Time lapse field test using Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ150

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 JPG plus RAW (RW2) files using an interval of two (2) seconds. 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.

1. launch "QuickTime"
2. select File / Open Image Sequence...
3. set Resolution: Actual Size
4. set Frame Rate: 30 frames per second
5. Encode For: Greater Compatibility (H.264)
6. click "Open" button
7. 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 4.5 mm (25mm, 35mm equivalent).

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.

Intervalometer

A JJC TM-Series Multi-Function Timer Remote Control was connected to the camera. You don't need to set everything on the intervalometer. I used the following settings.

• DE (Delay/Countdown): 5 s
• BU (Bulb): 0 s
• 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.
• Speaker (sound): On

Tech Tips

Everything You Need to Know About SD Cards by B&H eXplora provides a clear and concise explanation of the numbers and symbols that appear on SD memory cards.

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.

Source Credit: KDCA | National Weather Service.

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.

Related Resources

• Creating time lapse video with the Panasonic FZ300;330;1000;2000;2500 (11:03) - a YouTube video by Graham Houghton
• 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.]
• JJC TM-Series Instruction Manual - Multi-function timer remote control
• JJC TM wired remote control review (3:54) - a YouTube video by by Camerahoarders 

Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.