Photo Storage Calculator — How Many Photos Fit on Your Card or Drive?
Estimate how many RAW or JPEG photos fit on any storage size. Plan memory cards for shoots, calculate backup storage needs, and compare file format sizes.
Running out of storage mid-shoot is one of those things that only needs to happen once before you start calculating ahead. Whether you're packing for a week-long travel assignment or just buying a new SD card, knowing how many shots you'll get per card saves real headaches.
Use the photo storage calculator on CalcHub to plan accurately.
What Affects File Size
Camera brand, shooting mode, and subject matter all influence how large individual files are:
RAW files are unprocessed sensor data — large, lossless, maximum editing flexibility. Size depends mostly on sensor resolution. JPEG files are compressed in-camera. Size varies hugely based on compression setting (Fine/Normal/Basic) and scene complexity — a detailed landscape compresses less than a flat blue sky. RAW+JPEG saves both — doubles your storage usage.Average File Sizes by Camera Resolution
| Camera Type | RAW Size | JPEG Fine | JPEG Normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 MP (entry mirrorless) | ~15 MB | ~5 MB | ~3 MB |
| 24 MP (standard DSLR) | ~25–30 MB | ~8–10 MB | ~5 MB |
| 36 MP (high-res DSLR) | ~45 MB | ~12–14 MB | ~7 MB |
| 45–50 MP (studio/landscape) | ~80–100 MB | ~18–22 MB | ~10 MB |
| 61 MP (Sony A7R V etc.) | ~120 MB | ~25 MB | ~14 MB |
How to Use the Calculator
- Enter your camera's megapixel count (or actual average file size from your camera's info)
- Select shooting format (RAW, JPEG Fine, RAW+JPEG)
- Enter your storage size in GB
- Get estimated number of photos that fit
Storage Planning for Common Shoots
| Shoot Type | Typical Shots | 24 MP RAW needed | Recommended Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half-day portrait session | 400–600 | ~15 GB | 32–64 GB |
| Full wedding day | 1500–2500 | ~55–75 GB | 2× 64 GB or 1× 128 GB |
| Week-long travel | 2000–5000 | ~70–150 GB | 256 GB + backup |
| Sports event (burst) | 3000–8000 | ~90–240 GB | Multiple cards + laptop |
| Studio product shoot | 200–400 | ~7–12 GB | 32 GB |
Backup Storage
Professional workflow: shoot to two cards simultaneously (if your camera has dual slots), back up to a portable SSD each evening, and upload to cloud when you have WiFi. Double your estimated storage for any important shoot to account for this workflow.
A 1 TB portable SSD runs about $50–80 and holds roughly 30,000 full-resolution 24 MP RAW files. For most photographers, that's adequate capacity to finish a job before getting back to the editing computer.
How do I check my actual average file size?
After a representative shoot, divide your total card usage by your shot count. Camera menus sometimes show this. In your file browser, select all photos from a session and check the total size. This actual number is always more accurate than published specs.
Does burst shooting fill cards faster than single-shot?
Yes, but the individual file sizes are the same — it's just the volume that increases dramatically. A camera shooting 20fps can consume a 32GB card in around 30 minutes of total burst shooting time. Buffer size (how many shots the camera holds in RAM before writing) is often the limiting factor in burst, not raw card speed.
Is CFexpress worth it over SD for storage capacity?
CFexpress cards are faster (critical for high-resolution video and RAW burst), not larger. A 512GB CFexpress Type B costs significantly more than a 512GB SD card for the same storage volume. The value is in write speeds, not capacity.
Related Calculators
- Video File Size Calculator — plan storage for video shoots
- Megapixel Calculator — understand your resolution and file dimensions
- Print Size Calculator — see what your files support in print