SmartLapse mode helps you easily create stunning timelapses. We like to say "Go have a cup of coffee, we'll handle it from here." You set up your gear, compose your shot, and with one tap on your phone, let Arsenal do the rest.
Arsenal's SmartLapse manages exposure settings, the number of shots, and the interval between shots. It changes the duration as more photos are shot and produce a video of approximately 10 seconds. The Arsenal starts out with a fast shutter speed, then as the number of shots increases, it drops every other frame and doubles the interval. This makes for a quick and simple timelapse experience with no post work needed.
Get ready to shoot a SmartLapse
Before shooting, always make sure that:
The camera is powered on
The Arsenal is powered on
The camera is connected via USB cable to Arsenal’s left port (unless you have a Sony camera that connects via WiFi)
Camera is set to Manual Mode
Switch to the Timelapse screen
Open the Arsenal app and swipe the mode slider at the very bottom of the screen to Timelapse.
Enable Live View
Tap the Live View icon in the upper right corner of the app. A live preview from your camera will appear on screen. While SmartLapse is shooting, you will see a preview of the SmartLapse in the live view screen. You can hit the play button to review the video.
Compose Your Shot
Place your camera and tripod to compose your shot. When getting started, we recommend having a subject in the foreground so you can test Arsenal’s various features.
Tap to Focus
To select a focus point, simply tap on the Live View image. A target will show the point you selected, and turn green once focused.
To switch focus modes, tap the square focus icon in the upper right corner.
Trigger the Shutter
Press the shutter release button at the bottom of the screen to take a photo. Arsenal will trigger your camera’s shutter from up to 100 feet away.
Start and stop your SmartLapse
To start your SmartLapse, tap the shutter button once. Arsenal will shoot until you tell it to stop. To stop the SmartLapse, tap the shutter button in the app again.
Share or Save your "SmartLapse"
Your finished timelapse will be available in the Arsenal gallery. Click on the thumbnail in the lower right-hand corner to access the gallery. Click on the image that shows a “clock movie icon” in the lower-left corner to view and share your created timelapse. Click the share button to save or share your video to social media. To save your timelapse to your phone automatically, navigate to the Settings screen and turn on the “Save to Phone” feature and select “Timelapses”.
Please note: The timelapse preview video that Arsenal creates is cached in temp storage and displayed in the Arsenal Gallery in the app. We recommend automatically saving the timelapse preview to your phone or sharing/saving the video from the Arsenal gallery once the video has been completed.
Check out this in-depth video for best shooting practices for timelapse with Arsenal!
Are you using a Slider to shoot your timelapse? Arsenal offers this for many of our supported cameras. You can learn more here: Getting started with a Slider for Timelapse
Learn more
Check out our other timelapse articles at: