Sony A7III Night timelapses with built-in intervalometer

[namoshare]

With Firmware 3.0, the α7R III and α7 III (as well as the Sony α6400) now have a built-in timelapse intervalometer. Here are some tips to get the camera set up for making a timelapse using the built-in controls. ... To get your camera ready to shoot a timelapse, start by accessing the Internal Intervalometer.

[namoshare]

On 11/4/2021 at 11:30 AM, namoshare said:

With Firmware 3.0, the α7R III and α7 III (as well as the Sony α6400) now have a built-in timelapse intervalometer. Here are some tips to get the camera set up for making a timelapse using the built-in controls. ... To get your camera ready to shoot a timelapse, start by accessing the Internal Intervalometer. shareit vidmate app

There’s a lot of trial and error in making a timelapse. By definition, you’re capturing scenes where the light and composition is in flux. And of course, that’s part of the allure. 

[EDBR]

Yes it's disappointing but 2022 now and still nothing. It was so with the previous models as well using the Playmemories App. Hoped it would have been resolved with the build in timer.
Must not be so difficult and don't know why they limit the long exposure. For normal "day to night" it works very well (with city lights) but not from day to really dark situations. Tried all the automatic programs from Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority to Program.
Should not be too difficult to solve this problem. Maybe they limited the longer exposures or/and higher iso to avoid overexposed city lights ??
Don't know, understand the idea but we should have the possibility to choose to overwrite the limit.

The proposed workaround with the exposure compensation could be a solution or going to manual at some moment (30 minutes after sunset or so). Hate also to touch the camera in order to avoid camera movements (certainly with longer lenses). For all the other situations (less extreme) it works very well and don't need to do it manual  or use any extra gadget.

Edited January 7, 2022 by EDBR

[thewoj]

On 1/7/2022 at 1:32 AM, EDBR said:

Yes it's disappointing but 2022 now and still nothing. It was so with the previous models as well using the Playmemories App. Hoped it would have been resolved with the build in timer.
Must not be so difficult and don't know why they limit the long exposure. For normal "day to night" it works very well (with city lights) but not from day to really dark situations. Tried all the automatic programs from Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority to Program.
Should not be too difficult to solve this problem. Maybe they limited the longer exposures or/and higher iso to avoid overexposed city lights ??
Don't know, understand the idea but we should have the possibility to choose to overwrite the limit.

The proposed workaround with the exposure compensation could be a solution or going to manual at some moment (30 minutes after sunset or so). Hate also to touch the camera in order to avoid camera movements (certainly with longer lenses). For all the other situations (less extreme) it works very well and don't need to do it manual  or use any extra gadget.

Does anyone know if this affects all recent Sony cameras (a7siii, a7riv, a9i/ii)?

 

I did not have this issue with the playmemories time lapse app on a7/s/ii/sii/rii, only on the a7iii with Sony’s new built in intervalometer. I still wish there was a way to make the playmemories shoot more than 990 frames, but 990 good frames are better than 3000 bad ones.

 

I did purchase a Nikon Z5 awhile back to see how the intervalometer worked on it, and was pleasantly surprised to find it would auto expose just fine to 30s/iso6400. I just don’t really want to switch to Nikon Z after getting all of my full frame lenses in E-Mount (and I don’t really want to use the Z-Mount to E-Mount adapter).

[benlei]

On 1/11/2022 at 4:37 AM, thewoj said:

Does anyone know if this affects all recent Sony cameras (a7siii, a7riv, a9i/ii)?

 

I did not have this issue with the playmemories time lapse app on a7/s/ii/sii/rii, only on the a7iii with Sony’s new built in intervalometer. I still wish there was a way to make the playmemories shoot more than 990 frames, but 990 good frames are better than 3000 bad ones.

 

I did purchase a Nikon Z5 awhile back to see how the intervalometer worked on it, and was pleasantly surprised to find it would auto expose just fine to 30s/iso6400. I just don’t really want to switch to Nikon Z after getting all of my full frame lenses in E-Mount (and I don’t really want to use the Z-Mount to E-Mount adapter).

That happens to my A7iii and A7R4a

[dmaksan]

If anyone has an A7iv, please let us know if the problem still exists.

[CarloofTheForest]

I’m having the same issue with my A7Riii.
 

Found out the hard way and ruined a day to night Timelapse. ISO stopped at 400 when it should have ramped to 3200. 

[rabelolucas]

Never had this problem before but now I found that my a7iii has this issue. Tried a lot of different settings last night but somehow the shutter speed or the iso keeps always changing after the first picture. It happens on Aperture or Program mode.

[dmaksan]

There are no settings that can fix this - it is a software bug.  Even firmware 4.01 has not addressed the issue.  The only option is to use a workaround as mentioned on this forum.

[karnaahai]

I’m having the same problem. Help would be very much appreciated!!

[suknavid]

With Firmware 3.0, the α7R III and α7 III (as well as the Sony α6400) now have a built-in timelapse intervalometer. Here are some tips to get the camera set up for making a timelapse using the built-in controls. There's a lot of trial and error in making a timelapse.

[suknavid]

To get your camera ready to shoot a timelapse, start by accessing the Internal Intervalometer. Go to Camera Tab1, Screen 4 where you’ll see Shoot Mode/Drive2 and select Intvl. Shoot Func. (note, we’re using an α7R III with Firmware 3.0 so depending on your camera and firmware, the exact menu screens might be a little different). Within the Interval function, first, select Interval Shooting to On. get-vidmate.com  instasave.onl

[rabelolucas]

On 3/9/2022 at 6:47 AM, dmaksan said:

If anyone has an A7iv, please let us know if the problem still exists.

Just got the A7iv, I'll check it out and let you guys know. Hope this shit is fixed.

[karnaahai]

I’m having the same problem.   install vidmate

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[dealycont]

I’m having the same problem. Help would be very much appreciated!!

[dealycont]

I’m having the same issue with my A7Riii.

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[kresch]

Hello everyone,
sorry to bring up this old thread again.
I have this exact problem and stumbled across this thread and wanted to know if there is a solution now. I just can't believe Sony hasn't fixed this bug for so long. And if it really isn't possible to downgrade the firmware, then the built-in intervalometer for night shots is just useless, right?

[thewoj]

Not too helpful for you, but I ended up switching to Nikon [Z6ii] which—as I had posted above—does not have this issue. I didn’t own any smart e-mount lenses though, so I just adapted my dumb lenses to Z-mount.

I did try out an Arsenal mk1 and a Timelapse+ on the a7iii, but those came with their own sets of issues.

[dmaksan]

@kresch - The intervalometer is still good for night shots, just not really dark skies as needed for the milky way.  But as I mentioned earlier, there are workarounds which I've been using successfully, for example in the timelapse I took below. Still haven't heard whether it's been fixed on newer models such as A7IV or A7RV.