The following panoramic time lapse video shows the sky above Fairfax County, Virginia USA on 15 June 2026. The video was recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive mechanical one-hour kitchen timer. The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of two (2) seconds.
15 June 2026 | Fairfax County, Virginia USA
The following panoramic composite image was taken using the "Camera" app on my Apple iPad mini 6, set for "Pano" mode.
15 JUN 2026. 3:15 PM. Panoramic view. (16080 x 3900 pixels.)
Sometimes I like my "misfires" as much as the wider panoramic composite images such as the one shown above.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.]
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
[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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
My Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ300 superzoom bridge camera was facing east-southeast from the 6th floor of a seven-story parking garage. A time series of 250 JPG photos was shot from 1:24 pm to 1:36 pm using a three (3) second interval. 12.5 minutes of actual recording time resulted in approximately eight seconds of time lapse video, given the recording settings I used.
A short time lapse video segment was created in-camera using the FZ300. The in-camera video creation process features an option to change the duration of the output -- I selected the option to double the duration of the video segment from eight (8) seconds to 17 seconds. The output was edited using Apple "Photos."
20 March 2026. Facing east. (0:17 s)
The next time lapse video was created using Apple "QuickTime" to render the same 250 JPG photos. The output was edited using Apple "Photos."
20 March 2026. Facing east. (0:08 s)
Both videos show high level cirroform clouds moving across the sky from west-northwest to east-southeast.
Panorama Photos
The following panoramic composite images were 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.
2:12 pm. Wider panoramic view. (15394 x 3678 pixels.)
2:17 pm. Wider panoramic view. (15905 x 3640 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 20 March 2026 nearest the times when I recorded the photos used to create the time lapse videos, and the panoramic composite images.
"Sky Condition" was reported as FEW, SCT, and BKN -- the cloud level was 25,000 feet at all times. The sky was filled with a mix of high level cirroform clouds, as mentioned previously in this blog post.
Looking Down
The following images were captured from Meteor M2-4 -- one of two Russian polar orbiting weather satellites -- during the afternoon on 20 March 2026 by Luis Acosta, my good friend and amateur radio guru.
Luis's ground station is located in New Jersey (USA) but as you can see the view shown in the satellite images includes my location in Northern Virginia (USA). Although the time of the satellite pass (4:22 p.m. EDT) isn't perfectly synchronous with the times of my time lapse video and panoramas it's close enough.
Meteor M2-4. Image used with permission from Luis Acosta.
Meteor M2-4. Image used with permission from Luis Acosta.
Zoom in on the mid-Atlantic region (USA). Notice Luis's weather satellite images (above) show the same mix of cirroform clouds as is shown in my time lapse videos and panoramic images.
The following video was created by Luis Acosta. Video used with permission from Luis.
Tech Tips
My Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ300 camera was set for manual exposure and manual focus. Aperture was set for f/7.1. Shutter Speed was 1/500 second. ISO was set for 100. White Balance was set for "Daylight." The focal length was 4.5mm (25mm, 35mm equivalent). Aspect Ratio was set for 16:9 (4000 x 2248 pixels). [Picture] Quality was set for Fine JPG; each Fine JPG is 2.7 MB.
Luis's weather satellite receiving ground station includes the following hardware and software: Raspberry Pi 4 running the RaspiNOAA V2 image; RTL-SDR V4; generic wideband low noise amplifier (LNA); and DIY Quadrifilar Helix (QFH) antenna.
The "zoom in" video (shown above) was created by Luis using the "ActionDirector" Android app running on his Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphone.
Halo - another blog post by Walter Sanford [Note: See the section entitled "Tech Tips" for information about how to capture very wide panoramic views of the sky.]
The following time lapse videos show the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon on 11 March 2026.
My Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ150 superzoom camera was set to record Standard JPG plus RAW (RW2) files using an interval of two (2) seconds. [Note: I should have set the camera to record Fine JPG plus RAW. Oops!] 215 photos of each file type were recorded. Each photo is 4000 x 3000 pixels. Approximately 11 minutes of actual recording time resulted in 7 seconds of time lapse video, given the recording settings I used.
