo set into a time lapse video. Both videos were edited using Apple "Photos."

The camera was mounted on a tripod with the lens facing the zenith. The entire dome of the sky is shown in the circular field of view; the horizon is located around the outer rim of the circle.

The "Scene 1" time lapse video was created from 398 photos: first image = 1:38 PM; last image = 1:58 PM. 20 minutes of actual recording time resulted in ~13 seconds of "raw" time lapse video, given the recording settings I used.

The "Scene 2" time lapse video was created from 424 photos: first image = 2:02 PM; last image = 2:23 PM. 21 minutes of actual recording time resulted in ~14 seconds of "raw" time lapse video.

Low-, middle- and high level clouds were moving across the sky from the south-southwest to north-northeast. A southerly wind was steady at ~15-20 mph, gusting to ~25-30 mph.

Source Credit: KDCA | National Weather Service.

Panorama Photos

The following panoramic composite images were taken using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode. The iPad was mounted on a tripod located in the shade of the tree shown on the left side of the first panoramic image (below).

13 May 2026. 2:34 PM. Panoramic view. (16352 x 3900 pixels.)

13 May 2026. 2:39 PM. Panoramic view. (14762 x 3598 pixels.)

13 May 2026. 2:42 PM. Panoramic view. (11480 x 3824 pixels.)

Camera Settings

The camera was set for manual exposure and manual focus. The Meike lens features a "clickless" aperture ring. The Aperture was set for the f/8 mark on the aperture ring. The manual focus ring was set near the 3 ft mark. The Shutter Speed was set for 1/2,500 s. 

The camera was set to record FINE+RAW, in L 3:2 format (6240 x 4160 pixels). A three (3) second interval was used to allow sufficient time for the camera to save the photo files to a memory card.

Tech Tips

The Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens, mounted on a Fujifilm X-T3 camera with an APS-C sensor, produces an image that nearly fills a square with the dimensions of 4160 x 4160 pixels. I set the camera to record images using a 3:2 aspect ratio (6240 x 4160 pixels), so the entire field of view is recorded with black "bars" on both sides of the image.

Warning: 16:9 format (6240 x 3512 pixels) results in an image that is cropped at the top and bottom for this camera/lens combination. Since 4K video has an aspect ratio of 16:9 the top and bottom of the photos will be cropped so that the "all sky" field of view is lost, as shown in the following video.

"Fisheye on the Sky" (0:35) - a YouTube video by Walter Sanford

It's worth noting the two time lapse clips with a 3:2 aspect ratio look fine in the Apple "iMovie" timeline, but they are cropped when the project is exported in 4K.

You might be wondering "How is Apple "QuickTime Player" able to create videos with a 3:2 aspect ratio?" (like the two videos at the beginning of this blog post). "QuickTime" features an "Actual Size..." setting for Resolution (shown below) that enables the creation of time lapse videos with a 3:2 aspect ratio.

Resolution: Actual Size...

What's Next?

I need to learn how to create videos using a 3:2 aspect ratio so that I can add titles, transitions, credits, and a music track as easily as I can using Apple "iMovie." Advice from readers of my blog is invited and welcome. I look forward to seeing your suggestions.

Related Resources

• Circular fisheye lens - a blog post by Walter Sanford (Hey, that's me!)
• Sky Arch - another one of my blog posts, documenting my failed attempt to use a GoPro HERO4 Black action camera to create an all sky video
• How to make a timelapse with iMovie (7:17) - a YouTube video by Matthew Vandeputte [Note: Matthew demonstrates how to use Apple "QuickTime" to make a time lapse video, beginning at the ~4:50 s mark.]
• Blog posts with label "Fujifilm X-T3."

Post update: With the aid of Google AI, I was able to figure out how to add a music track to a QuickTime movie.

Scene 1 time lapse video (with music track)

How? Follow these simple directions. Thanks, Google!

Source Credit: Google AI.

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Circular fisheye lens

The following photo was taken during the afternoon on 08 May 2026 using my Fujifilm X-T3 camera and a Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens. The camera was facing in a northerly direction. Low level cumuliform clouds were moving across the sky for most of the afternoon.

08 May 2026. 1:51 PM. Fisheye view. (4160 x 4160 pixels.)

This was my first field test of the Meike lens. I'm encouraged by the quality of the photos that I shot. Maybe next time I'll remember to set the camera to record RAW images. Fog of war. That being said, a sample size of one proves nothing. I look forward to testing the lens more thoroughly in the near future.

Panorama Photos

The following panoramic composite images were taken using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode. The iPad was mounted on a tripod located in the shade of the tree shown at the top of the preceding fisheye photo.

08 May 2026. 1:32 PM. Panoramic view. (15711 x 3934 pixels.)

08 May 2026. 1:35 PM. Panoramic view. (15210 x 3688 pixels.)

The midday Sun in late spring is high in the sky, making it difficult to shoot photos of the sky that don't show the disc of the Sun, given the 190° field of view of the Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens. Direct sunlight can cause damage to the camera lens and sensor. Both the tree and a passing cloud blocked direct sunlight when the fisheye photo was taken.

