Bitluni’s $6 Time-Lapse Camera
The YouTuber shows how to use the inexpensive ESP32 camera to record time-lapse footage, all controllable from a web interface.
Bitluni enjoys capturing time-lapses on occasion, but dedicating his main camera to this pursuit for long periods isn’t possible. What he — and perhaps you — needs is a cheap-o camera that can take pictures at a configurable time period, and as it just so happens, the $6 ESP32-CAM can function as just such a device.
In a new video, Bituni goes through how to set one up to record footage at pre-defined intervals, modifying code into what he needs from its example web interface. Details on how to duplicate the hack, including code are found on his website. The only real hardware modification here is that you'll need to cover up the LED flash, as it shares a data pin with the SD card interface. This is quickly remedied with a piece of electrical tape, though some creative solder work might also do the job.
With image data collected, it’s just a matter of stitching things together with FFMPEG or other video editing software. A few of the resulting time-lapses can be seen in the clip below. Bitluni notes that it’s about what you would expect from a sub-$6 camera, and that you might be better off with an old phone. On the other hand, while macro and landscape shots aren’t great, garden footage taken from a ½ meter distance is quite entertaining. “The plants are clearly alive.”