Walter Sanford's Blog: 2026

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Theodolite

Theodolite is an award-winning app for Apple iOS that has many applications for my sky watching activities. Wait, what is a "theodolite?"

A surveyor's instrument for measuring horizontal and usually also vertical angles. Source credit: Merriam-Webster (dictionary).

Tracking cloud motion

I used the "Theodolite" app to determine the position of the four cardinal points for my location. That enables me to know the direction clouds are moving across the sky.

15 JUN 2026 | Facing north.

15 JUN 2026 | Facing east.

15 JUN 2026 | Facing south.

OK, I was a little off-center for the direction "south."

15 JUN 2026 | Facing west.

Tracking weather satellites

Radio signals from polar orbiting weather satellites can be received using free software and relatively inexpensive hardware including an RTL-SDR and V-dipole antenna. For best results the V-dipole antenna should be oriented north-south, with the open end of the "V" facing south. For more information, see the following article: Simple NOAA/Meteor Weather Satellite Antenna: A 137 MHz V-Dipole.

Oh by the way, of course I used the "Theodolite" app to determine the direction of north and south relative to the position of my portable rig for reception of weather satellite radio signals.

Tracking daily- and annual cycles in the Sun's apparent path across the sky

The June Solstice will occur at 8:25 UTC on 21 June 2026 (4:25 a.m. EDT), according to the Earth's Seasons - Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion page, Astronomical Applications Department, U.S. Naval Observatory.

The Motions of the Sun Simulator can be used to explore the apparent motion of the Sun across the sky on the June Solstice. The following screenshot shows the simulator configured for 21 June at 12 noon. Be sure to set the "animation mode" for "continuous" and "loop day," as shown in the following graphic.

"Motions of the Sun Simulator" set for 21 JUN at 38.8 N latitude.

Notice the Sun rises along the northeastern horizon and sets along the northwestern horizon. At Washington, D.C. (38.89° North latitude and 77.03° degrees West longitude) the Sun reaches a maximum altitude of 74.7° above the horizon, the highest maximum altitude all year. "This maximum angle occurs precisely at local solar noon, which usually happens around 1:00 PM EDT due to the Earth's axial tilt of 23.5° and daylight saving time adjustments." Source Credit: Google AI.

Also notice the odd-looking figure eight that is shown in red on the preceding screenshot. It's called an analemma. The crest of the figure eight shows the Sun's maximum northern latitude on the June Solstice.

Many years ago I used the "Theodolite" app to show the direction of sunrise on the March Equinox. You might want to do something similar for either sunrise or sunset on the June Solstice.

20 MAR 2011 | 7:12 a.m. | Facing east.

Tech Tips

The following settings were selected under "PREFS" (upper-left corner) / "Camera Options...": "Screenshot"; "Photo Size" <100%>; and "Also Save Regular Image" <Yes>.

The "Theodolite" app isn't available for devices running the Android OS. According to Google AI, the top-rated comparable app is "Sololocator - GPS Field Camera" ($0.99), available from Google Play.

Related Resources

Theodolite Augmented Reality Navigation Viewfinder for iPhone and iPad
Theodolite / Theodolite HD User Manual
Earth's Seasons - Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion - Astronomical Applications Department, U.S. Naval Observatory
Motions of the Sun Simulator - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Physics and Astronomy
Position of the Sun on the horizon at sunrise - University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Equinox sunrise - walter sanford's photoblog
Sunrise Positions in Washington, D.C. - a post from my old Web server, rescued from the Wayback Machine Internet Archive, featuring a time series of photos by Dr. Robert Weinbeck, American Meteorological Society

Friday, June 12, 2026

Field testing the Viltrox DC-A1 camera monitor

The following YouTube video includes three time lapse video clips that show the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon on 09 June 2026. Three photo sets were captured using a Fujifilm X-T3, 18-55mm kit lens, and Viltrox DC-A1 camera monitor. Each photo set was rendered to video using Apple "QuickTime Player"; each movie clip was edited using Apple "Photos." The final video was created using DaVinci Resolve.

09 June 2026 | Fairfax County, Virginia USA

The sky was overcast to mostly cloudy, covered by high level cirroform clouds at 25,000 feet. Notice the cirrocumulus clouds visible in all three video clips.

Source Credit: KDCA | National Weather Service.

