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Does Instagram's New Hyperlapse App Live Up To The Hype? We Asked Some Pros To Weigh In

Instagram's new Hyperlapse app claims to effortlessly replicate the process of dynamic timelapsing. We spoke to some professional timelapse artists to get the lowdown on the app's actual capabilities.

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On Tuesday Instagram released Hyperlapse from Instagram, an app designed to replicate the tricky process of capturing hyper-fast, ultra-smooth timelapse videos. Featuring "built-in stabilization technology that lets you create moving, handheld timelapses that result in a cinematic look, quality and feel—a feat that has previously only been possible with expensive equipment," the company explained in a blog post, it seemed set to revolutionize this nascent niche hybrid of timelapse videography.

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The Internet, in turn, has raised a collective ruckus over the app, with publications going so far as to state, "What was once only possible with a Steadicam or a $15,000 tracking rig is now possible on your iPhone, for free," and that Hyperlapse yields "timelapse videos that look as if they're shot by Scorsese or Michael Mann." Other sites have already begun to compile the best Hyperlapse uploads since the app's initial debut. Soon enough, it seems, we won't be surprised to find our feeds filled with time-warped test footage of morning commutes, sunsets, meals (from preparation through presentation), and (of course) pets.

If Vine and Instagram Video have taught us anything, savvy users will inevitably wield the tool for the kind of creative DIY filmmaking seemingly predestined for virality. At the same time, though, can a technique that videographers spend years mastering and build entire careers around simply be circumnavigated by way of the smartphone? We talked to some hyperlapse experts to find out what they think of Hyperlapse for Instagram.

[Paul Richardson](http://Paul Richardson), a filmmaker whose hyperlapse down the Champs Élysées wowed the web a few weeks back,explained to The Creators Project how the traditional hyperlapses is made. "The basic method of a hyperlapse is to take a photo of a subject, move the camera, then repeat both steps a few hundred times. You have to make sure that every image is level and pointing at the exact same spot, so if you mess up one photo during a sequence you have to start all over again. Each movement between shots has to be the same distance, otherwise the final shot won't be smooth." Feasibly, if Hyperlapse could create high-quality footage, it would save hours of meticulous tinkering.

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For comparison, though, it's important to understand what the "$15,000" price tag in bells and whistles does for hyperlapse filmmakers. "If you're using professional gear, you have the control to tweak every little detail to your liking," Richardson explained. "And that's important in high-quality work, every single thing has to be right." He continued, "The professional gear would produce technically perfect shots, smooth pans, consistent frame, and enough detail to be displayed on IMAX screens."

Rob Whitworth—the 'flow-motion' timelapser who has captured the essence of cities as diverse as Barcelona, Spain and Pyongyang, North Korea—agreed that the equipment is essential for achieving gorgeous videos that truly drop jaws. "For me, the magic of hyperlapse is the quality of the D-SLR Raw file, super sharp and amazing dynamic range mixed with an impossible camera moves. Super smooth motion in a straight line."

Even still, the videos we've seen from Hyperlapse genuinely look great, so where does the app fall short?

To start, Whitworth wouldn't even call the app-made videos proper hyperlapses. "Essentially it's an amazing steadicam app," he told us. "Steady, yes—hyperlapse, no. But it is amazing. 'Hyperlapse-quality clip' is pretty loose. A quick search on Vimeo will reveal a lot of existing hyperlapses might fall below that standard. I guess if the question is: Can I now throw away my camera kit and use my iPhone and this app? The answer is sadly not."

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Jonas Ginter, best known for his 360° little planet timelapses, pointed out other issues, primarily in the app's shortcomings: "There is no wide angle, just low resolution, no dynamic range and so on. Footage shot with professional equipment would have more resolution, better dynamic range, more sharpness, more possibilities of different lenses… So, at the moment, it is like using a really nice steadicam or gimbal system and mounting a toy cam on it." Ultimately, these qualms relate to the smartphone's lens, so maybe Hyperlapse could be become a game changer as companies continue to beef up their products' camera quality.

These seasoned timelapsers, however, have already found uses for the app that don't involve directly replacing their professional camera rigs. Much in the same way that 3D printing has exponentially sped up certain pre-production processes in manufacturing, the Instagram app can act as a rapid prototyping system for hyperlapse shots. "I will definitely use it when I plan my next hyperlapse sequences," said Ginter. "I think it is a nice tool for pre shoots. With the app you can get a quick impression of what a hyperlapse could look like."

For professional hyperlapsers, the app could become a useful, external toolbox—but it still has amazing functionality for the public at large. Thomas O'Brien, a filmmaker who specializes in starry-skied nature timelapses, agrees, adding, "I have found when you give easy to use tools to people with no experience, amazing things can happen. When tools are made available to the masses to create art that was previously only available to professionals it benefits the art form in so many ways."

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In its current state, the app promises the ability to change the scope of the hyperlapse, and the chance to expand the art form in the same way that the hyperlapse evolved from the timelapse. On the smartphone, it could become a playground for new kinds of experimentation. However, Whitworth envisions a near future in which this technology can be widely used by professionals and amateurs alike— so long as it's attached to a powerful enough lens.

"This must happen," he says. "Nikon or Canon must be watching this. Somebody needs to add a computer to a DSLR so you can use a high quality sensor and great glass, and also get the advantages of an innovation like this. It's crazy these guys are still making essentially the same camera system as 60 years ago."

But is Hyperlapse the smartphone-enabled revolution it purports to be? Decides Richardson, "It's definitely a big improvement on [past homemade] footage, but I think its uses past web-video will be limited." The experts may agree this new tool is no substitute for the real thing, but then again, isn't that what we always say when technology tries to shortcut doing things the hard way?

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