Time-lapse Calculator
This time-lapse calculator works out the interval between shots, how many frames you'll capture and how long the finished clip will run — from the length of the event or the clip you want — plus the shutter speed, card space and batteries you'll need.
Know how long you'll shoot and at what interval? See how many frames that makes and how long the clip will run.
Start from the finished clip: how long it should run, and how long the event lasts.
Make sure the card and the batteries last the whole shoot.
How to Use the Time-lapse Calculator
Plan by event
- Enter how long you'll shoot and the interval between frames
- Choose the playback frame rate — 24 or 25 fps for a film look, 30 for web video
- Read the frame count and clip length, and the suggested shutter speed
Plan by clip
- Enter the clip length you want and how long the event lasts
- Set your intervalometer to the interval shown
Storage & power
- Enter the frame count and the size of one file
- Add your card size and battery life to check they'll last
How to Calculate a Time-lapse Interval
Every time-lapse comes down to three numbers: how long the event lasts, how long you want the finished clip to be, and the frame rate it plays at. Fix any two and the third follows.
Time-lapse formulas
Frames needed = clip length × frame rate
Interval = event length ÷ frames needed
Clip length = (event length ÷ interval) ÷ frame rate
Worked example: a 90-minute sunset into a 20-second clip
- Frames needed at 24 fps: 20 × 24 = 480 frames
- Interval: 5,400 seconds ÷ 480 = 11.25 seconds — round to 11 seconds
- Natural motion blur: a shutter speed of around half the interval, about 5 seconds, which needs an ND filter until the light fades
Time-lapse interval chart
The interval to set for a given event length and finished clip, at 24 frames per second. For 30 fps, multiply by 0.8; for 25 fps, by 0.96.
| Event length | 10-second clip | 20-second clip | 30-second clip | 60-second clip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | 7.5 s | 3.8 s | 2.5 s | 1.3 s |
| 1 hour | 15 s | 7.5 s | 5 s | 2.5 s |
| 2 hours | 30 s | 15 s | 10 s | 5 s |
| 4 hours | 60 s | 30 s | 20 s | 10 s |
| 8 hours | 120 s | 60 s | 40 s | 20 s |
Understanding Time-lapse
A time-lapse squeezes minutes or hours into seconds. Three numbers decide how it looks.
Interval
The time between frames. Shorter intervals give smoother, slower motion; longer ones speed things up and cover longer events in fewer frames.
Speed-up = interval × frame rate. A 5-second interval at 24 fps runs 120 times faster than real life.
Interval Guide
- Fast traffic, crowds: 1 s
- Moving clouds: 2–5 s
- Sunset or sunrise: 3–5 s
- Slow clouds, shadows moving: 5–10 s
- Stars and the Milky Way: 20–30 s
- Flowers opening: 60–300 s
- Construction projects: 600–3600 s
Frame Rate
How many frames play each second. 24 and 25 fps feel cinematic; 30 fps is standard for web and phones; 60 fps suits very smooth or slowed-down footage but needs twice the frames.
Motion Blur
A shutter speed of about half the interval (the film "180° rule") blurs moving things just enough to look natural. Very short shutter speeds make motion look jerky.
In daylight that usually means an ND filter.
Flicker
Small changes in exposure from frame to frame show up as flicker. Lock everything: manual exposure, manual focus, fixed white balance, and a fixed aperture.
For sunsets, shoot RAW and ramp exposure smoothly in software ("holy grail" time-lapse).
Planning the Frame
Time-lapse is usually delivered at 16:9. Leave room at the top and bottom of a 3:2 frame for the crop, and shoot at a resolution comfortably above your video's.
Even a 12-megapixel frame is larger than 4K video.
Time-lapse Calculator FAQs
How many photos do I need for a 10-second time-lapse?
Multiply the clip length by the frame rate: 10 seconds at 24 frames per second needs 240 frames, at 30 fps 300 frames. Divide the event's length by that number to get the interval.
What interval should I use for clouds?
Two to five seconds for clouds moving at a normal pace. Fast storm clouds look good at one to two seconds; high, slow clouds at five to ten. The interval guide in Understanding the Concepts lists common subjects.
What is a good interval for a sunset time-lapse?
Three to five seconds while the sun is up, lengthening as the light fades so each frame stays properly exposed. A 90-minute sunset shot at 5-second intervals gives 1,080 frames — a 45-second clip at 24 fps.
What shutter speed should I use for a time-lapse?
Around half the interval gives smooth, natural motion blur — 2.5 seconds for a 5-second interval, which usually needs an ND filter in daylight. Leave at least a second between the end of one exposure and the next shot so the camera can save the file.
Should I shoot RAW or JPEG for time-lapse?
RAW gives far more room to even out exposure and colour changes, especially through sunsets, but fills cards several times faster. The storage tab shows whether your card will cope.
How do I stop flicker in a time-lapse?
Use manual exposure, manual focus and a fixed white balance, and shoot with the lens at a fixed aperture (some cameras let you avoid the aperture closing between frames). Any remaining flicker can be smoothed with deflicker software.