Tech Tips

A "Viltrox DC-A1 2800 Nits 7-Inch Camera Monitor" enabled me to see the camera display clearly, even in direct afternoon sunlight. The monitor sells for $278.00 MSRP; I bought it on sale for $236.30 from B&H Photo. The DC-A1 comes with a snap-on/off Sun Hood, L-series/NP-F550 battery, HDMI Type-A cable, HDMI Type-A to Mini-HDMI cable, and USB-C power cable (USB-C to USB-A), among other accessories.

My Fujifilm X-T3 connects to the Viltrox DC-A1 via a micro-HDMI to full-size HDMI cable, not included with the monitor. (My Fujifilm X-T1 features a mini-HDMI connector, but HDMI Output works only during Playback.)

The Viltrox DC-A1 can be used to show the display of my Apple iPad mini 6 by connecting the iPad to a CalDigit SOHO Dock via a USB-C cable, then connecting the SOHO to the Viltrox DC-A1 via a full-size HDMI cable. Although the display size of the Apple iPad mini and Viltrox DC-A1 is similar, the DC-A1 is much brighter than the iPad (as shown below).

It's all about "nits."

"nits" is a quantitative measure of screen brightness. The following bulleted list shows the brightness (in nits) for many of the cameras and devices I own.

Viltrox DC-A1 Camera Monitor = 2800 nits
Apple iPad mini 6 = 500 nits
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ = 480 nits
Fujifilm X-T3 = estimated 300-400 nits
Fujifilm X-T1 = no official rating (seems to be dimmer than X-T3)
Panasonic DMC-FZ300 = estimated 400-500 nits
Canon EOS 5D Mark II = estimated 350-400 nits
GoPro HERO4 Black action camera = There is no viewfinder screen on the back of the HERO4 Black, only a small "Camera Status Screen" on the front of the camera. (GoPro "Quik" app runs on Apple iPad mini 6, therefore 500 nits.)
Skyflow (iOS app) = Runs on Apple iPad mini 6, therefore 500 nits.

In contrast with the Viltrox DC-A1, the highly rated Atomos Ninja 5.2" 4K HDMI Recording Monitor has a smaller screen, isn't as bright (1,000 nits), and sells for a higher price ($589.00 MSRP). Yes, the Atomos can record video, but so can my cameras.

Related Resources: Blog posts with label "Fujifilm X-T3" and "Fujifilm X-T1."

Monday, June 8, 2026

More Fisheye on the Sky

The following YouTube video -- including two "all sky" time lapse videos and a panoramic composite image -- shows the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon of 01 June 2026. A Fujifilm X-T1 plus Meike 6.5mm circular fisheye lens was used to capture the two "all sky" time lapse video clips. The panoramic composite image was captured using the "Camera" app on an iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode.

The entire dome of the sky is shown in the 190° circular field of view in the "all sky" time lapse videos: the zenith is located in the center of circle; 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 level clouds: the cumiliform clouds are streaming from north to south; the cirroform clouds are streaming from west to east.

01 June 2016 | Fairfax County, Virginia USA

The tree on the left side of the panoramic composite image is the same one shown in the second time lapse video clip.

Tech Tips

DaVinci Resolve was used to create the YouTube video. Not bad for my second video created using DaVinci, if I do say so myself.

Two short video clips and one composite panoramic image were used to create the movie. In order to avoid losing frames of content, "jump cuts" were used between the three media segments. Simple "fade out/in" transitions (one second) were used for the title- and credits screens, respectively.

Related Resources

Field testing an X-T1 for time lapsing - after action report - a blog post by Walter Sanford
More quick-and-dirty video editing using QuickTime Player - another blog post by Walter Sanford
DaVinci Resolve Instruction Manual (PDF)

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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 Output 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)

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026

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

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?

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

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.

Open the first video clip using Apple "QuickTime Player."
Drag-and-drop the next video clip on top of the open "QuickTime Player" window.
Repeat as often as necessary to add more video clips.
Click the "Done" button on the video timeline.
Drag-and-drop a music track on top of the open "QuickTime Player" window.
Click the "Done" button on the video timeline.
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.

Friday, May 15, 2026

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

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.

Monday, May 11, 2026

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

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 Output from my Fujifilm X-T3 camera. A micro-HDMI cable was connected to the HDMI connector 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

Friday, May 1, 2026

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."

Monday, April 27, 2026

Panoramic Cumulapse

The following panoramic time lapse video shows the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon on 20 April 2026. The camera pans counterclockwise from east-northeast to south-southwest.

