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 compile 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.
The "Scene 2" time lapse video was created from 424 photos: first image = 2:02 PM; last image = 2:23 PM.
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.
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| 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, shown below.
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| 13 May 2026. 2:34 PM. Panoramic view. (16352 x 3900 pixels.) |
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| 13 May 2026. 2:39 PM. Panoramic view. (14762 x 3598 pixels.) |
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| 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
Apple "QuickTime" features an "Actual Size..." setting for Resolution (shown below) that enables the creation of time lapse videos with a 3:2 aspect ratio.
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| 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 and credits, transitions, 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
- 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."
Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
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