topic EOS Rebel SL2 Unable to get shutter speed slower than 1/30 for time lapse in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS Rebel SL2 Unable to get shutter speed slower than 1/30 for time lapse

AlexisLem — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 13:19:09 GMT

Hi,

I want to make a Time Lapse with long exposure on my Canon SL2 and I know that it's work on others Canon DSLR, but I have not been able to get an exposure lower than 1/30 in the Time Lapse mode. So I would want to know if I'm doing something wrong or that's just how the camera is made.
If it's really impossible to get it lower than 1/30 due to a software restriction, I would want to know how to send a request feature to Canon.

Thanks

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

kvbarkley — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 14:45:07 GMT

Get an intervalometer and you won't be limited by the camera at all.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

ebiggs1 — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 15:05:16 GMT

" I would want to know how to send a request feature to Canon"

This is a public forum so Canon won't know you made such a request here. As of the SL2, I doubt any feaure additions will be made especially since the SL3 is out.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

Waddizzle — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 01:49:53 GMT

@AlexisLem wrote:
Hi,
I want to make a Time Lapse with long exposure on my Canon SL2 and I know that it's work on others Canon DSLR, but I have not been able to get an exposure lower than 1/30 in the Time Lapse mode. So I would want to know if I'm doing something wrong or that's just how the camera is made.
If it's really impossible to get it lower than 1/30 due to a software restriction, I would want to know how to send a request feature to Canon.

Thanks

What shooting mode are you using on the shooting mode dial. Your description sounds like Safety Shift is kicking in. You probably want to use M mode for time lapse photos.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

kvbarkley — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 13:12:07 GMT

There is no "Safety Shift" on entry level cameras.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

AlexisLem — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 20:53:40 GMT

For clarification I'm using the built-in time lapse mode.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

kvbarkley — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 21:26:16 GMT

It could have something to do with the "ALL-I" format, but I can't get much info on it.

The following is total WAG:

It looks like the ALL-I exposes each frame as if it was just taking a regular movie, not as a series of individual frames. Because of this, the exposure time is limited to that allowed by a movie shot with the ALL-I, resolution and framerate parameters.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

davidnholt — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 02:47:02 GMT

I am having the same problem. Has anyone found a solution or sent a request feature to Canon?

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

kvbarkley — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 13:58:33 GMT

Just get an intervalometer and be done with it.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

Waddizzle — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 22:30:23 GMT

@davidnholt wrote:
I am having the same problem. Has anyone found a solution or sent a request feature to Canon?

Just what exactly is the problem? A time-lapse movie grabs a frame of video at regular /intervals, which the user presets.

What end result are you looking to do? There is a world difference between a time-lapse exposure and a long exposure.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

davidnholt — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 03:10:09 GMT

I would like to take a time lapse video of stars at night, so I need to be able to open the shutter for twenty seconds or so at regualar intervals. In time lapse mode, the camera will not allow a shutter speed less that the recording frame rate per second. Of course this makes sense for video, but is a needless restriction for time lapse video, which is merely multiple stills over an extended period of time.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

Waddizzle — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 17:03:19 GMT

Make sure your interval is longer than your shutter speed.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

davidnholt — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 20:14:28 GMT

I set the time lapse interval to take one shot every hour, and I still can't get the shutter open longer than a 30th of a second.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

kvbarkley — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 21:45:23 GMT

My advice still stands.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

Waddizzle — Sat, 26 Oct 2019 01:08:27 GMT

@kvbarkley wrote:
My advice still stands.

According to the instruction manual the exposure is automatic in time-lapse mode. But, I fail to see how that makes a difference if you set the camera to Manual exposure. I guess I need to test it with an actual camera.

Using a remote shutter switch works, too. After focusing the camera, set the lens to MF and the camera to Continuous Drive mode shooting. Lock the shutter [ON] on the remote shutter switch, and fire away. This type of operation will continue until you unlock the shutter button on the remote switch. You will need to build the movie from the individual frames in a computer.

Be aware that this can be a lot of wear and tear on some cameras. The image sensor may begin to overheat. Using an Intervalometer allows you to space out the shots over more time, which allows the sensor to rest and cool off. Once again, you would need to build the movie in a computer when using an intervalometer.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

kvbarkley — Sat, 26 Oct 2019 13:45:26 GMT

Read my reply up above, the camera uses a type of movie format to build a series of movie frames, *not* a series of still images.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

Waddizzle — Sat, 26 Oct 2019 16:03:14 GMT

@kvbarkley wrote:
Read my reply up above, the camera uses a type of movie format to build a series of movie frames, *not* a series of still images.

Right. It seems using time-lapse mode is not going to work with long exposure shutter speeds, apparently. I wired remote shutter or intervalometer and post processing seems to be the only option.

I still do not understand imposing a limitation on shutter speed for a time lapse, though. A slower shutter speed opens the door to shutter angles greater than 360 degrees. The limitation makes sense when shooting video, but not for a time-lapse.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

davidnholt — Sat, 26 Oct 2019 17:47:16 GMT

Thanks for all the input.

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

Blanche29 — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:07:57 GMT

I bought the SL3 specifically to do Time Lapse. Only to find out that it's basically TL for DAYTIME. The Shutter Speed is only set at a default of 1/30 sec, etc.. to enable it to combine shots into a video. I do Astrophotography. Takes "seconds" not 1/30 sec. Had to buy an intervalometer and then let software combine it. Renders the "in camera" TL useless to me. Big disappointment. Seems like that could have been made more clear in the "description" online. Anyway..aside from that $20 purchase and some software wrangling, I absolutely love this camera anyway!

Re: Long exposure Time Lapse with Canon SL2(200D)

ebiggs1 — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:28:06 GMT

You hit on a 6 year old thread.