Plan your time-lapse shoot by calculating the relationship between shooting duration, interval, number of frames, and final video length.
Frames = Duration ÷ Interval. Video length = Frames ÷ FPS. Storage assumes ~25MB per RAW or ~8MB per JPEG.
What interval should I use? It depends on your subject: fast clouds need 1-3 seconds, sunsets 3-5 seconds, stars 15-30 seconds, and slow subjects like plants can use minutes between shots.
How many frames do I need? For smooth motion, aim for at least 10 seconds of video (300 frames at 30fps). Shorter clips can feel abrupt.
How do I avoid flicker? Use manual exposure, manual white balance, and consider aperture flicker (de-clicked aperture or electronic aperture helps).
What about motion blur? For smooth time-lapses, use a shutter speed of about half your interval (e.g., 2-second shutter for 5-second interval).