Video production offers lots of fun effects to play with, but time-lapse is one of the most interesting. Today, you do not even have to buy a camera with the right features. Your smartphone can take care of everything.
Take a look at our list of the best time-lapse camera apps for Android below. They all create the same effect, but some offer their own interesting features. Explore your options and decide which one is the right choice for you.
1. Drop it
Lapse It is a powerful and straightforward camera app for time-lapse projects. Your main options when launching the app are yours Settings, Galleryand The Capture buttons, which contain several additional tools.
When you are ready to grab new shots, you can quickly select your time-lapse image range, resolution, color effects, white balance, mode, and more. Once you have captured what you want, you can edit it on the spot or from the gallery.
Aside from trimming, adding effects and time stamping, you can provide your time-lapse background music. If you create a profile, you can also share your creations and see what other users have done.
Keep in mind that some features require the Pro version, but even in its free form, the Lapse It is a very useful time-lapse camera that can be tailored to your artistic preferences.
Fetch: Lapse It (free, in-app purchase available)
2. Time Lapse Camera
Another great mobile app to consider is Time Lapse Camera. The first benefit is that you can use the app in two ways:
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Photo lapse, where you, for example, take one picture a day and end up with a sequence.
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Video lapse, which compresses filmed images into a fast-motion video.
While both modes have adjustable settings, the latter has more to talk about, including a timer, a maximum duration feature, filters and night vision along with your typical resolution and frame rate. Time Lapse Camera also offers you a profile and a community to interact with, as well as additional tools and benefits if you upgrade to a premium membership.
When you do not want the hassle of specialized equipment, even if it involves a low-budget time-lapse project, this is the kind of multifunctional app you can turn to.
Fetch: Time Lapse camera (free, in-app purchase available)
3. PicPac
The best time-lapse apps available give you more than just a camera. PicPac is one such mobile platform that comes with a lot of tools to support your projects. It does not have the most attractive or user-friendly layout, but once you have mastered what your options are and how to use them, PicPac is easy to love, especially if you invest in its Pro features.
To begin with, you can grab videos from your device and split them into still images for your time-lapse. PicPac is pretty straightforward when it comes to time-lapse standard videos. Alternatively, you can combine images into one sequence.
For fresh shots, just turn on the app’s camera and adjust its settings. Among other features, you can record sound, focus manually or automatically, and activate attenuation to save battery power.
Once the recording is complete, PicPac takes you to the editor so you can make changes and view the result before sharing or saving it. Premium content to look forward to includes the ability to draw photos and generate videos with a resolution of over 360p.
Fetch: PicPac (free, in-app purchase available)
4. Superlapse – Time Lapse camera
If you prefer simplicity and free tools, Superlapse is a great choice. The app immediately opens the camera and switches to landscape orientation. From there, you can just capture your time-lapse shots or adjust the settings, including resolution, shooting duration and brightness.
As soon as you stop recording, Superlapse lets you share your time-lapse video on any popular platform, including your files, Google Drive, or email address. There are no editing options – you just film and go.
Fetch: Superlapse – Time Lapse Camera (Free)
5. Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile
Here is another very simple time-lapse camera app, this time with permission from Microsoft. When you start Hyperlapse, you get two options: upload an existing video or record a new one. Selecting the latter activates the camera and lets you turn it on and off before shooting. After recording, you can adjust the frame rates to speed up the video.
When you are done, you can split your time-lapse recordings, change its speed again, or start a new recording. That’s all Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile has to offer; a fast, clear and completely free time-lapse camera.
Fetch: Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile (free)
6. Framelapse
Framelapse is also worthwhile for its simple yet effective design. It is best used in landscape orientation while changing settings – it gives you more freedom to tailor your experience. For example, you have a number of effects to choose from when adjusting the white balance and focus mode. You can use 2160p 4K resolution, add a grid, enable video optimization and more.
This is another time-lapse camera app with no editing features. What you record is what you get unless you make changes through another app. Still, be sure to check out Framelapse and what it can do.
Fetch: Framelapse (free, in-app purchases available)
7. Facelapse
There are many creative ways to use the time-lapse technique, such as livestreaming your life with a portable camera. Facelapse goes for something easier, but still special. It makes free time-lapse videos of pictures showing people, whether it’s yourself or others. Although you can use it with different images, some features will not work if the app does not detect faces.
Another problem to keep in mind is that the app does not have a camera tool, so you need to take pictures with your device and upload them to Facelapse. Then the app transforms the collection into a smooth time-lapse.
In terms of settings, you can adjust the video speed, face size, and image order. Once you have saved the project, you have the same sharing and storage options as any other app on this list.
Fetch: Facelapse (free)
8. Time Lapse Camera & Videos
Among the easiest mobile apps for time-lapse projects is Time Lapse Camera & Videos. It gives you the most basic features to set up and record your recordings. The only thing you can adjust is the video duration, picture delay and video quality. After recording, you will find your MP4 files in the gallery, from where you can share or delete them.
Ads are a drawback, but it’s not the worst price to pay for a free and straightforward app like this.
Fetch: Time Lapse Camera and Videos (Free)
Create amazing timelapse projects with these apps
A powerful smartphone is more than capable of recording and editing videos. For special productions, your app store will probably have what you need if this selection of amazing time-lapse camera apps for Android is any indication.
But when you feel the need to optimize a project beyond what a phone can do, make sure you have some reliable websites or software at hand. They do not even have to cost you anything, just time and effort.
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