4K Milky Way time lapse with Nikon D4 (Other Nikon DSLRs can do this as well)

Harles99Harles99 Posts: 6Member
edited January 2013 in General Discussions
Hello all,

Using my Nikon D4 and the full size stills I was able to create a short Milky Way time lapse video in 4K resolution. 4K (4096x2304) is four times the size of 1080p HD.

I love making time lapse videos and watching those that others made as well. So, I Thought I'd share my settings and workflow so others can create time lapse videos. Its not always easy finding settings for Astrophotography as many photographer like to keep theirs secret, but I don't mind.

My workflow is as follows:
Nikon D4 -> Adobe Camera Raw (adjust settings and get the look desired) -> Adobe After Effects (using the GoPro Cinefrom 4K Codec) -> Premiere Pro -> Export 4K (4096x2304) H.264 file for youtube. This can be done on Mac or Windows computers.

***It does take some processing power to work with 4K resolution.***

As for capturing the Milky Way my settings were:
Nikon D4 & Nikon 14-24mm @14mm, f2.8
30 second exposures, ISO 3200, WB 4000K.

Thanks for looking and if anyone has questions feel free to ask!

( for 4K resolution, click "Original" on the videos Youtube watch page)

Comments

  • DJBee49DJBee49 Posts: 133Member
    Very beautiful. Thanks for sharing this.
  • Parke1953Parke1953 Posts: 456Member
    Very nice. I go to dakotalapse sometimes. great stuff.
  • PB_PMPB_PM Posts: 4,494Member
    Stunning, very well done!
    If I take a good photo it's not my camera's fault.
  • Golf007sdGolf007sd Posts: 2,840Moderator
    Kick ass...well done!
    D4 & D7000 | Nikon Holy Trinity Set + 105 2.8 Mico + 200 F2 VR II | 300 2.8G VR II, 10.5 Fish-eye, 24 & 50 1.4G, 35 & 85 1.8G, 18-200 3.5-5.6 VR I SB-400 & 700 | TC 1.4E III, 1.7 & 2.0E III, 1.7 | Sigma 35 & 50 1.4 DG HSM | RRS Ballhead & Tripods Gear | Gitzo Monopod | Lowepro Gear | HDR via Promote Control System |
  • YetibuddhaYetibuddha Posts: 388Member
    Nice. Thanks for the settings and the processing hints. Have you tried LRTimelapse?
  • CorrelliCorrelli Posts: 135Member
    That looks very cool. Nice work!
  • Harles99Harles99 Posts: 6Member
    Thanks for all the comments, I appreciate it!
    Nice. Thanks for the settings and the processing hints. Have you tried LRTimelapse?
    Yes I have, I've used the De-flickering in the past as well as their 4K templates. They're nice but I like the Cineform 4K workflow better. LRTimelapse De-flickering works wonders though.
  • ralpheburnsralpheburns Posts: 4Member
    Harles,

    To date I've only been a still photographer, but am interested in starting video with some starlight time-lapse. I have a D4 setup, and also just moved to the mountains and the house's rear deck faces the north star. The one time I experimented with time-lapse the D3s battery didn't last very long. Do you have a solution for external power?

    Software to start? I have LR4 & PS CS6 now. LRTimelapse2? Adobe After Effects? Premiere Pro? I'm on Win7 with 16GB ram, SSD drive.

    Ralph
  • shawninoshawnino Posts: 453Member
    That's brilliant. Thank you for posting it.
  • adamzadamz Posts: 842Moderator
  • Harles99Harles99 Posts: 6Member
    Harles,

    To date I've only been a still photographer, but am interested in starting video with some starlight time-lapse. I have a D4 setup, and also just moved to the mountains and the house's rear deck faces the north star. The one time I experimented with time-lapse the D3s battery didn't last very long. Do you have a solution for external power?

    Software to start? I have LR4 & PS CS6 now. LRTimelapse2? Adobe After Effects? Premiere Pro? I'm on Win7 with 16GB ram, SSD drive.

    Ralph
    I just use the D4 battery only. Back in the summer my D4 battery would last about 750-800 shots of taking 30 second exposures back to back to back, In the cold of winter it seems likes its dropped to around 650ish. Thats enough time to create a 5-6hrs of shooting and around 25-30 seconds of time lapse footage played back at 24fps.

    I recommend After Effects (to compile TL together) and then make your edits in Premiere Pro. Seems to be the workflow a lot of astrophotographers are using now to make their videos.

    google the timescapes fourms. There is ALOT of good info over there. its helped me a lot!
  • MikeGunterMikeGunter Posts: 543Member
    Hi all,

    @Harles99

    Thanks a lot! Great stuff!

