Hi, i want to take several photos at fixed intervals (intervalometer mode) with my digicam,Canon S80, then join/merge them into one Mjpeg .avi file for later compression to DivX. Can you please tell me how to do this ? some notes: 1/ i need it for various things like plant observation, blooming flowers, people going around in one area, etc... 2/ i could do a direct compression to DivX without passing through Mjpeg step. However, i prefer to first have an Mjpeg .avi file so i get the max resolution out of my digicam (Canon s80), then if necessary to reduce the resolution while compressing to DivX in order to view them on TV I though Mjpeg is a kind of joing jpeg files with some timing sets between each frame (photos). Saying it that way, it should be really straightforward, but how to do it, what tools ? Do i need an Mjpeg codec ? How and where to get one ? thanks very much nalooti
First of all, there is no need to go through MJPEG. I understand that you are just shooting stills (i.e. JPEG's). The only thing that you need is a video editing program that can import JPEG's. Then you just put them one behind the other on the timeline at a desired duration and export the sequence as an AVI using any codec you like. A nice program that I can recommend is Adobe Premiere Elements.
thank you TPFKAS for your answer Do you know any freeware doing that instead of Adobe Premiere which is very complete , actually too much for this easy thing. I'd love to do it with virtualdub but i don't know if possible and how. I do all my encoding as well as cuting/joining with vdub. thanks nalooti
i don't think you can do it with VDUB, but I'm not 100% sure. You can do it with Windows MovieMaker though. In the Advanced Option Settings you can even define the default length of each picture when you drag it to the timeline, but you can only set certain discrete values and not smaller than 0.125 seconds which gives you 8 frames per second. This will not generate a very smooth timelaps movie. But maybe if you put a dissolve transition between them it will look reasonable. BTW: I did not mean Premiere, whch is quite expensive but Premiere Elements which you can buy for $99. The great thing about it is that you can define any default duration that you want and next import all of your pictures in one go and use the "Automate to timeline" command. All your pictures in the project will then be placed on the timeline in the right sequence at once. Assuming that you want a smooth timelaps, you should put 25 or 30 pictures per second on the timeline. So for a 10 seconds movie you end up having to put 250-300 pictures manually on the timeline if you don't have an automated process for it...
I think nalooti is trying to find out how to avoid any kind of recompression of his jpeg Canon encoded stills. Using moviemaker or, possibly, even other software, will read in photos, internally uncompress them for viewing, and then, when you render your finished movie project re-compress them with some other compressor. As a result the quality of the photos will drop dramatically. Do not use moviemaker for this: it'll be bad what it'll do to your photos. If Adobe is smart, it will notice the compressor that Canon used to encode the stills and then suggest the identical jpeg settings for rendering your video as m-jpg... I really don't think it would do it though. I have the same question that you posed - and I don't know the right answer. The best thing to do is figure out exactly how the frames are stored in a typical Canon made avi movie (which is mjpg), then use a command line util somebody has written (who, i don't know) that would create a Canon-type avi from a range of stills. Good luck