The sky was filled with low level cumuliform clouds.

Tech Tips

Two video segments were recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive one-hour mechanical kitchen timer (available from Amazon): the first video segment is 14:11 seconds of "raw" video; the second segment is 36:19 seconds.

The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of one (1) second. This is the first time I've used a one (1) second interval for "sky lapses." I think the resulting video looks a little "smoother" than my go-to interval setting of two (2) seconds.

There is no viewfinder screen on the back of the HERO4 Black, only a small "Camera Status Screen" on the front of the camera. Although it’s possible to operate the HERO4 Black manually using only the small screen on the front of the camera, it’s less than ideal for navigating menus and making settings.

In my opinion, it’s much easier to pair the camera with either a smart phone or tablet running the GoPro “Quik” app and use one of those devices to control the camera remotely. In this case I used the GoPro "Quik" app [Version 13.20.2 (18532)] -- running on an Apple iPad mini 6 -- to compose the scene.

You go, GoPro!

The GoPro HERO4 Black is easy to use for creating time lapse videos and works well. Under ideal conditions (primarily good light) the GoPro works as well or better than more expensive photography gear I own. For example, compare/contrast the GoPro time lapse video (shown above) with the time lapse video output from my Fujifilm X-T3, shot a little earlier the same day.

And it's worth mentioning the mechanical one-hour kitchen timer works as well as sliders that cost hundreds of dollars. That's why I refer to it fondly as "the little kitchen timer that could."

Related Resources

"CommerciaLapse" is a blog post by Walter Sanford that provides detailed information about how the kitchen timer can be mounted on a tripod.
Blog posts with label "one-hour kitchen timer."
[Gotta get] Back In Time - another blog post by Walter Sanford that features time lapse video from 20 April 2026 created using my Fujifilm X-T3 camera.

Post update: If you look closely at the second video clip, then you will see slight camera "jitter" that's noticeable when looking at the top of the concrete wall shown in the foreground. Don't blame the one-hour kitchen timer -- the "jitter" was caused by my failure to lock in position all of the adjustment knobs on my tripod/ball head. That isn't a problem when the wind is calm. Problem is I wasn't expecting the 30 mph wind gusts that began after I started the time lapse. From now on my new mantra is "Hope for the best; prepare for the worst."

"Wind (mph)," "Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by red rectangles in the following excerpt from a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 20 April 2026 nearest the time when I recorded the time lapse video. Wind was ~15 mph, gusting 25-30 mph as a cold front passed.

Source Credit: KDCA | National Weather Service.

Friday, April 24, 2026

[Gotta get] Back In Time

My Fujifilm X-T3 camera was used to shoot four photo sets of the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon on 20 April 2026. The four scenes are shown in reverse chronological order in the following time lapse video.

Did you catch the music/movie reference in the title of this blog post? "Back In Time" is a song by Huey Lewis & The News from the soundtrack of the movie "Back to the Future."

Wind (mph), Weather and Sky Condition

"Wind (mph)," "Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by red rectangles in the following excerpt from a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 20 April 2026 nearest the times when I recorded the photos used to create the time lapse video.

Source Credit: KDCA | National Weather Service.

Low level cumuliform clouds were reported at 4,000 to 7,000 feet. Wind was ~15 mph, gusting 25-30 mph as a cold front passed.

Tech Tips

My Fujifilm X-T3 camera was set for manual exposure and manual focus. Aperture was set for f/8. Shutter Speed was 1/500 second. ISO was set for 160. White Balance was set for "Daylight." The focal length of the 18-55mm kit lens was set for 18mm (27mm, 35mm equivalent). Aspect Ratio was set for 16:9 (6240 x 3512 pixels). Image Quality was set for Fine JPEG + RAW.

The ELECTRONIC LEVEL (green line) was turned on. The manual focus DEPTH-OF-FIELD SCALE (blue bar), set for "FILM FORMAT BASIS," indicated everything from slightly more than five (5) feet to infinity was acceptably in focus, as shown in the following HDMI screenshot of the X-T3 LCD.

ELECTRONIC LEVEL (green line) | DEPTH OF FIELD SCALE (blue bar)

The camera was set for a two (2) second interval between photos.

Scene 1 = 343 photos
Scene 2 = 310 photos
Scene 3 = 319 photos
Scene 4 = 467 photos

Scene 4 ended when the camera turned off because the battery was dead. But hey, I was able to shoot 1,439 photos on a single charge -- that's fairly good!

