Time-Lapse Calculator (Interval, Frames and Clip Length)
Enter how long the event lasts, the shooting interval and the video frame rate.
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Time-Lapse Calculator (Interval, Frames and Clip Length) by TheCalcTools
How the Time-Lapse Calculator (Interval, Frames and Clip Length) works
Photos = event duration ÷ interval (plus the first frame). Clip length = photos ÷ playback frame rate, so each second of video at 25 fps needs 25 photos.
Slow events (clouds, plants) suit longer intervals; fast ones (traffic, crowds) shorter. Shoot in manual exposure to avoid flicker.
The formula
Worked example
Using the default values shown in the calculator:
| Event duration (minutes) | 120 |
|---|---|
| Interval between shots (seconds) | 5 |
| Video frame rate (fps) | 25 |
| File size per photo (MB) | 25 |
| Target clip length (seconds, optional) | 20 |
- 2 hours at one shot every 5 s = 1,441 photos.
- At 25 fps that is a 57.6-second clip using 36.02 GB.
Result:
| Photos taken | 1,441 |
|---|---|
| Clip length (seconds) | 57.6 |
| Speed-up | 125× |
| Storage needed (GB) | 36.02 |
| Interval for the target clip length (seconds) | 14.40 |
Frequently asked questions
What interval for clouds?
Often 2 to 5 seconds. For a sunset lasting an hour, 5 seconds gives 721 frames: about 29 seconds at 25 fps.
Sources and further reading
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