Time lapses are elaborate projects that can last several hours, days, or even months. To keep your camera running throughout the project, calculating total power consumption is the first and most critical step.

Step 1: Define Your Project Parameters

The capacity of the power supply depends on your shooting density. Let's look at a 30-day long-term project with an ATLI EON camera:

🕒 Duration: 30 Days (24h/day)

⏱️ Interval: 10 Minutes

📸 Daily Frames: (24h × 60min) / 10min = 144 frames

🎞️ Total Frames: 144 × 30 Days = 4,320 frames

🎬 Footage: 4,320 / 25fps = 172.8 seconds total

Step 2: Detailed Power Calculation

When the ATLI EON is in "Mandatory" Power Saving Mode, the system sleeps between shots. Each shot cycle (wake-up, exposure, saving) takes 3 seconds. The rest of the time is spent in standby.

A. Active Shooting Consumption

Formula: (Consumption per frame) × (Daily frames)

0.00054 WH × 144 frames = 0.07776 WH / Day

B. Standby / Sleep Consumption

Active time: 144 frames × 3 sec = 432 sec

Sleep time: (24h × 3600s) - 432s = 85,968 sec (approx. 23.88 hrs)

23.88 Hrs × 0.05 WH (standby rate) = 1.194 WH / Day

Daily Total: 0.07776 + 1.194 = 1.272 WH

30-Day Project Total: 38.16 WH

Step 3: Choosing Your Power Solution

To safely cover the required 38.16 WH (minimum 40WH+), consider these three options:

1. 18650 Li-ion DIY Power Bank (10 Units)

Calculation: 2.6A (2600mAh) × 3.7V × 10 units = 96.2 WH

Effective Power: 96.2 WH / 2 (due to 50% voltage conversion loss & battery rating) = 48 WH

Best for Portability

2. 12V 6AH Motorcycle Lead-Acid Battery

Calculation: 12V × 6AH = 72 WH

Note: Requires a DC-to-DC step-down converter to output 5V DC for the camera.

Most Rugged Option

3. Solar Panel + Battery System (Recommended)

Setup: 10-20W Solar Panel + BMS connected to Option 2.

Advantage: Allows for indefinite shooting. Ideal for remote locations with 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspots for global footage access.

Best for Long-term Monitoring

Ready to power your next project?

Read the Full Battery Selection Guide