How to Shoot Your First Timelapse with a DSLR and an Intervalometer

A complete beginner's guide — from choosing your subject to exporting a finished video — using any DSLR or mirrorless camera and a Bluetooth intervalometer app.

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DSLR camera on a tripod shooting a city timelapse at sunset, with the Intervalometer app shown on a smartphone

What is timelapse photography?

A timelapse is a video made from a sequence of still photographs taken at regular intervals. When those frames are played back at normal video speed (typically 24–30 frames per second), time appears to move faster than real life. A sunset that takes 30 minutes to unfold can be condensed into a 10-second clip; clouds race across the sky; city streets pulse with the rhythm of rush hour.

Almost any camera that can shoot in manual mode can produce a timelapse. What makes the difference between a shaky, flickering mess and a smooth, professional result is discipline in three areas: planning, camera settings, and shot count.

What does an intervalometer do?

An intervalometer triggers the camera shutter at a fixed interval — for example, once every 5 seconds — for as many frames as you specify. Without one, you would have to press the shutter button by hand hundreds of times. Even a small amount of camera shake per press would ruin the sequence.

Hardware intervalometers plug into the camera's remote port. Bluetooth intervalometer apps like Intervalometer for Canon do the same thing wirelessly from your phone, adding a live view of exposure count and elapsed time. The app controls exposure start and stop without you needing to touch the camera at all, which eliminates vibration at the moment of capture.

Throughout this guide, "intervalometer" refers to any tool — hardware or app — that triggers the shutter at a regular interval.

Gear you need

A camera with manual exposure mode — any DSLR or mirrorless camera works. The more you can lock down exposure settings, the smoother the result.
A sturdy tripod — the single most important piece of gear. Even slight movement between frames creates distracting jumps in the final video. Use a heavy tripod and avoid touching it once you start.
An intervalometer — a hardware remote or a Bluetooth app on your phone.
A fully charged battery (or two) — a 30-minute cloud sequence can consume 300–500 shots. Battery drain is higher than normal shooting because the sensor and processor cycle on and off repeatedly.
A large, fast memory card — shooting RAW produces files of 20–40 MB each. 300 RAW files at 25 MB each = 7.5 GB. Use a card rated UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) or Video Speed Class 30 (V30) or faster.
A lens with image stabilisation turned off — IS/VR systems hunt for motion between frames and introduce flicker. Turn stabilisation off when shooting from a tripod.

Choose an easy first subject

The best subjects for a first timelapse move predictably and at medium speed. Clouds and moving skies are ideal because they change constantly, tolerate a wide range of intervals, and don't require permits or special locations.

Moving clouds (daytime) — start here. Use a 3–5 second interval, and you'll have a finished video in under an hour. The results are almost always pleasing.
Sunset or golden hour — visually rewarding, but the light changes quickly. You'll need to adjust settings partway through, which is a useful skill to practise once you have the basics down.
City traffic or pedestrian crossings — strong motion, easy to find a stable vantage point. Works well with a 1–2 second interval.
Avoid stars as a first subject — astro timelapse requires much longer exposures, very dark skies, and noise management that introduces extra complexity. Get a few daytime results first.

How to plan a timelapse

Before you press any buttons, answer two questions: how long do you want the finished video to be, and how fast should the subject appear to move? The answers determine your interval and total shot count.

The planning formula

Total shots = Video length (seconds) × Frame rate (fps)

Shoot duration = Total shots × Interval (seconds)

Example: You want a 10-second clip at 25 fps, shooting clouds with a 5-second interval.

Total shots = 10 × 25 = 250 shots

Shoot duration = 250 × 5 = 1,250 seconds ≈ 21 minutes

A 21-minute shoot for a 10-second clip is typical. Most interesting timelapse subjects require at least 15–30 minutes of capture time.

Choosing an interval

The interval controls how fast the subject appears to move in the final video. Shorter intervals = slower-looking movement; longer intervals = faster movement.

Subject	Suggested interval
Busy pedestrian scene	1–2 seconds
City traffic	1–3 seconds
Fast-moving clouds	2–4 seconds
Slow-moving clouds	5–10 seconds
Sunset / golden hour	5–10 seconds
Flowers opening	10–60 seconds
Stars	20–30 seconds

Camera settings for daytime timelapse

The most important rule is to shoot in full manual mode (M) with auto ISO off. Any automatic setting will cause the camera to adjust exposure between frames, producing flicker in the final video.

Mode: M (full manual). Never use aperture priority, shutter priority, or auto.
ISO: Set manually. Start with ISO 100–200 outdoors. Do not use Auto ISO.
Aperture: Set manually. Mid-range apertures (f/5.6–f/11) give the sharpest results and minimise focus breathing. Avoid wide-open apertures, which are more sensitive to tiny focus shifts.
Shutter speed: Apply the 180-degree rule — set your shutter speed to roughly double your interval. For a 5-second interval, aim for a 1/2 second or longer exposure. This adds natural motion blur and prevents the strobing effect that plagues timelapse shot with very fast shutters. Use an ND filter if you need a longer exposure in bright conditions.
White balance: Set to a fixed preset (Daylight, Cloudy, etc.). Never use Auto White Balance — it shifts between frames and causes colour flicker.
Autofocus: Use manual focus. Switch the lens to MF, focus carefully on your subject, then leave the focus ring alone.
Image stabilisation: Off. IS systems hunt for motion between frames and cause flicker.
Format: RAW gives you the most flexibility in post. JPEG is fine for a first attempt and produces much smaller files.

