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Difference between Time Lapse and Hyperlapse

Liza Brown
Liza Brown Originally published Nov 14, 22, updated Dec 10, 24

You've probably heard the terms "hyperlapse" and "timelapse" before. Whether it was in a blog post, a how-to guide, or on your preferred social media platform. Each of us has seen at least one image of one of them. However, what makes a difference? You're about to learn in this article!

With that said, let's begin!

In this article
  1. What is a timelapse, and how is it used?
  2. What is a hyperlapse?
  3. What differentiates them from each other?
  4. Motion control timelapse
  5. Extra Info: Best Time Lapse Video Maker – Filmora

Part 1. What is a timelapse, and how is it used?

Timelapses are familiar to you, whether they were used in a series to demonstrate a swift change from night today or at the beginning of your favorite influencer's vlog. But exactly what is it? The term "timelapse" refers to a photography method in which static images are stitched together to produce a time-warping video. When the video is played, the time seems to pass more quickly, creating the illusion that time is slipping away.

Put your camera in a fixed position, stop it from moving, panning, or tilting, then record for a long time to make your own timelapse. This period of time could last for five minutes, an hour, days, or even years. Once the film is gathered, all that's left to do is speed everything up.

The fact that time-lapses make for a pleasant visual effect is what makes them so popular in Vlogs and other media. This method enables you to describe the passage of time, the movement of individuals through space, etc. utilizes time-lapse.

car light timelapse video

Part 2. What is a hyperlapse?

On the other side, there are these things that we refer to as hyperlapses. In the subgenre of time-lapse photography known as cinematography, a hyperlapse is a filmmaking method used to generate motion shots by capturing movies rather than taking images. In order to create a hyperlapse, the camera does not remain stationary; rather, it follows the subject around and is typically held by the photographer.

The amount of time that elapses between pictures in a stop-motion video typically ranges from tenths of a second up to a few fractions of a second, although this can change significantly depending on what you want to show. However, after you have picked it, it must remain consistent in the same way that the timelapse does.

The attractive 3D look that hyperlapse produces is the primary draw for its utilization. The hyperlapse that is formed can produce a dreamy image, regardless of whether the camera is attached to a moving vehicle or is mounted on a tripod that is moving towards its target.

Additionally, you may use this approach to make stunning photographs with motion blur by employing long exposures. In most cases, the final image will be stabilized in post-production in order to eliminate some of the flaws that may have been captured in the original photo.

hyperlapse sky video

Part 3. What differentiates them from each other?

The movement of the camera is what differentiates these two approaches the most from one another. When capturing a time lapse, the camera is kept relatively still and in the same position throughout. In addition, when you use a hyperlapse, the camera is continuously moving, which creates a 3D appearance in the image.

You could be scratching your head right about now, wondering when you should employ one of the two methods. If your subject is moving, you should take a time-lapse photograph; if the camera is moving, you should take a hyperlapse photograph. This question has a relatively straightforward answer.

The act of recording video for a hyperlapse can cause your storage to be filled up really rapidly. Therefore, you may wish to swap between the two methods depending on the length of time that you want to shoot for. If you are going to be filming for a significant amount of time, you should consider using a timelapse.

It is simple to determine the timelapse interval if you already know these answers. Choose the video's final frame rate. It may be 24, 25, or 30 fps. You shouldn't select more quickly. Choose the option that best fits your audience and location. Additionally, a time-lapse calculator is available.

The shoot time should then be converted to seconds. For instance, two hours are equal to 2 x 60 x 60 seconds, or 7200 seconds. Determine how many frames are required for your chosen timelapse now. For instance, the final product should be 30 seconds of 25fps video. You'll need to capture 750 frames in total because 30 x 25 is 750.

Divide the time (7200s in this case) by the number of frames to obtain the interval (750). You can round up the result, which is 9.6, which is pretty near to 10 seconds. Therefore, in our case, your interval should be set to 10s.

Part 4. Motion control timelapse

Now that we understand how the timelapse images that are static are created, we are able to incorporate some movement into the shots that are static. Moving the camera around during a timelapse is much more difficult than it appears to be in the video. Every movement of the camera is slowed down when using slow motion, which means that you can make even a shaky handheld movie look good when using slow motion. The situation is completely reversed while viewing a timelapse.

Because every movement of the camera is sped up, shooting with the handheld mode is nearly impossible. If you want the camera to appear to be moving slowly in the final timelapse, you will need to move it very slowly while shooting in order to achieve this effect.

For this reason, we will need to make use of motion control devices in order to accomplish our goal. Therefore, we refer to these kinds of photos as motion control timelapses. The camera can be moved very slowly and accurately along one, two, or all three axes using motors that are controlled electronically. The three-axis systems, which include a slider as well as a pan-tilt head, are by far the most popular.

Extra Info: Best Time Lapse Video Maker – Filmora

To create a time lapse video with cool effects, you can use the best video editor with rich effects – Filmora. This software offers many video speed change settings and creative effects to help make a time lapse video easily. Just download the software on your PC or Mac and then start creating a video on your own.

Conclusion

The finest results can be achieved by utilizing a variety of filmmaking approaches concurrently. Therefore, you shouldn't be afraid to try out new things by combining time-lapse photography with slow motion and video. In addition, make sure you visit the Hyperlapse Academy so you can become familiar with all of the different approaches. Use your imagination, and don't stop firing.

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Liza Brown
Liza Brown Dec 10, 24
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