§ 11 — Tools / 14Planning● Runs in your browser
Time-lapse calculator
Plan a time-lapse from interval, shooting time and clip length, with the frame count and the card space the sequence will need.
All tools- Interval between frames
- 40 s960× faster than real time
- Frames to shoot
- 360At 24 fps
- Storage
- 9.0 GBExample file size × frames
- Longest shutter
- 39 sInterval minus write time
| Subject | Interval |
|---|---|
| Traffic, crowds, people walking | 1–2 s |
| Fast clouds | 2–5 s |
| Slow clouds, sun and shadows moving | 5–15 s |
| Night sky and stars | Shutter time + 1–3 s |
| Construction, flowers opening, melting ice | 30 s–10 min |
How it works
The method behind the numbers.
A time-lapse is a stack of still frames played at a normal video rate. Three numbers tie together: how long you shoot, how often you press, and how long the finished clip runs. Fix any two and the third follows.
frames = clip length × frame rate
shoot time = frames × interval
speed-up = shoot time ÷ clip length- Frames are whole numbers, so the figure you solve for is rounded to match. Add a few spare minutes of shooting: you will want handles to trim.
- Storage is frames × the file size you enter. The 25 MB default is only an example; use the size of your own files, raw or JPEG.
- The camera must finish writing one frame before the next trigger. As a rule, the exposure plus the write time has to fit inside the interval, so the longest shutter is the interval minus the write time. The 1 s write time is an example; check your camera and card.
- Many shooters set the shutter near half the interval so moving subjects blur smoothly rather than stutter. That is a convention, not a requirement.
- The interval list is a set of common starting points. Test a short sequence and adjust to how fast your scene really moves.
- Allow for the battery and the card: a long sequence needs both, or an external power source.