How much can I fit on a memory card?

< 1 min read

High-megapixel cameras, for example, need more memory space per shot than low-megapixel models. The type of data being stored also determines how much you can fit on a memory card. Images take up more room than text documents. Digital music takes up even more, while video is another space hog.
The quality of your files is the final determinant of how much you can cram onto a memory card. The general rule is the better the quality, the more space it will take. High-resolution photos, for example, require more memory space than low-resolution shots. If you are shooting in RAW mode on your camera, each file requires a lot more space than a regular JPEG image. Music compressed at a higher quality (otherwise known as bitrate) will also take more room than something with average compression.
The table below shows the approximate number of JPEG images (100 percent quality) able to be stored on a memory card.

MEGAPIXELS	FILE SIZE	1GB CARD	2GB CARD	4GB CARD	8GB CARD	16GB CARD	32GB CARD
6 megapixels	1.8MB	476	953	1907	3814	7629	15,258
8 megapixels	2.4MB	357	715	1430	2861	5722	11,444
10 megapixels	3MB	286	572	1144	2288	4577	9155
12 megapixels	3.6MB	238	476	953	1907	3814	7629
14 megapixels	4.2MB	204	408	817	1634	3269	6539
16 megapixels	4.8MB	178	357	715	1430	2861	5722
22 megapixels	6.6MB	130	260	520	1040	2080	4161

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