Camera
Camera Storage Calculator
Work out record times and data rates for Canon, Sony, RED, ARRI, Blackmagic, Nikon, Panasonic and DJI across formats and frame rates.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use
- Pick the codec you are recording in.
- Set the frame rate.
- Choose your card or drive size.
- Read the record time, the data rate, and how much each minute and hour weighs.
Examples
- ProRes 422 HQ at UHD and 24 fps runs about 88 MB/s, so a 512 GB card holds roughly an hour and a half.
- Blackmagic RAW at a higher compression like 12 to 1 stretches the same card much further, at the cost of latitude in the grade.
- Doubling the frame rate roughly doubles the data rate, so a high-speed clip eats a card far faster than the same codec at 24 fps.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are these numbers?
The rates are nominal manufacturer figures and scale with frame rate. Real files vary with resolution, content and camera settings, so treat the record times as a reliable planning guide and pack a margin of safety.
Why does a bigger frame rate need more storage?
More frames per second means more data per second. For raw and lightly compressed codecs the data rate scales almost directly with frame rate, so 60 fps weighs about two and a half times a 24 fps clip of the same length.
Should I fill a card completely?
No. Leave headroom so a long take never runs out mid-shot, and so the card has room to manage itself. Planning to about eighty percent of a card is a safe habit on set.
