Instagram is moving into the new territory of time lapse videos with the release of its standalone app called Hyperlapse which, according to CNET, was released in the early morning of Aug. 27.

Time-lapse photography employs the technique wherein images are taken at different intervals for a long period. When these images are sped up in a video, it seems to make time pass by quickly. You might have seen the effect used in some documentaries, where a seed turns into a seedling then into a flowering plant with the bud growing and opening into a beautiful flower in a matter of seconds.

A similar technique is applied in hyperlapse, except with the camera moving rather than the object. You can liken it to taking images while riding a car. The technique does add a cinematic quality to the video but it is complex and time-consuming.

Ease of use is the focus of Instagram's Hyperlapse app. No login is required to use it. Once the program launches, the user is presented with the video camera and all the user needs to do is to use its start/stop button to begin recording. The green check mark is used to save the footage direct to the Camera Roll.

The playback speed can later be adjusted. The 1x speed is the normal speed of the recorded footage but it can be changed up to 12x. The Hyperlapse app allows the Instagram user to take a maximum of 45 minutes of raw footage and then condense it.

A video image stabilization technology is applied by Instagram to its new app, thereby making the footage very smooth. Users will be able to import the video into the Instagram app so they can apply filter effects and share it. The limit will still be 15 seconds, just like other videos using Instagram.

An Instagram spokesperson said that they are predicting that photographers and creative people will have the most fun with the app. It has been reported that Microsoft is also working on a standalone app that will take smooth hyperlapse footage for Windows.