Timelapse calculator: interval, photo count and video length
Enter how long your scene lasts and how long you want the video: the calculator gives the interval between photos, the photo count and the storage. Or start from the interval and read the final video length.
Result
- Interval
- 4.0 s
- Photos
- 900
- Final video
- 30 s
- Storage
- 3.15 GB
Estimated at about 3.5 MB per full-quality HEIC photo.
The formula behind the calculator
You need three numbers: how long the scene lasts, how long the final video should be, and the frames per second.
- Number of photos = video length × frames per second
- Interval = scene duration ÷ number of photos
Example: a sunset lasts 1 hour and you want a 30 s video at 30 frames per second. That is 30 × 30 = 900 photos, so an interval of 3,600 s ÷ 900 = 4 s. In Interval, those 900 full-quality photos take about 3.15 GB.
How many photos for a 10-second video?
- At 24 frames per second: 240 photos
- At 25 frames per second: 250 photos
- At 30 frames per second: 300 photos
- At 60 frames per second: 600 photos
For a 30 s video, multiply by 3.
When the calculator says no: an interval under 0.5 s
This is the classic trap: aiming for a long video from a short scene. A 10-minute scene for 60 s of video at 30 frames per second needs 1,800 photos, one every 0.33 s. Interval goes down to 0.5 s, not lower.
Three ways out: shorten the video (30 s gives 900 photos, or 0.67 s), lengthen the scene, or lower the frames per second.
Starting points by scene
These are starting points, not rules. Shoot a test of 20 photos before the real session.
- Sunset: 2 to 5 s. The light changes fast, but smoothly.
- Clouds: 1 to 3 s depending on wind speed. The faster they move, the shorter the interval.
- Traffic, crowds: 0.5 to 2 s.
- Building site, plant, a moving shadow: 1 to 10 minutes. The motion is very slow and the session lasts hours.
Lock your settings before you start
A good interval is wasted if the image flickers. Flicker comes from automatic readjustments of ISO, shutter speed and white balance between two photos. Set them by hand, then lock them before you start. Interval’s manual mode does this for ISO, shutter speed, white balance and focus.
What about hyperlapse?
There is no interval to calculate. You take a photo on each tap, moving between shots, and keep the anchor point in the same spot of the frame. Stabilization happens at assembly.