What this calculator does
Planning storage for a shoot means adding up two very different kinds of files: still photos, which are counted individually, and video, which is usually sized by the minute rather than by clip count. Getting a realistic total before a shoot avoids running out of card space or drive capacity partway through.
The two components are worked out separately and then combined: total photo storage is the average file size multiplied by how many photos are expected, and total video storage is the average size per minute multiplied by how many minutes of video are expected, with both converted to a common unit at the end.
The formula
Multiply the average photo file size by the number of photos to get total photo storage. Multiply the average video file size per minute by the total video minutes to get total video storage. Add the two together and convert from megabytes to gigabytes for a shoot-level total.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Average photo file size | The typical size of one photo from this camera and file format, in megabytes. |
| Video size per minute | The typical file size of one minute of video at the chosen recording settings, in megabytes. |
| Total storage needed | (photo size × photo count) + (video size per minute × video minutes), converted to gigabytes. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Average photo file size (MB) (MB) | The average size of a single photo file, in megabytes, for this camera and format. |
| Number of photos | The expected or actual number of photos taken during the shoot. |
| Average video file size per minute (MB) (MB) | The average size of one minute of video at the recording settings used, in megabytes. |
| Total video minutes | The total expected or actual minutes of video footage. |
When to use it
Packing memory cards for a shoot
Estimating total storage before a shoot, based on expected photo and video volume, decides how many cards or how much drive space to bring.
Budgeting cloud or backup storage
A recurring shoot type, such as a weekly event, has a fairly predictable storage footprint, which helps plan ongoing backup or archive costs.
Comparing RAW against compressed formats
Switching photo or video format changes the average file size substantially, and recalculating total storage shows the practical difference in space needed for the same shoot.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How total storage changes with photo count at a fixed video component
A fixed video component, across a range of photo counts.
| Number of photos | Total storage needed | Photos storage |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | 12.70 GB | 7,000 MB |
| 400 | 19.53 GB | 14,000 MB |
| 800 | 33.20 GB | 28,000 MB |
| 1,200 | 46.88 GB | 42,000 MB |
| 1,600 | 60.55 GB | 56,000 MB |
| 2,000 | 74.22 GB | 70,000 MB |
How total storage changes with video minutes at a fixed photo component
A fixed photo component, across a range of video durations at 400MB per minute.
| Video minutes | Total storage needed | Video storage |
|---|---|---|
| 0 min | 27.34 GB | 0 MB |
| 5 min | 29.30 GB | 2,000 MB |
| 10 min | 31.25 GB | 4,000 MB |
| 20 min | 35.16 GB | 8,000 MB |
| 30 min | 39.06 GB | 12,000 MB |
| 45 min | 44.92 GB | 18,000 MB |
Questions
Where do I find the average file size for my camera?
Take a handful of representative photos or a short test video clip at the settings you plan to use, check their file sizes, and average them. RAW, JPEG and different video codecs all produce very different average sizes even at the same resolution.
Should I plan for more storage than the estimate?
It is common practice to add a margin above the calculated figure, since shoots often run longer or produce more frames than planned, and having spare capacity avoids having to stop and clear cards mid-shoot.
Does this account for backup copies?
No, this calculates storage for the original files from the shoot only. A backup strategy with a second copy, whether on another drive or in the cloud, needs that same total again, or more if keeping multiple backup generations.
Why does video take up so much more space than photos per item?
A single minute of video is effectively many individual frames recorded in sequence along with audio, so even a modest per-minute bitrate accumulates to far more data than one still photo, which is why video minutes can dominate total storage even when photo count is high.
For the file size of a specific video export or clip on its own, see the video file size calculator.