A drone hyperlapse is a time-lapse shot while the drone moves. On DJI drones, open DJI Fly, tap Shooting Modes, choose Hyperlapse, pick Free, Circle, Course Lock or Waypoint, set the interval, length and speed, then tap the shutter. The drone flies the path, shoots a photo every few seconds and builds the video for you. Lock exposure and white balance in Pro mode, or the result will flicker.
The four hyperlapse modes
| Mode | What the drone does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | You fly and aim, or it hovers | Static time-lapses, slow pushes |
| Circle | Orbits a subject you select | Landmarks, isolated buildings |
| Course Lock | Flies a fixed heading, camera can lock on a subject | Coastlines, roads, ridges |
| Waypoint | Follows a saved path | Repeatable routes, day-to-night |
These are the modes DJI documents for the Mini 4 Pro, and DJI Fly offers the same set on current drones such as the Air 3S. If one is missing, update the app and firmware.
Best hyperlapse settings
- Interval: 2 s for traffic and fast clouds, 3 to 5 s for slow light changes.
- Video length: each second of video needs about 25 to 30 photos. A 10 s clip at a 2 s interval takes about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Speed: slow. In a hyperlapse, small moves look big.
- Exposure: Pro mode with fixed ISO and shutter.
- White balance: manual, such as 5500K.
- Shutter vs interval: DJI recommends at least a 2 second gap. A 1 s exposure needs a 3 s or longer interval.
- Photo type: in the camera settings, choose to save the original frames as RAW or JPEG. RAW lets you deflicker and rebuild at higher quality.
Where and how high to fly
DJI recommends flying higher than 50 m and choosing a static subject more than 15 m away, such as a tall building or mountain. Height hides small position drift and keeps you clear of obstacles. Pick a scene with something moving: traffic, clouds, crowds, tides or shadows.
Day-to-night hyperlapse
- Plan a Waypoint route in daylight and save it.
- Start before sunset with exposure set for the bright sky.
- Ramp ISO or shutter manually between batteries, or keep RAW frames and correct in post.
- Resume the same route on a fresh battery.
Obstacle sensing fades as light drops. DJI says the vision system can't avoid obstacles in directions it reports as unavailable. Keep routes clear and set a safe RTH altitude. Night flights need lights; see can you fly a drone at night.
Motion blur and light trails
In daylight, shutters are very fast and cars appear as dots. Strong ND filters slow the shutter to around 1/30 to 1/60 s for slight blur. Real light trails need dusk or night, when half-second or longer exposures are possible.
Fixing common problems
- Flicker: auto exposure or auto white balance. Use manual, or deflicker RAW frames in software.
- Wobble: wind moved the drone. Fly on a calmer day or higher up.
- Jumps or jerks: speed too high for the interval.
- Clip too short: increase length or shorten the interval.
Which drone
The Mini 5 Pro adds gimbal roll to hyperlapse motion and flies up to 36 minutes on the standard battery. The Air 3S can shoot through its 70 mm camera to compress clouds and skylines, and flies up to 45 minutes. Model guide: Mini 5 Pro hyperlapse.
Not sure which technique you need? Read time-lapse vs hyperlapse and how to shoot a drone time-lapse.
Related guides
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