Camera Settings

The camera was set for manual exposure and manual focus. The Meike lens features a "clickless" aperture ring. The Aperture was set for the f/8 mark on the aperture ring. The manual focus ring was set near the infinity (∞) mark. The Shutter Speed was set for 1/1,600 s. 

The camera was set to record JPEG only (L Fine), in L 1:1 format (4160 x 4160 pixels). I thought the square format might be better for photos that could be used to create time lapse videos.

In retrospect, it might have been better to record the images in 3:2 format (6240 x 4160 pixels) in order to allow more flexibilty for cropping and annotating images. Warning: 16:9 format (6240 x 3512 pixels) results in an image that is cropped at the top and bottom for this camera/lens combination.

Tech Tips

The Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens is a manual lens -- completely manual, as in there are no electronic contacts that enable the lens to communicate with the camera. In order to take photos using the lens you must set the camera to "SHOOT WITHOUT LENS," as shown in the following video.

There's one caveat: You can use the Fujifilm "XApp" to shoot photos without setting the camera to "SHOOT WITHOUT LENS." My recommendation? Set it and forget it. That way your camera will work with or without connecting to the "XApp."

The preceding "how to" video was recorded using HDMI out from my Fujifilm X-T3 camera. A micro HDMI cable was connected to the HDMI port on the camera, and tethered to my Apple iPad mini 6 using a MavisLink Video Capture Card (HDMI to USB) and Apple USB-C to USB-A Adapter (also known as an OTG adapter). "Dongled," a free Apple iOS app, was used to display HDMI video from the camera; the iPad display was captured using screen recording.

The Backstory

I own a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (RPi). I bought it to use for capturing images from polar-orbiting weather satellites. Well, that was the plan but it never worked as well as I hoped.

I haven't used my RPi since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration decommissioned all of its Automatic Picture Transmission polar-orbiting weather satellites. I've been thinking about repurposing the RPi as an "all sky camera" by adding a camera/lens and installing free open source software for controlling the camera.

As I was researching cameras and lenses that can be used with my RPi, I noticed some information and videos related to fisheye lenses that are used for capturing all sky imagery with APS-C cameras like my Fujifilm X Series cameras. I realized a wide angle "circular fisheye" lens is perfect for my needs.

I started shopping online and quickly discovered the Meike MK-6.5mm f/2 Circular Fisheye Lens for FUJIFILM X seemed to be one of the better lenses on the market, and its $130 price point made it very attractive. I bought the lens from B&H Photo on Wednesday, 29 March 2026; it was delivered on Friday, 01 May 2026. 

The lens was supposed to come with a "lens pouch"; the pouch wasn't in the box. By the time I contacted B&H on Thursday, 07 May 2026 the lens had been "Discontinued" by B&H. I asked Marvin C., the B&H product specialist with whom I chatted, "How do we make this right?" Marvin suggested I contact Meike. Good luck with that, Marvin! Meike is a Chinese company whose "Contact Us" Web page doesn't include a link for resolving issues like mine.

I didn't buy the lens from Meike -- I bought the lens from B&H Photo therefore I think the missing lens pouch is a B&H problem. The old B&H Photo that I grew to know and love would have offered to provide a lens pouch for similar sized lenses, free of charge. But that didn't happen.

B&H Photo has been my go-to store for photography gear. Over many years I've purchased a lot of gear from B&H. As a result, I expect better customer service than I received. Are you listening B&H? This is how businesses lose loyal customers.

Related Resources 

• Meike MK-6.5mm f/2 Circular Fisheye Lens for FUJIFILM X - B&H Photo
• Meike 6.5mm f2 for Fuji X Series | The Widest Fujifilm X Mount Lens?! (9:38) - a YouTube video by Damian Brown
• Meike 6.5mm f/2 Circular Fisheye lens review with samples (6:55) - a YouTube video by Christopher Frost
• Blog posts with label "Fujifilm X-T3."
• Take a screen recording on iPad - Apple Support | Take a screenshot on iPad - Apple Support

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Sky Arch

The following panoramic time lapse video shows an arching view across the sky above Fairfax County, Virginia USA on 27 April 2026. The video was recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive "Orbit" two-hour mechanical hose watering timer. The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of two (2) seconds.

The camera pans from the western horizon to the southern horizon, passing near the zenith at the apex of the arc.

I thought the camera view would auto-rotate after the camera passed the apex of the arc. It didn't, as you can see in the video. I was fooled because the camera view auto-rotates during Preview, as expected. As it turns out the GoPro locks the camera orientation at the beginning of a time lapse video, as well as regular video.

GoPro "Sky Arch" rig, in situ.

Did you notice part of the mount for the "Orbit" timer is visible at the end of the video? I was concerned that might be a problem. Perhaps it would have helped to mount the "Sky Arch" camera rig vertically, as shown in the following photo.

GoPro "Sky Arch" rig, mounted vertically.

The following screenshots from the GoPro "Quik" app show the settings I selected for Auto-Rotation.

Settings | Camera Preferences

Settings | Camera Preferences | Auto-Rotation

Related Resources: Blog posts with label "two-hour 'Orbit' timer."

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.