Camera settings for night / astro timelapse

Night timelapse follows the same rules — full manual, fixed white balance — but pushes the exposure settings to gather enough light:

ISO: 1600–6400 depending on your camera's high-ISO performance.
Aperture: As wide as your lens allows (f/1.8–f/4).
Shutter speed: Use the 500 rule to avoid star trails — divide 500 by your focal length to get the maximum shutter speed in seconds before stars start to streak. On a full-frame camera with a 24 mm lens: 500 ÷ 24 ≈ 20 seconds.
Interval: Set 2–5 seconds longer than your shutter speed to give the camera time to write each file before the next shot fires.
Noise reduction: Turn off in-camera long-exposure noise reduction. It doubles the effective interval (the camera takes a dark frame after each exposure) and will cause your intervalometer to overlap with the dark frame, producing gaps or errors.

Setting up your intervalometer

Whether you're using a hardware remote or a Bluetooth app, the setup is the same:

Connect the intervalometer to the camera. For a hardware remote, plug in the cable. For a Bluetooth app, pair the app with your camera following your camera model's pairing guide.
Set the interval. Enter the interval you calculated in the planning step. Add 1–2 seconds of buffer beyond your shutter speed to ensure the shutter closes and the file is written before the next trigger fires.
Set the shot count. Enter the total number of shots you calculated, or set the sequence to run indefinitely and stop it manually.
Set exposure time (BULB mode only). If you're shooting in BULB mode for very long exposures, set the exposure duration in the intervalometer. For most daytime timelapse, use the camera's own shutter speed setting and set the app to "trigger" mode.
Start the sequence. Press start and walk away. Avoid touching the tripod or camera until the sequence is complete.

Your first two projects

Here are two complete walkthroughs for beginner-friendly subjects. Follow each step in order before you arrive on location so you can focus on the scene rather than the settings.

Project 1: Cloud timelapse (daytime)

Find an open location with a clear view of the sky and a stable foreground — a hilltop, rooftop, or open field works well.
Set up your tripod firmly. Extend the legs fully, lock all joints, and press down on the centre column to check for wobble.
Compose the shot. Include some land or buildings at the bottom third of the frame — pure sky sequences are less engaging than those with a grounded foreground.
Set camera to M mode, ISO 200, aperture f/8, white balance Daylight. Take a test shot and adjust shutter speed until the histogram is well-exposed with no blown-out highlights.
Switch to manual focus, focus on the horizon, and tape the focus ring in place if possible.
Turn image stabilisation off.
Connect your intervalometer. Set interval to 5 seconds, shot count to 300 (= 12 seconds of video at 25 fps).
Press start. The shoot will take 25 minutes. Step back and don't touch the tripod.
Import the images, compile in your video editor at 25 fps, and export.

Project 2: City traffic timelapse

Find an elevated vantage point overlooking a road or intersection — a bridge, car park roof, or upstairs window.
Set up the tripod so the camera can't be knocked by passing pedestrians.
Compose with leading lines — roads naturally draw the eye into the frame. Include traffic lights or crossings for maximum movement interest.
Set camera to M mode, ISO 200, aperture f/8, white balance Cloudy (or match the ambient light). Apply the 180-degree rule: for a 2-second interval, aim for a 1-second shutter speed. Use an ND filter to achieve this in bright conditions.
Set intervalometer to 2 seconds interval, 500 shots (= 20 seconds of video at 25 fps).
Shoot during rush hour (07:30–09:00 or 17:00–19:00) for the densest traffic.
Compile at 25 fps and trim to taste. The motion blur from the 1-second exposure gives vehicles a smooth, flowing appearance.

Common beginner mistakes

Shooting with Auto ISO or Auto White Balance. These settings adjust between frames and cause visible flicker. Always lock both manually before starting.
Too short an interval for the subject. A 1-second interval on slow-drifting clouds produces a video that looks barely different from real time. Multiply your planned interval by 2 and see if the movement speed still looks right.
Interval shorter than shutter speed. If your shutter speed is 2 seconds and your interval is also 2 seconds, the camera has no time to write the file between shots. Add at least 1–2 seconds of buffer.
Touching the tripod mid-sequence. Even a gentle tap will produce a visible jump in the final video. Use a Bluetooth intervalometer app so you never need to reach for the camera once shooting starts.
Running out of battery. Test your battery life before committing to a long sequence. Keep a spare battery ready. Disable Wi-Fi and in-camera features you don't need to extend battery life.
Not enough frames. A 50-shot sequence makes a 2-second video — barely enough to share. Aim for at least 200–300 shots (8–12 seconds at 25 fps) so you have room to trim and the sequence feels complete.

Post-processing workflow

Once you have your sequence of images, the editing process has three stages:

Cull and grade the stills. Import into Lightroom, Capture One, or darktable. Apply a single set of edits (exposure, white balance, colour grade) to the first image, then synchronise those settings across all frames. Do not apply different edits to different frames, or you will introduce flicker.
Deflicker (optional but recommended). Even with fixed manual settings, subtle lens aperture changes can cause brightness variations between frames. Tools like LRTimelapse or the Deflicker plugin for After Effects smooth these out automatically. For a first project, try without deflickering and see if it's needed.
Compile and export. Import the image sequence into your video editor (Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, or even free tools like kdenlive). Set the sequence frame rate to 25 fps (or 24 fps for a cinematic look). Export at your target resolution — 4K if your camera supports it, otherwise 1080p. Add a slow ramp at the start and end using the editor's speed/ramp tools if the sequence starts or ends abruptly.

Ready to shoot your first timelapse?

Intervalometer for Canon gives you a wireless Bluetooth remote and intervalometer in one app — no cables, no touching the camera, no vibration. Set your interval, shot count, and exposure, then let the app run the sequence while you watch it unfold.

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