Time Lapse Calculator
Enter how long the real event lasts, how long you want the final video to be, and your playback frame rate to get the correct shooting interval.
What this calculator does
The Time Lapse Calculator works out how frequently to take a photo (the shooting interval) to compress a long real-world event into a short, smooth video of a chosen length.
How the calculation works
The total number of frames (shots) needed equals the desired video length in seconds multiplied by the playback frame rate, since each second of finished video needs that many individual photos. The shooting interval is then the total real-world duration of the event divided by the total number of shots: interval = real duration ÷ (video length × playback fps). A longer interval means fewer, more widely spaced shots, while a shorter interval captures more detail but requires more shots and storage.
This is a general photography planning tool. Battery life, memory card capacity, and subject movement should also be considered when setting up an actual time-lapse shoot.