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The 128GB storage drive is common among real estate
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A 128GB memory card can hold up to 106,666 photos and as few as 1,939 photos. The average range of JPEGs, if you're wondering how many pictures you can capture, lies between 12,800 to 64,000 images. For RAW file type, the memory card can store between 1,939 to 10,666 photos.
The estimates above are accurate when you shoot with a camera resolution of 4MP to 22MP. However, photos won't always be the same size, so how many photos you can save also varies. For instance, you can store more photos than that in the same storage capacity if the images are compressed.Â
Several features can affect the size of every picture your camera takes. Just because you take two or more photos of the same place doesn't mean they will automatically be the same size. Even with the same amount of exposure.
What are these factors, and how do they affect the size of the picture?
Most photographers agree that the bigger the size, the better the image quality. This statement is accurate because capturing high-quality photos requires more details. As a result, this increases the average image size.
The ISO, an integral part of the quality settings on your camera, tells you how sensitive your camera's film is. As you increase your ISO, it also increases the noise on the image. This increase in noise makes it harder to compress your images, increasing the size.
Your camera resolution is another thing that affects the final photo size. Resolution generally refers to the size of the digital image your camera captures. The MegaPixel is the unit of measurement for this feature.
For instance, if each pixel uses 24 bits, a 12MP image would take up about 36MB of space in an uncompressed format. Simply put, the more megapixels an image has, the bigger its size will be.
You can store photos in almost a dozen file types. Still, RAW and JPEG are the most common file types. Depending on these formats, the photo size will vary. Here's how different formats affect how many pictures a memory card can hold.
JPEG is a digital image format that employs lossy compression to store and display images. The lossy compression algorithm discards some image data during the compression process to reduce size. These file types usually have varying sizes based on settings and camera model.
Although the compression results in a smaller size, it leads to a slight loss of quality, especially when the compression level is high. Most digital cameras, including starter DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, and smartphone cameras, are set to capture and save photos in JPEG format by default.Â
Usually, JPEG files have the ".jpg" or ".jpeg" file extension. Due to the compression, a high-resolution photograph from a DSLR or mirrorless camera, with dimensions like 4000 x 3000 pixels, might range from 2 MB to 10 MB. This allows a 128GB card to hold around 12,800 to 64,000 JPEG images.
A RAW image is a file that contains the raw data directly from the camera sensor without processing. This data includes the actual luminance and color values for each pixel, white balance, color space, saturation settings, and exposure data. It also contains camera settings such as shutter speed and metadata.
This file type allows you to adjust exposure, white balance, and colors during post-processing without significant degradation in image quality compared to when making the same adjustments to JPEG files. However, this data makes the size of RAW photos significantly larger than JPEGs.
For instance, a 12-megapixel camera might produce RAW files of around 30MB, while a 24-megapixel camera might generate RAW files ranging from 30MB to 50MB. As a result, a 128GB SD card can hold around 4300 photos.
DNG stands for Digital Negative, a type of RAW image file format introduced by Adobe Systems in 2004. DNG aimed at having a standardized format for digital camera raw data as an alternative to the multitude of RAW formats created by individual camera manufacturers, such as CR2 for Canon, NEF for Nikon, and ARW for Sony.
Like the RAW images, DNG files contain every information needed to reproduce the image, including metadata and color profiles. That means a DNG file is just a RAW file, only that it’s universal across camera models.
As a result, unlike JPEG images, most DNG files will have the same file sizes as the proprietary RAW images. Therefore, the 128GB card can hold the same amount of DNG photos depending on the camera megapixels, bit depth, and whether the files contain embedded JPEG previews.
You need to pay close attention when picking out a memory card so you don't have inadequate photo storage. These memory cards come in different sizes, each memory card with its own storage space and speed. Let's explore the storage card size that works best for you, depending on your situation.
Consider the nature of your project while deciding on a suitable memory card.
As such, a wide range of projects is available. Finding the right equipment, including memory cards such as CF cards for your projects, requires serious legwork.
Since landscape
High-quality landscape images come in a variety of frame sizes, which determines how many pixels are in the image. Their aspect ratios range from 3:2 to 2:1 or 1:1.Â
A typical landscape photo takes between 10 and 50MB. Therefore, 128 GB of memory card space is ideal for a couple hundred to a few thousand photographs.
The minimum requirement for a listing image is around 330 by 220 pixels. Most property images are less than 50 MB in size.
