Time-Lapse Calculator

Plan a time-lapse: enter your shooting duration, interval and playback frame rate to get the number of frames and the final clip length. Calculated in your browser.

Final clip length

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Frames captured-
Clip length (seconds)-

Show the math

Each interval produces one frame; playing them back at the frame rate gives the clip length:

frames = duration ÷ interval  clip = frames ÷ fps

A longer interval captures slower-moving scenes; a shorter interval gives smoother motion but more frames.

Everything is calculated in your browser.

What this does

A time-lapse calculator plans a sequence: enter your shooting duration, interval, and playback frame rate to get the number of frames and the final clip length.

How to use it

  1. Enter the shooting duration.
  2. Set the interval.
  3. Set the playback frame rate.
  4. Read frames and clip length.

How it works

Each interval captures one frame, so frames = duration ÷ interval. Slow scenes suit longer intervals; fast motion needs shorter ones for smoothness, at the cost of more frames.

clip length = (duration ÷ interval) ÷ fps

Understanding your result

The interval is the creative dial: a longer gap suits slow scenes like clouds or sunsets and keeps the frame count manageable, while a shorter gap is needed for faster motion to stay smooth but fills storage quickly. Use the frame count to check your card and battery will last the shoot, and the clip length to confirm the result is the duration you actually want.

Example

2 hours at a 5-second interval is 1,440 frames — a 60-second clip at 24 fps.

Sources & methodology

Last updated .

Frequently asked questions

How is a time-lapse calculated?

Each interval captures one frame, so frames = duration ÷ interval, and the clip length = frames ÷ playback frame rate.

What interval should I use?

Slower scenes (clouds, sunsets) suit longer intervals; fast-moving scenes need a shorter interval for smooth motion, at the cost of more frames.

Is anything uploaded?

No. Everything is calculated in your browser — nothing you enter leaves your device.