Cyclapse Classic
Product Guide - Revision B
If you have problems ettin the 'terminal' workin with the Di iSnap, please refer to the support pa e on our website. If you suspect
any problem with our equipment, please call us!
Configuring for Advanced Time-Lapse
The majority of monitorin applications use the Advanced Time-Lapse (ATL) feature of the Di iSnap controller. With ATL, the
camera can be made to take pictures at specific times of the day, such as durin dayli ht hours, or durin construction hours. It's easy
to confi ure multiple sequences that take pictures at different rates, durin various times of the day. Please refer to the Di iSnap 2700
manual on the CD-Rom for specific details re ardin the confi uration menus.
Please note that the Di iSnap 2700 controller has a 'real-time' internal clock. This is the clock used for schedulin pictures, not the
camera's internal clock. You may want to make sure the two clocks are rou hly the same, so the time listed in the picture data is
consistent with the Di iSnap clock. As time pro resses, the clocks will drift relative to each other—this drift should be small, but is
to be expected.
We would be happy to pre-confi ure the Di iSnap for your particular application, to ease your project by one more step. Also, feel
free to call us at your convenience for help in confi urin the time-lapse sequence. Althou h the process is strai htforward for some
people, others need a bit of hand-holdin the first time—we understand this!
System Components, Operation & Options
Cameras
There are many camera models that can be used in the Cyclapse Classic system. Harbortronics has shipped thousands of time-lapse
camera systems usin Nikon Coolpix, Pentax K100/K200, Canon 1000D (XS), Canon 1100D (T3), and Canon 1200D (T5) camera
models. In addition to these 'production' camera selections, we have created and built customized systems with another dozen camera
models. Most customers prefer that we supply the system with the camera pre-installed, and this is our stron preference as well, but
we can also provide the system without a camera. Customers have often had issues matchin cable assemblies with cameras and
mechanical fit issues, which are eliminated when we install the camera at the factory and perform initial testin .
There are a host of considerations to evaluate when choosin a camera model for time-lapse photo raphy, particularly one that is left
in the field for years. The ultimate oal of your project is to collect a series of ima es over a lon period of time re ardless of the
environmental conditions. Shutter life, ima e quality, power consumption, and of course reliability are major concerns. We have
done the research for you, and believe we have chosen some cameras that are well suited for the application. Please note that we may
chan e our recommendations periodically. We are constantly evaluatin new cameras for suitability, and rest assured our oal is to
provide reliable and hi h quality equipment!
As with most endeavors, details count. For instance some customers have asked to use a camera they already own. While your
existin camera may certainly be perfectly suited to capturin ima es, we have encountered a variety of frustrations and outri ht
problems incorporatin some camera models over the years when applied to lon term time-lapse. For a lon term time-lapse project,
we ur e you to consider usin the cameras we have tested and recommended. These cameras use industry standard connectors, draw
ne li ible power between pictures, some have proven reliability in harsh environments, and all will yield excellent ima e quality.
We list below the cameras that we have selected to offer with the Cyclapse Classic. Not all of these cameras have been evaluated by
Harbortronics as of the time of the release of the system, and this list will chan e as the manufacturers chan e camera models, and
we ain experience with the many camera models.
If you would like to discuss usin a different camera than one we have listed, we would be happy to work further with you. While
Harbortronics is currently an official dealer for Canon and Ricoh (Pentax) equipment, we do not have any particular affinity for one
camera brand vs another. We have been very impressed with the reliability of the Canon Rebel series cameras for the last several
years, so they are models that we are happy to recommend. However, we can provide whatever camera makes the best sense for your
project. We typically char e 15% above the retail camera price, to acquire, install, test, and help with warranty issues that may occur.
Camera Set-up
Once the camera is installed, the zoom and manual focus set, please use affer tape, or some other tape with low adhesive residue, to
wrap around the lens rin s, preventin movement over the life of your project. The Phase One iUX camera comes with lockin lens
rin s.
Our lar e battery pack(s) will power the entire system, and no other batteries are used in the equipment. If the power is turned off for
a lon period of time, the clock in the camera may reset itself and need adjustin before use.
Please confi ure the camera to use the lowest power consumption. For most systems, this has been done for you at Harbortronics.
Refer to your camera operation manual. Instant Review: Off, Auto power off: 30 seconds, Manual focus, Ima e Stabilization: Off
Harbortronics Inc 5 8/4/2015
