In hobbyist photography, the interval determines the "speed" of the video. In industrial time-lapse, the interval determines the safety of your data.
Many beginners make the mistake of setting a long interval (e.g., 1 hour) to save battery. The result? They miss the critical moment when the roof truss was lifted or the concrete was poured.
This guide will teach you the "Redundant Capture Strategy" used by professionals to ensure no milestone is ever missed.
🚀 The Golden Rule
Shoot more than you need. It is easy to delete extra photos later. It is impossible to go back in time to take a photo you missed.
1. Recommended Intervals by Construction Phase
Different stages of construction move at different speeds. Your camera settings should adapt.
| Phase | Activity Speed | Recommended Interval |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition / Excavation | Fast (Trucks moving constantly) | 3 - 5 Minutes |
| Structural Steel / Concrete | Medium (Cranes lifting, pouring) | 5 - 10 Minutes |
| Interiors / Finishing | Slow (Changes happen daily) | 15 - 30 Minutes |
| Critical Events (The "Big Lift") | Very Fast (One-time event) | 30 Seconds - 1 Minute |
2. The "Smart Schedule" Approach
A static interval (e.g., "every 10 minutes, 24/7") is wasteful. It fills your storage with thousands of black photos (night) and empty sites (weekends).
The Farpov Intelligent System allows you to program a dynamic schedule:
✅ Workdays (Mon-Fri)
07:00 - 18:00: Shoot every 10 minutes.
Result: Captures all the action.
❌ Nights & Weekends
18:01 - 06:59: Sleep (Hibernate).
Result: Saves 70% of battery and storage.
3. Why "10 Minutes" is the Industry Standard
For 90% of long-term construction projects, 10 minutes is the magic number. Here is why:
Smoothness: At 30fps video playback, a 10-minute interval turns one 8-hour workday into 1.6 seconds of video. This is fast enough to show progress but slow enough to see the building grow.
Data Management: It generates ~60 photos per day. Over 2 years, that's ~43,000 photos. This is manageable for modern cloud systems like Farpov.
Battery Safety: Even with a few cloudy days, a solar-powered Farpov system can easily sustain a 10-minute interval.
Set it to 10 minutes, and let the system do the rest.
4. Handling Special Events
Sometimes, you need to break the rules. If there is a VIP Site Visit or a Bridge Installation, you can remotely change the interval.
With the Farpov Cloud App, you can log in from your phone, switch the interval to 30 seconds for the duration of the event, and then switch it back to 10 minutes when it's done. No need to climb the pole.
Conclusion
Don't guess your interval. Use the 10-minute standard for general construction, and tighten it to 3-5 minutes for fast-paced demolition or earthworks.
And remember: The best interval is the one you can control remotely.
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