Adobe Photoshop 2026 was used to render Scene 1; Apple "QuickTime" was used to render Scene 2-4. Apple "Photos" was used to post-process all four scenes. Titles, transitions, credits, and a music track were added using Apple "iMovie."

Related Resource: Blog posts with label "Fujifilm X-T3."

Friday, April 17, 2026

CommerciaLapse

The following panoramic time lapse video shows the view from the parking lot of a Giant Food grocery store located in Fairfax County, Virginia USA. The camera pans counterclockwise from north-northeast to south-southwest.

11 April 2026.

The video was recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive one-hour mechanical kitchen timer (available from Amazon). The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of one (1) second. Approximately 18 minutes of actual recording time resulted in 35 seconds of "raw" time lapse video, given the recording settings I used.

A sequence of three photos shows my latest magnet-free rig for mounting the mechanical kitchen timer on a tripod.

Side view of the rig.

The component parts, numbered in the preceding photo, are listed below.

GoPro J-hook buckle mount
GoPro flat adhesive mount
Kitchen timer (available from Amazon)
SmallRig Mount Plate for Magsafe Phones 5155
SmallRig Universal Power Bank Holder 2790
Manfrotto 323 RC2 Quick Release Adapter with 200PL-14 323

The SmallRig Mount Plate (4) is optional; the SmallRig Universal Power Bank Holder (5) is essential. The latter is so secure I feel comfortable using the rig upside-down for clockwise rotation.

View from the bottom of the rig.

I mounted a GoPro flat adhesive mount on the kitchen timer using the same "cludgy" way I added an adhesive mount to my "Orbit" two-hour mechanical hose watering timer. The process is described in detail in an earlier blog post: "Post update: Minor modifications of 'Orbit' panoramic time lapse rig."

View from the top of the rig.

Magnet mounts

The one-hour mechanical kitchen timer has a flat top and bottom: the top is metal; the bottom is magnetic. Naturally I thought the best way to mount the kitchen timer on a camera tripod would be to use some type of magnetic mount. The following list shows all the magnet mounts I tested. Spoiler alert: Every magnet mount I tried failed, for one reason or another.

Ulanzi R101 Universl MagSafe to 1/4 20 Tripod Base Mount for iPhone - eBay
SmallRig Mount Plate for Magsafe Phones 5155 - B&H Photo Video
Master Magnet 65 lb. Heavy Duty Round Pull Magnets - Home Depot
Master Magnet 25 lb. Round Base Pull Magnets 96324 - Home Depot

The Ulanzi MagSafe tripod mount (1) is too weak for me to feel comfortable using it without a safety strap for the camera. The SmallRig Mount Plate (2) is a little stronger than the Ulanzi, but still not strong enough to be completely secure.

In contrast, the Master Magnet 65 lb. heavy duty magnet (3) is too strong -- the magnet is so strong it caused the metal kitchen timer to stop rotating unexpectedly, and the bell doesn't ring when time is up.

Finally the Master Magnet 25 lb. magnet (4) is better but still disabled the bell inside the timer, making me wonder whether the timer itself actually works properly. Buyer beware: The "Questions & Answers" section on the Home Depot product page for the 25 lb. magnet says the hole "will pass a 1/4" bolt." That's incorrect. A paper insert inside the plastic package says the hole is ".197 inch," not ≧ 0.25 inches. I would have known that if I hadn't ordered the item online. My "no tools necessary" design idealogy for repurposing inexpensive mechanical timers uses off-the-shelf, ready-to-use parts available at most hardware stores -- a hole that's too small for a 1/4-20" tripod mount breaks the "ready-to-use" clause.

So there it is, after trying and failing (four times) to make a magnet mount work I decided to try using some type of clamp for the kitchen timer. I repurposed a battery clamp that I bought for my Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD 45W (recommended by Fujifilm for use with my X-T Series cameras). I'm pleased to report the new rig performed well during field testing.

What are the take-aways?

Now I have two panoramic rigs that I can use with my GoPro HERO4 Black -- either a one-hour kitchen timer or two-hour "Orbit" timer -- mounted either right-side-up for counterclockwise rotation or upside-down for clockwise rotation. Cool, huh? Almost worth the wasted time and expense trying to make a magnet mount work. Almost. Anyway, trial and error is the best teacher, right?

