# Time Lapse Calculator

Plan your time-lapse shoot. Calculate capture interval, total frames, playback duration, and storage requirements from shoot duration and frame rate.

## What this calculates

Planning a time-lapse video? Enter your shooting duration, capture interval, and playback frame rate to see how many frames you will capture, how long the final video will be, and how much storage you need. Takes the guesswork out of time-lapse math.

## Inputs

- **Shooting Duration** — min 1 — How long you will shoot in real time
- **Duration Unit** — options: Seconds, Minutes, Hours
- **Capture Interval** (seconds) — min 0.1, max 3600 — Time between each photo (e.g. 5 seconds = 1 photo every 5 seconds)
- **Playback Frame Rate** — options: 24 fps (cinema), 25 fps (PAL), 30 fps (NTSC), 60 fps (smooth)
- **Photo Resolution** — options: 12 MP (~5 MB/photo), 24 MP (~10 MB/photo), 36 MP (~15 MB/photo), 45 MP (~20 MB/photo), 61 MP (~25 MB/photo) — Approximate file size per photo in RAW format

## Outputs

- **Total Frames**
- **Video Duration** — formatted as text — Length of final time-lapse video
- **Speed Multiplier** — formatted as text — How much faster than real time
- **Storage Needed (RAW)** — formatted as text — Estimated card space for RAW files
- **Storage Needed (JPEG)** — formatted as text
- **Shooting Time** — formatted as text

## Details

The basic time-lapse formula:

Total Frames = Shooting Duration / Interval

Video Duration = Total Frames / Playback FPS

Recommended intervals for common subjects:

  - Fast-moving clouds: 1-3 seconds

  - Slow clouds / sunsets: 5-10 seconds

  - City traffic: 2-5 seconds

  - Stars / Milky Way: 15-30 seconds

  - Plants growing: 5-15 minutes

  - Construction projects: 5-30 minutes

  - Flower blooming: 1-5 minutes

Tips for great time-lapses:

  - Shoot more frames than you think you need. You can always speed up in editing, but you cannot add missing frames.

  - Use manual exposure, focus, and white balance so settings do not shift between frames.

  - A sturdy tripod is essential. Any movement between frames causes jitter.

  - Bring extra batteries. A 2-hour time-lapse at 5-second intervals is 1,440 photos, which can drain a battery.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What frame rate should I use for playback?**

A: 24 fps gives a cinematic look and is the most common for time-lapse. 30 fps is standard for web video. 60 fps looks very smooth but requires more frames, so your shooting session needs to be longer or your interval shorter. For most time-lapses, 24 or 30 fps works great.

**Q: How long should a time-lapse video be?**

A: For social media, 10-30 seconds is ideal. For YouTube or presentations, 30 seconds to 2 minutes works well. Audiences lose interest quickly with time-lapses, so shorter is usually better. Work backward from your desired video length to figure out how long to shoot.

**Q: Should I shoot RAW or JPEG for time-lapse?**

A: RAW gives you more editing flexibility (especially for exposure correction and white balance) but uses 3-4 times more storage. If storage is limited and you have nailed your exposure, JPEG is fine. For critical projects or tricky lighting (sunsets, day-to-night), shoot RAW.

**Q: How many photos will drain my camera battery?**

A: Most modern mirrorless cameras get 300-500 photos per battery, and DSLRs get 500-1000+. A 2-hour time-lapse at 5-second intervals produces 1,440 photos. Bring at least 2 fully charged batteries, or use an AC adapter for shoots over an hour.

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Source: https://vastcalc.com/calculators/everyday/time-lapse
Category: Everyday Life
Last updated: 2026-04-08