Blog

Three ways to timelapse on Canon EOS R series cameras

19/04/2022

9198

In this video and blog post, I will show you three different ways of shooting timelapses on the Canon EOS R series cameras.

In these examples, I’m using the R5 but everything explained should be applicable to all other R series cameras as well.
EDIT: I've been notified that the R3 doesn't have the timelapse video mode. I have no idea why that is, let's hope Canon adds that timelapse video mode to the R3 in the future.

Check out the pricing for the EOS R5 here (affiliate link): https://geni.us/mA5WON

I've written about the Canon EOS R5 and its timelapse modes in the past, find out more about it here and here.

How to timelapse with the Canon EOS R series

The first method to shoot timelapse with the R series is to use the built-in intervalometer. This is what most people will use I reckon. You can set an interval and a number of shots ranging from 0 aka infinite shots to 99. I wish this was a four-digit panel instead of two!

Shoot in Manual for fixed lighting conditions or in Av mode for sunset or sunrise and then fix the exposure flickering using LRTimelapse.

You can download my free e-book to learn which intervals to use and how to turn these RAW files into pretty timelapse video files.

The second method is found when switching the camera to video shooting and it's called Timelapse Movie mode. It captures video frames and then compiles those frames in-camera. You won’t save the RAW or JPEG files this way sadly, but you can create an 8K video file right in the camera with no editing needed. When shooting in Av mode with Auto ISO enabled, you can enable the “Auto Exposure Each Frame” option to shoot nice smooth holy grail timelapses without exposure flickering.

The third method and my preferred one is using an external remote, like the Canon TC80N3, the LRTimelapse Pro Timer 3.0, or a range of other external remotes. Watch this video to learn more about them and to find out which one is right for you.

If you have any questions about time lapsing on the R series please let me know in the comments!

If you want to learn everything I know about timelapse and hyperlapse photography you can check out The Ultimate Timelapse Course which is my magnum opus. It features over 80 videos and more than 6 hours of exclusive tutorial content, as well as software and gear discounts, timelapse presets and lots, a membership forum, downloadable RAW and project files and so much more.

Get all the best tools and techniques to become a great timelapse photographer.