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The world of photography has changed a lot since the early days of film. With the advent of digital cameras and smartphones, the quality of pictures has improved dramatically. The world of photography has also changed a lot. This also means that the size of the photos that cameras take has increased to some extent. The number of photos we take, store, share, and post online continues to explode. But the storage we have is kind of limited.
To make sure you’re getting the most photos on your smartphone, memory card, or drive – you need to figure out how many photos you can fit into that amount of space.
On average, a 32GB memory card, drive, or smartphone can hold approximately 3100 photos.
This is, however, an estimate and the correct numbers depend on the image size, device, and a whole lot of other factors.
Come to a proper decision with these posts:
Let’s start with the reasons that determine the image file size:
Table of Contents
What factors determine image file size?
Resolution
Resolution refers to the number of pixels per inch (PPI). If you have a 3,200-by-5,000 pixel image, its resolution is 3,200×5,000. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the picture appears, but the larger the file size. You can also refer to it as the number of pixels per centimeter. The image file size is proportional to the resolution.
Quality settings
Many camera settings can affect your photo output. Camera settings include ISO sensitivity, white balance, exposure compensation, shutter speed, etc.
Each of the settings has a specific effect on how your photos appear.
You can choose from JPEG, TIFF, RAW, or some other formats. The format of your file also determines how the image will appear on your computer or another digital device. The most common file type is JPEG. JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group. It is the standard file format used by most digital cameras. JPEG files are compressed, which means they use fewer bits of data than their original RAW file. This results in a smaller file size.
Many camera settings can affect your photo output. Camera settings include ISO sensitivity, white balance, exposure compensation, shutter speed, etc.
Different shooting modes determine the size of your photo. For a professional camera, shooting in RAW is the best option. You can always edit your photos later on in editing apps like Photoshop.
JPEG is the most common format for taking photos. It’s a compressed file, which saves space. It also doesn’t provide much flexibility when editing your photos later on. The most popular formats for shooting raw files are the DNG format and the EXIF format. These files are usually larger than a JPEG, but they provide more flexibility when editing the photos later on.
Shooting conditions
One of the most important factors determining the size of the images captured by digital cameras is the shooting conditions. These include, but are not limited to, the ISO sensitivity, aperture, and shutter speed. A good rule of thumb is that the higher the ISO sensitivity, the larger the file size. Similarly depending upon the conditions, the size of the picture varies from place to place.
How many photos can 64GB hold?
On average, 64GBs can hold about 3150 pictures. But the size greatly varies according to the capabilities and functions of your camera’s sensor.
A smartphone camera with a 12MP shooter can shoot up to 6300 JPG images (average size 5.2MB). When using a GoPro, a 64 GB storage can hold in about 7500 images approximately. If you are into shooting RAW photos, you can capture about 800 to 1000 RAW pictures.
So, if you are a photographer thinking of taking a lot of pictures in a single day shoot, for the most part, you would find a 64GB card to be more than sufficient.
How many photos can a 64GB SD card hold?
On a camera with a 30MP sensor, a 64GB SD card can hold about 1100 photos. This is when considered shooting in JPG file format. If you are planning to shoot RAW, it can hold about 150-200 photos.
How Many RAW Images?
As discussed above,
On a 12MP sensor, you can get about 1500 RAW pictures. With a larger camera sensor like 30MP, you can still manage 150 to 200 photos easily.
Calculating Your Camera’s File Size
You need to take a picture of a uniform scene, such as a wall or ceiling, and take it at the lowest ISO setting, underexposed with 1 stop, and then at the highest ISO setting, also underexposed with 1 stop. Repeat this twice, but first take photos with correct exposure, then with the photos overexposed with 1 stop.
This should give you a representative range of file sizes. Then, look at the individual file sizes in your camera or once transferred to your computer. Average them all together, then divide by six for an average.
Have a Look and compare the data range to get a better idea:
| File Size | 64 GB Memory Card |
| 2 MB | 14850 |
| 4 MB | 7425 |
| 8 MB | 3713 |
| 16 MB | 1856 |
| 32 MB | 928 |
| 64 MB | 468 |
Wrap up
In conclusion, it would depend on the photos, but at a minimum, there should be enough space for at least 2,000 photos. If you’re taking more than that, you’re going to need a bigger card, which is one reason to consider going with a larger storage capacity, such as 64GB to be on the safer side. If you’re using the SD card for a single day shoot at a time, 32GB is more than enough to accommodate your photos.
