Timelapse Interval Calculator
Determine the ideal interval between shots, total frame count, video clip length, and storage space needed for any timelapse project. Use it before setting up your camera to guarantee smooth footage without running out of card space.
About this calculator
A timelapse compresses a long real-time event into a short video clip by capturing one frame every few seconds or minutes. The shooting interval is: interval (s) = (eventDuration × 60) / (desiredClipLength × frameRate / 60). Here, eventDuration × 60 converts minutes to seconds of real time. desiredClipLength × frameRate / 60 gives the total number of frames needed — dividing by 60 converts the clip length from seconds to minutes, keeping units consistent. For example, if you want a 10-second clip at 24 fps from a 60-minute event, you need 240 frames taken over 3,600 seconds, yielding one shot every 15 seconds. Total storage is simply frameCount × fileSizePerFrame. Choosing the right interval is critical: too long and motion appears jerky; too short and you generate more files than necessary and risk filling your card.
How to use
You want to capture a 2-hour (120-minute) sunset and produce a 15-second clip at 30 fps. Total frames needed = 15 × 30 = 450 frames. Interval = (120 × 60) / (15 × 30 / 60) = 7,200 / 7.5 = 960 seconds — wait, let's re-check using the formula directly: interval = (120 × 60) / (15 × 30 / 60) = 7,200 / 7.5 = 960 s ≈ 16 minutes per shot. If each RAW file is 25 MB, total storage = 450 × 25 = 11,250 MB ≈ 11 GB. You would need at least a 16 GB card and a camera capable of 450 actuations.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose the right timelapse interval for different subjects?
The ideal interval depends on how fast the subject moves. Fast-moving clouds or city traffic work well with 1–3 second intervals, while a slow sunrise may need 10–15 seconds and a blooming flower could require several minutes between shots. A good rule of thumb is to set the interval so that each frame shows a small but perceptible change in the subject. Too short an interval wastes storage and creates files that barely differ; too long an interval produces choppy, strobe-like motion in the final video.
What frame rate should I use when exporting a timelapse video?
The most common export frame rates for timelapse are 24 fps (cinematic feel), 25 fps (PAL standard), and 30 fps (NTSC/web standard). Higher frame rates like 60 fps can make the motion appear smoother but require more captured frames for the same clip length. For social media, 24 or 30 fps is standard and widely compatible. The choice of frame rate directly affects how many photos you need to shoot: more fps means more frames for the same clip duration, which in turn requires a shorter shooting interval or a longer event.
How much storage space does a timelapse sequence typically require?
Storage depends on image format and resolution. A JPEG from a 24 MP camera averages 8–12 MB per file, while a RAW file from the same camera can be 20–35 MB. A 400-frame timelapse in RAW therefore needs 8–14 GB of card space. If you shoot in JPEG you roughly cut storage by 3×, but lose the editing flexibility of RAW. Always add a 20% buffer to your estimate and verify your memory card's write speed is fast enough to handle continuous shooting without buffer overflow.