    My best,

    Mike
  • Rx4PhotoRx4Photo Posts: 1,200Member
    @ Harles99, that's amazing. It's something I'd like to do someday but can never sit long enough to learn how.
    Thanks for posting it.
    D800 | D7000 | Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 | 24-70mm f/2.8 | 70-200mm f/2.8 | 35mm f/1.8G | 85mm f/1.4G | Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art | Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art | Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM | Zeiss 100mm Makro-Planar ZF.2 | Flash controllers: Phottix Odin TTL

  • IronheartIronheart Posts: 3,017Moderator
    edited January 2013
    @ralpheburns almost all of the Nikon bodies have available what Nikon calls a "power supply adapter" which is a dummy battery with a cord. Then you have to buy an "AC adapter" which will convert the line voltage to a proper DC voltage to run the camera indefinitely.

    I'm also looking at replacing the AC adapter part with a larger battery (12V from the car for instance) but I haven't had a chance to research the specs yet. For now I use a 12V DC to 120V AC inverter, then use the AC adapter to convert back to DC to run the camera. Clunky, but it works.
    Post edited by Ironheart on
  • PostmanPostman Posts: 59Member
    This is exactly what I really want to get into. I've never done anything like this before and have a trip to Iceland fast approaching. I'll be taking my D800 with battery grip for added juice, my 20mm f2.8 AF-D and a sturdy tripod at the very least, so shouldn't have too much problem actually setting up and leaving my camera taking shots somewhere for 3 or 4 hours - I hope to actually get some Aurora action too. I had an exposure time of no more than 20 seconds in my head to reduce the movement time-frame, setting the aperture to f2.8 and adjusting the ISO accordingly, but whether or not this will be achievable I don't know. The high ISO capability of the D800 will hopefully allow it.

    Once I have the photos it's what to do after them which is potentially daunting, I've got LR4, PS CS6 and After Effects. My PC is however rather old now, AMD Phenom X4, 4GB RAM although it does have a decent graphics card and an SSD I'm not convinced I'll actually be able to do anything with it at all in terms of compiling a timelapse. In terms of capturing the raw ingredients, the images, I hope I'll be able to and worry about actually producing something with them once I have the hardware I need.

    Does anyone have any experience with using the large resolution images from a DSLR in a timelapse to create the impression of camera movement, but what is actually just panning a crop frame within the full resolution frame out of camera? I haven't got any fancy gear to actually set my camera moving to do this, so wondered if it's achievable in post to get a similar effect using After Effects or Premier perhaps?
  • YetibuddhaYetibuddha Posts: 388Member
    Postman,

    I don't have after effects or premier, but this can be done in lightroom. If you google J Kost Lightroom tutorials, she has an excellent one on cropping and moving the crop in a video. Relatively simple to do. I have used LRTimelapse as well, which is free for under 400 images. you can also do quite a bit in Photoshop 6.
  • vitamin_svitamin_s Posts: 1Member
    How many photos did you click to make the video?
  • ShivShiv Posts: 1Member
    Hi Harles,

    Fantastic video and the music makes it even more better.

    Would you mind sharing the technique used in rendering the star as streaks in a timelapse from 0:35 onwards ?

    Did you changed your settings on camera to get streaks within single frame or was it done in post in AE ? Apologies if its been an ignorant question but very curious.

    Shiv
  • Dredden85Dredden85 Posts: 365Member
    edited January 2013
    @ Harles99
    How many 30sec exposures was required to make 58sec of video when compiled? :-?

    Absolutely beautiful timelapse! Great work!
    Post edited by Dredden85 on
    D7000, 18-200VRII | 50 1.8G | SB-900
  • subparsubpar Posts: 1Member
    What sensor did you use for this? FX, DX or 2.7?
  • tektradertektrader Posts: 58Member
    Another nice time lapse Harley, I look forward to the emails from YouTube when you upload something new.

    Keep it up
  • PhotobugPhotobug Posts: 5,751Member
    Great video. Very nicely done.
    Also thanks for the settings.
    D750 & D7100 | 24-70 F2.8 G AF-S ED, 70-200 F2.8 AF VR, TC-14E III, TC-1.7EII, 35 F2 AF D, 50mm F1.8G, 105mm G AF-S VR | Backup & Wife's Gear: D5500 & Sony HX50V | 18-140 AF-S ED VR DX, 55-300 AF-S G VR DX |
    |SB-800, Amaran Halo LED Ring light | MB-D16 grip| Gitzo GT3541 + RRS BH-55LR, Gitzo GM2942 + Sirui L-10 | RRS gear | Lowepro, ThinkTank, & Hoodman gear | BosStrap | Vello Freewave Plus wireless Remote, Leica Lens Cleaning Cloth |
  • obajobaobajoba Posts: 206Member
    Hmm, never realized 4K is not 4k lines of horizontal resolution, rather it is only 2160. Guess I hadn't looked at it closely and just assumed that they were somehow quadrupling the lines of horizontal resolution.

    Great work on the time lapses, they are definitely enjoyable to watch!
    D4 | 70-200 2.8 VR | 24-70 2.8 | TC-17e II
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