Related Resources

"Road Lapse" - Street Level - a blog post by Walter Sanford
More power! - yet another blog post by Walter Sanford

Monday, April 13, 2026

"Road Lapse" - Street Level

The following panoramic time lapse video shows the view from the corner of Richmond Highway (U.S. Route 1) and Groveton Street in Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon of 11 April 2026.

Tech Tips

I recommend aligning the front of the action camera with the pointer/zero mark on the kitchen timer. I don't worry about setting the kitchen timer for a specific amount of time. I just turn the dial clockwise until it's set for one hour. Then I compose the shot and start recording for as long as I need/want.

Related Resources

Field Test: Fujifilm X-T3 time lapse - a blog post by Walter Sanford
"Road Lapse" along Richmond Highway - another blog post by Walter Sanford
Atmospheric Motion - one more blog post by Walter Sanford (showing a homemade safety strap for my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera)
GoPro HERO4 Black User Manual

Monday, April 6, 2026

Fujifilm X-T3 Sky Lapse

My last blog post describes field testing my Fujifilm X-T3 for making time lapse videos, when two sets of photos were taken: the first set was used to create the following "Sky Lapse" time lapse video; next I shot the set used to create the "Road Lapse" featured in my last post.

The camera was facing east toward the sky from the 6th floor of a seven-story parking garage. A time series of 302 JPG photos was shot from 12:06 pm to 12:21 pm using a three (3) second interval. 15 minutes of actual recording time resulted in approximately 10 seconds of time lapse video, given the recording settings I used.

31 March 2026. Facing east.

A few thin, wispy cirroform clouds were the only clouds in the sky.

Panorama Photo

The following panoramic composite image was taken from the top of the same parking garage using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode. The camera panned nearly 360° from west-northwest to south-southeast.

31 March 2026 at 12:42 pm. Panoramic view. (16350 x 3790 pixels.)

Wind (mph), Weather and Sky Condition

"Wind (mph)," "Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by red rectangles in the following excerpt from a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 31 March 2026 nearest the times when I recorded the photos used to create the time lapse video, and the panoramic composite image.

Source Credit: KDCA | National Weather Service.

A few clouds were reported at 25,000 feet. At that altitude, the cloud types were high level cirroform clouds.

Tech Tips

My Fujifilm X-T3 camera was set for manual exposure and manual focus. Aperture was set for f/11. Shutter Speed was 1/500 second. ISO was set for 160. White Balance was set for "Daylight." The focal length of the 18-55mm kit lens was set for 18mm (27mm, 35mm equivalent). Aspect Ratio was set for 16:9 (6240 x 3512 pixels). Image Quality was set for FINE+RAW (Fine JPEG plus RAF).

The ELECTRONIC LEVEL was turned on. The manual focus DEPTH-OF-FIELD SCALE was set for "FILM FORMAT BASIS."

I selected a three (3) second interval to be sure there was enough time for the camera to write the FINE+RAW files to a memory card. Each Fine JPG is 8.1 MB; each RAW (RAF) is 56.1 MB. In retrospect, my usual two (2) second interval probably would have worked.

I set the camera to use the Fujifilm "Velvia/VIVID" "Film Simulation" in the hope it would add a little "pop" to the clouds in the sky. In this case, the film simulation didn't help with the thin, wispy clouds. I haven't edited the RAW files I recorded -- maybe I can tweak them to look better than the JPEGs that were processed in-camera.

Related Resource: Field test: Fujifilm X-T3 time lapse - a blog post by Walter Sanford.

Walter Sanford's Blog

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Theodolite

Friday, June 12, 2026

Field testing the Viltrox DC-A1 camera monitor

Monday, June 8, 2026

More Fisheye on the Sky

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

More quick-and-dirty video editing using QuickTime Player

Sunday, May 24, 2026

DaVinci debut

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Quick-and-dirty video editing using QuickTime

Friday, May 15, 2026

Fisheye on the Sky

Monday, May 11, 2026

Circular fisheye lens

Friday, May 1, 2026

Sky Arch

Monday, April 27, 2026

Panoramic Cumulapse

Friday, April 24, 2026

[Gotta get] Back In Time

Friday, April 17, 2026

CommerciaLapse

Monday, April 13, 2026

"Road Lapse" - Street Level

Monday, April 6, 2026

Fujifilm X-T3 Sky Lapse

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