Apple "QuickTime" was used to quickly convert the JPG files into a .mov file.
launch "QuickTime"
select File / Open Image Sequence...
set Resolution: Actual Size
set Frame Rate: 30 frames per second
Encode For: Greater Compatibility (H.264)
click "Open" button
select File / Save...
Apple "Photos" was used to post-process the resulting .mov file.
11 March 2026. Facing north-northwest.
Here's the same video clip showing the output from Apple "QuickTime" before it was edited using Apple "Photos."
11 March 2026. Facing north-northwest.
Camera Settings
The photos were intentionally slightly underexposed in order to preserve/recover highlights in the clouds. My camera was set for manual exposure (aperture f/7.1, shutter speed 1/800 s) and manual focus [~2 feet to infinity (∞) was acceptably in focus using the hyperfocal distance for f/7.1]. ISO was set for 100. White Balance was set for "Daylight." The focal length was 4.5mm (25mm, 35mm equivalent).
Each Standard JPG is 2.1 MB; each RAW (RW2) is 14.8 MB.
I tried to shoot another time lapse, but there was a write error after only 16 photos were recorded to the memory card. I speculate the recording settings I used were too demanding for my older camera/memory card. For more information about the type of memory card I used, see the section entitled Tech Tips (below).
Decisions, decisions.
I own two Panasonic LUMIX superzoom cameras: an older DMC-FZ150; and a newer DMC-FZ300. The FZ150 can be used to shoot time lapses using an external intervalometer; the resulting time-series of photos must be post-processed to convert the photos to video. The FZ300 features both a built-in intervalometer and in-camera processing of time lapse videos.
So you might be wondering why I decided to use my older superzoom camera for the first time lapse field test. In my strong opinion, the FZ150 features a much better implementation of manual focus than the FZ300. Newer isn't always better! Hey Panasonic – are you listening?Please bring back the old way of setting manual focus using a colored bar that represents the range of distances that are in focus, as shown in the following photo.
Yellow manual focus bar indicates range of distances (feet) in focus.
INT (Interval): 2 s ← 3-5 s might have been better for my older camera/memory card.]
N (Number): set for "--" (two dashes) ← This setting means the camera will continue shooting photos until the START/STOP button on the intervalometer is pressed.
Memory card used with my Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ150.
Weather and Sky Condition (shown in my videos)
"Weather" and "Sky Cond." are highlighted by a red rectangle in the following excerpt from a table of three-day weather observations for KDCA on 11 March 2026 nearest the times when I recorded the photos used to create the time lapse video shown above (2:11 - 2:22 pm). At 13:52 (1:52 pm) the Sky Condition was reported as "FEW" at 8,500 feet, "SCT" at 11,000 feet, and "BKN" at 16,000 feet. At 14:52 (2:52 pm) the Sky Condition was essentially the same as an hour earlier: "FEW" at 8,000 feet; "FEW" at 11,000 feet; and "BKN" at 14,000 feet. At both times, there was a mix of middle- and high level clouds in the sky.
Remember FEW = Few = 1/8 to 2/8 of sky coverage, SCT - Scattered = 3/8 to 4/8 of sky coverage, and BKN = Broken = 5/8 to 7/8 of sky coverage. See my blog post entitled "Cloud identification" for more information about how to use "levels" to make cloud identification a little easier.
What's next?
First, I need experiment with using RAW (RW2) photo files to create time lapse video. Whenever possible, I like to use free applications like Apple "QuickTime" and Apple "iMovie" to create relatively high quality time lapse video content. That being said, working with RAW photo files almost certainly means I will need to use Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop – applications that are available only by subscription. I have both Adobe applications; there are many ways they can be used to create time lapse videos and I need to experiment to see which process works best for me.
Next, I need to do a time lapse field test using my Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ300. "I bought a SUPERZOOM timelapse camera - Lumix FZ82" (12:22) – a YouTube video by time lapse expert Matthew Vandeputte – inspired me to try using my FZ150 and FZ300 superzoom cameras for creating time lapse video. As I mentioned earlier in this blog post, the FZ300 features both a built-in intervalometer and in-camera processing of time lapse videos so I should use the FZ300 for my next field test.
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.]
