Timelapse Calculator
Plan your timelapse shoot. Enter your desired video length, frame rate, and interval to calculate how long you need to shoot and how many frames you'll capture.
Results
Total Frames
240frames
Shooting Time
20 min
Storage (RAW)
5.9 GB
Storage (JPEG)
1.9 GB
Recommended Intervals by Subject
| Subject | Interval | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clouds (fast) | 1-3s | Dramatic, fast-moving clouds |
| Clouds (slow) | 5-10s | Gentle, drifting clouds |
| Sunset / Sunrise | 5-10s | Captures color transition |
| Stars / Night Sky | 20-30s | Limited by star trails |
| City Traffic | 1-3s | Car light trails |
| Construction | 5-15min | Long-term projects |
| Plants Growing | 15-30min | Requires days of shooting |
| People / Crowds | 1-2s | Busy street activity |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a timelapse be?
Most timelapses work best at 10-30 seconds. Longer than 60 seconds risks losing viewer attention. For social media, 10-15 seconds is ideal.
What interval should I use?
It depends on how fast your subject moves. Fast clouds: 1-3 seconds. Sunsets: 5-10 seconds. Stars: 20-30 seconds. When in doubt, shoot at a shorter interval — you can always skip frames in post, but you can’t add frames you didn’t capture.
RAW or JPEG for timelapse?
RAW gives more editing flexibility but requires much more storage and processing time. JPEG is fine for most social media timelapses. Use RAW for professional or commercial work where color grading matters.