Magic Lantern Slow Bracketing

[Ryaninja]

Hi, I've had a bit of a search around, and while there are a couple of posts out there that talk about my issue, none seem to offer a solution.

I'm trying to create a HDR timelapse using the intervalometer and the bracketing features in ML on a 500D (firmware 1.1.1).  The camera is set to manual mode, with as many auto features turned off as possible, manual focus and image stabilisation off (I'm using a tripod). 

Ignoring the intervalometer for a second, I set ML bracketing to take 3 shots: 0, +2, -2.  My problem is that ML seems to take the shots quite slowly in comparison to Canon's AEB.  There's a definite pause between the shots with ML, but the canon bracketing takes 3 very fast photos in a row.  All the shot/photo settings are the same, the only difference is the bracketing system.

I've tried playing with all  the settings I can find in the granular menu (such as turning off the post scripts) of ML's bracketing but just can't speed up the time between shots., I've also tried getting the intervalometer to use the canon bracketing instead of ML's, but instead of taking three shots each time the intervalmoter fires, it simply takes the first exposure, then waits for the countdown and takes the +2 exposure, etc, etc.

Does anyone know what I can do to speed up ML's bracketing, or alternatively provide some instructions to exactly how to get the intervelometer to work with canon's bracketing?  I've tried setting the bracketing up before the intervalometer and vice versa, turning on and off continuous shooting in the in the canon menu, but no matter what I do I can never seem to get ML to get canon's bracketing to work properly with the intervelometer, and it's own bracketing is too slow for my needs.

Any ideas?

Thanks! 

[Marsu42]

Ignoring the intervalometer for a second, I set ML bracketing to take 3 shots: 0, +2, -2.  My problem is that ML seems to take the shots quite slowly in comparison to Canon's AEB.

Ml's bracketing is slower than Canon's (I guess esp. on the faster 60d), but not by that much. Try m mode, that should be the setting w/o anything else interfering to see max ml speed. Once I had a problem that 5+ bracketing was slow because ml took a pause after each 2 shots, but that's been solved in the meantime.

[Ryaninja]

Hi Marsu, thanks a lot for the reply! 

Is the m mode you talk about the manual setting on the camera?  Because as mentioned in my original post, the camera is already on manual mode (dial turned to M).  It really is considerably slower to bracket using ML than canon's bracketing.  I think from other posts I've found (none with a solution or explanation as to why this is happening) that Canon's bracketing is using continuous high speed whereas the ML bracketing is simply using continuous shot.

I'd go so far to say that all three shots in the canon bracketing are done in the same time it takes to do one using ML's bracketing.  It's just too slow to use ML bracketing for HDR shots in fast moving scenes.  If only the intervelometer worked with canon's bracketing.

I have a timer remote coming and I'll be able to use the intervalometer on that, hopefully it will work with the canon bracketing, but my issue is still a problem on ML and I'd rather use ML than an external timer remote so if anyone can offer up a solution (or at least an explanation as to why ML brackets are slower) I'd really appreciate it!

[Ryaninja]

So I guess by the lack of replies that there's something wrong with Magic Lantern's bracketing system or nobody has any idea?    I can't believe nobody else has the same issue, it's such a basic problem!

[nanomad]

If i remember correctly a fix has been pushed to the repository so that ML uses High speed continuous shooting.

edit: looks like that's available on the 60D only

[Ryaninja]

Arg, that's just my luck!  Ah well, thanks for the reply nanomad, at least I know that it's not some hidden setting in ML and is actually a bug!  Hopefully it'll be fixed in the future.  Guess it's time to hit ebay for a intervalometer, just hope they work with bracketing!

[Francis]

It won't work with ML bracketing since it is triggered by a single shutter push and will take just as long as using the built in intervalometer. If you want more than a 3 shot bracket you are stuck with the ML speed. Not a bug, just a limitation.

[Ryaninja]

So there's absolutely no way to take do HDR time lapses on a 500D without actually sitting there and taking all the photos manually in canon's bracketing mode?  It's not so much the fact I want more than three exposures - three is fine, but ML's intervalometer doesn't work with the canon bracketing because of the fact you have to hold the shutter button down to use the continuous shooting and take three shots, but the time between shots on MLs bracketing is simply too slow for my needs so this is quite a limitation... 

Unless there's a menu in ML that lets you simulate how long the shutter button is pressed for?  It would be awesome if you could tell ML to press the shutter button for a whole second in which time it could use the canon bracketing to take three shots for HDR, and then the invalometer would be set to fire every 2 seconds, so it would wait a second and then start the bracketing again.  Is there such a feature?

If not, I'll have to go back to the old school way of doing things I guess! 

[discocalculi]

I've some similar findings as the original problem posted:

* The Magic Lantern Bracketing takes a bit longer to perform than compared to the Canon firmware. 3 different exposures, 3 different shutter settings. Full iso control has not been able to boost speeds.

* I've also noticed that Bracketing speed differs substantially compared between my 5D2 (slower) to my 550D (faster). No matter what setting, the 550D always performed faster than the 5D2 for some reason unknown.

I've been running the latest builds and also tried the nightly builds but found similar results.

[ivanatora]

I also noticed this odd thing.
I have high-speed continuous drive on 50D, mapped with AEB on C1 mode. Bracketing is almost instant. 3 shots are done withing half a second.
With ML it seems it is always using single shot drive. I get image preview after each shot (even if I disable preview from the Canon menu). 3 shots are done for about 10 seconds.
It will be great if ML can use HS CD for faster hand-held brackets.