Radian With GoPro and Smartphones
Some cameras, such as smartphone cameras and GoPros, are capable of controlling themselves, but cannot be controlled by Radian. This is ok since Radian can be used to control your camera during your time lapse, but it does not have to. All that really matters is that your camera takes a photo with the same interval (ie pause between photos) as the Radian uses in its movements. If you are shooting a time-lapse in a well-lit area, this may be all you need to worry about.
However, if you are shooting in a darker environment, you may need to also ensure that your camera is not taking photos while the Radian moves, otherwise you can end up with blurry footage caused by the motion of your camera during the exposure process.
To avoid motion during your exposures, you need to synchronize the motion of your Radian and your camera. The first part of this is to program the same interval (time between photos) into both devices. The next step is to synchronize the two devices so that the camera takes its photos while the Radian is stationary.
The easiest way to synchronize the two devices is to follow the following procedure:
- Program your Radian, and set up your time lapse settings on your camera or phone.
- Let your Radian make a motion, and then start your camera or phone on its time lapse process just as that motion stops.
- Wait for the camera to take a photo, and see if the photo was taken while your Radian was moving. If it was, you should stop your camera and move to step 4, otherwise you're all set!
- Restart your camera on its time-lapse process, but this time wait about a second after the Radian stops its motion, this should give you enough of a delay to avoid motion during your time lapse.
NOTES :
Please note that this method relies on synchronization between the Radian and your camera or smartphone. While we know that Radian is extremely accurate in the timing of it's movements (it is accurate to .002%) we cannot guarantee that all cameras are. We, and our customers, have had success with GoPros, and the Lapse It App, and it shouldn't be a big problem in general. We do recommend against using the time lapse functionality that comes with iPhones, because it does not allow you to control your interval between photos, potentially resulting in footage that does not seem to move consistently.