Besides, you may need to take up to 30 pictures for each customer, so plan accordingly. For long-term storage (say, several years), you'll need about two terabytes.
20MP is a sweet spot for capturing high-quality wedding images. After processing, the JPEG ends up being around 6-10 MB in JPEG or approximately 60MB as a RAW.
Clients typically order between 50 and 400 pictures. However, the plan and setting of the wedding determine how many pictures you will capture.
For instance, if it involves going for an extended trip, you might need a large storage space that will allow you to capture thousands of photos. Generally, you should consider around 1 TB of storage if you primarily film weddings.
When shopping for memory cards, you'll want to look at the many options and specs available. Naturally, I can categorize them according to their storage capacity and speed. I have covered well-known classes and their key characteristics.
Thanks to its rapid read/write rates. Compact flash card is common among photographers. CF cards are large and fit into most digital cameras.Â
Usually, the CF card comes in sizes ranging from 8GB up to 512GB. There is enough for up to 14,222 RAW files and another 142,222 JPEGs.
SD cards are a popular option for storing photographs. Its portability has made it a popular choice among photographers.
Like CF cards, these memory cards provide rapid read processing, though slower. Storage space options start at 2GB and go up to 128TB.
The MicroSD card, a smaller variant of the SD card, is ideal for use in cameras where normal SD cards wouldn't fit. Being so small, a MicroSD card can be even in smartphones and smaller modern cameras.
The standard model can only hold 32GB of data. However, the high-capacity cards can hold up to 128TB.
The processing speed of SD cards is another factor to consider when it comes to how many pictures or videos the memory card can handle simultaneously. Generally, you can measure this speed in MB/S.
The SDUC has a rapid processing speed of up to 985MB/S. While the compact flash, SDXC, and SDHC also have fast processing speeds. Here’s a table showing that in detail:
| SD card format | Storage Sizes | Speed |
| SD | 2GB or less | 2MB/S - 10MB/S |
| SDHigh Capacity | 2GB - 32GB | 10MB/S - 12.5MB/S |
| SD Extended Capacity | 32GB - 2TB | 10MB/S - 12.5MB/S |
| SD Ultra Capacity | 2TB - 128TB | Up to 985MB/S |
It's not hard to figure out how many pictures a 128GB CF card can store. You only need to know the average image file size of your image file format. After that, divide that quantity by 128GB, the total storage space available.
Here’s the average file size for JPEGs and RAWs:
The SD card is versatile, and its photo capacity isn't just for stills. You can also store videos using the same amount of memory card space or even capture time lapses.
Apart from the photos, you can take videos to showcase the finer property details that a photo might not show, such as the proximity of different rooms. Note that video files require SD cards with consistent and sustained write speeds to avoid dropped frames.
The card's minimum write speed is often more crucial than the maximum speed for video. You must consider the card’s UHS class rating and video class rating, especially if you plan to shoot in 4K resolution.
You can easily fill the space of your memory card by simply shooting lots of photos. Forgetting to delete unnecessary or useless shots also contributes to this.
Capturing an extended time-lapse involves taking a series of photos over an extended period and then combining those pictures into a video that plays back the events in a compressed time frame. Simply set up the camera on a tripod to capture time lapses of traffic around the property.
Switch to the photo mode and choose manual mode. Like normal photos, you can capture the time-lapse in a JPEG or RAW file.
However, since the time lapse might require a large collection of images, it’s advisable to use JPEG to avoid running out of space.
When shooting images in challenging lighting, you can take advantage of the memory card storage by using incremental shooting techniques. The idea behind the technique is to take several shots of the same scene with varying exposures.
Usually, this allows you to end up with underexposed, well-exposed, and overexposed pictures. Depending on the scene, you can then determine whether to bracket the photographs during post-processing.
128GB is enough for storing pictures for most real estate photographers. It contains more than 100 thousand MB. Thus, it can hold over a hundred thousand images, assuming 1MB per photo. This storage offers more space for storing many years' worth of pictures.
If you’re looking to store more photos, it is better to get 256GB storage. It offers more storage space for saving a variety of files besides pictures. You can always count on it to store a few thousand more than the 128GB variant.
As a photographer, you need adequate space for storing your work, and a 128GB memory card is enough. Several reasons affect the average size of an image, such as the file format and the camera resolution. Depending on your camera, you can use a Compact Flash, Secure Digital, or MicroSD card.
