Time-Lapse Storage Calculator

Enter your interval, shooting time, and file size per photo. You will see the total storage needed and how long you can shoot on your memory card. Clip length and interval together live on the time lapse photography calculator.

How it is calculated

Photos = shooting time (seconds) ÷ interval, rounded to the nearest whole photo. Storage = photos × MB per photo ÷ 1,000. One GB is 1,000 MB, the same decimal labeling used on memory cards. Real usable space is a little less than the label, so keep a 5–10% buffer. Some apps count in binary units and show a smaller number: 36 GB here (36,000,000,000 bytes) is about 33.53 GiB there.

Finding your file size

File size depends on the camera, resolution, format (RAW or JPEG), and scene detail. Do not guess from a chart. Take a few test shots of the actual scene and check their size on the camera or computer. RAW files from high-resolution cameras are much larger than JPEGs.

Example

3 hours at a 5 s interval = 2,160 photos. At 25 MB each that is 54 GB, so a 64 GB card works with room to spare.

Frequently asked questions

How much storage does a time-lapse need?

Multiply the number of photos by the file size of one photo. 1,000 photos at 25 MB each need 25 GB, using 1 GB = 1,000 MB.

Why does another app show fewer gigabytes?

This calculator uses decimal gigabytes, the same labeling as memory cards. Apps that count in binary units (1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes) show a smaller number: 36 GB is 36,000,000,000 bytes, which is about 33.53 GiB.

Next: choose your interval or see how many photos you need.