ImageReasonStorage, Media, and Workflow
How much storage does this job actually need?
Enter your still and video counts, copy policy, and headroom to see the full capacity a job requires, not just the original capture size.
Answer
Visualize
Calculate to see the capacity stack.
| Layer | Size |
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Compare
| Scenario | Capacity |
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Stress-test
Plan
Calculate a result to generate a copyable plan.
Storage estimates should include the work after capture
Storage estimates become useful when they include the work that happens after capture. A card estimate may count original stills and video, but editing can create previews, proxies, exports, catalogs, and temporary working files. A backup plan can multiply the working data again. The right capacity is therefore a transparent assumption set, not a single number printed on a drive box.
Enter the number of stills, typical still-file size, and any video duration and data rate. The planner converts those inputs into a base capture estimate. Then declare how many working, backup, and archive copies you intend to keep, plus an allowance for previews and a capacity headroom percentage. The output shows each layer so you can challenge an assumption instead of trusting a hidden multiplier.
For example, 2,000 stills at 35 MiB begin at about 68.4 GiB. Add 20% derived working data, one working copy, two backup copies, one archive copy, and 30% headroom, and the capacity requirement is much larger than the original card. That does not mean every copy needs the same device or location. It means the plan has made its declared copies visible.
Copy count is not the same as resilience. Two drives on the same desk can fail in the same event. A storage number cannot tell you whether copies use separate locations, separate media, or an independent account. Use the backup-risk planner to record that topology. Likewise, this page does not check whether a memory card can keep up with the camera or codec. Use the throughput planner before the shoot.
Revisit the estimate after a real job. Record actual average file sizes, exports, and growth instead of carrying an old rule of thumb into the next assignment. A small buffer can disappear quickly when an event runs long or a video deliverable expands. Headroom is not waste when it protects a delivery deadline.
FAQ
- Why use MiB and GiB instead of MB and GB?
- The calculator uses binary units consistently so its conversion assumptions are visible. Device labels may use decimal units.
- Does two backup copies mean my files are safe?
- No. Copy count alone does not describe locations, media independence, verification, or recovery testing.
- Can I use one image file to estimate a job?
- It can be a starting sample, but culling, video, previews, exports, and copy policy usually change total capacity.