Skip to main content
Calcimator

Time-Lapse Interval Calculator

Calculate shooting interval for a target time-lapse output length.

Inputs

min
sec
fps

Results

Shoot Interval

10 sec

Total Frames720
Speed-up Factor240×
Est. Storage (RAW)18 GB
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Real-Time Duration — how many hours or minutes the event actually lasts.
  2. Set Playback Duration in seconds — how long you want the final clip to run.
  3. Input Playback FPS (typically 24 or 30) to define total frame count needed.
  4. Shoot Interval (sec) is how often your camera should fire a frame during the event.
  5. Total Frames confirms you will have enough images for a smooth playback.
  6. Est. Storage (GB) helps you choose a memory card with sufficient capacity.

How the result changes with Output Length

Output LengthShoot Interval
614.92 sec
2111.42 sec
3900.77 sec
5400.56 sec

What each input means

Event Duration
Real-world duration of the event to capture.
Output Length
Desired length of the final time-lapse video.
Output Frame Rate
Playback frame rate of the final video.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Event Duration = 120, Output Length = 30, Output Frame Rate = 24 = 3 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Shoot Interval
    Shoot Interval
    10 = 10
  3. Calculate Total Frames
    Total Frames
    720 = 720
  4. Calculate Speed-up Factor
    Speed-up Factor
    240 = 240

Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests how we verify calculators.

The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.

More in Creative, Media & Design.