Assuming you’re shooting on a 20-megapixel camera, you can hold approximately 666 pictures on a 4GB memory card before it’s full. However, this number is subject to change depending on your camera’s resolution and shooting settings.
I’m Caleb, and I have more than four years of experience as a photographer. My main specialty is sports photography, where I’ve covered a number of sports from soccer to basketball.
In this article, I’ll go into how many pictures a 4GB memory card can hold, and the factors that can raise or lower the number. If you’re not sure if this is enough storage for you, keep reading to find out.
Contents
How Many Pictures Can 4GB Hold?
If you have a 4GB memory card, you can expect to hold around 666 pictures when shooting at a 20 megapixel resolution. It’s important to point out, though, that resolution varies wildly and is determined by your camera.
For example, many newer entry-level cameras have higher resolutions these days, with the Canon Rebel series usually having about 24 megapixels. Other cameras, especially older ones, may have lower resolutions like 18, 16, or 12 megapixels.
Higher resolution photos make for larger files. The higher the resolution, the fewer photos you can fit on the memory card. The same applies in reverse. If your camera is lower resolution, you can potentially store many more photos.
For example, you could store 952 photos on the same memory card if the resolution was only 14 megapixels instead of 20. So in the end, the capacity of the memory card comes down to your camera, not just the card itself.
How Many RAW Pictures Can 4GB Hold?
Your camera’s settings also impact how many photos you can store. The above estimate assumes you’re shooting in JPEG format. But if you were to switch to RAW, it would increase the size of the files drastically.
With the same 20 megapixel resolution, you can only fit about 66 RAW format photos on a 4GB memory card.
If you’re shooting in RAW format, it’s important to either plan around this increased file size, or get a larger memory card.
FAQs
Here are some other frequently asked memory card questions.
How Many Videos Can Fit In 4GB?
There’s no set limit for how many videos can fit in 4GB of storage, because videos vary more in size than images. The size of video files changes based on the length of the video and the recording quality.
How Many Pictures Can A 4GB Flash Drive Hold?
A 4GB flash drive can hold the same number of pictures as a regular memory card. Even though the storage devices are different, the size of the photo files remain the same.
Conclusion
If you’re shooting with a 20-megapixel camera, you’ll be able to hold 666 photos in JPEG format or 66 in RAW format on a 4GB memory card.
However, camera resolutions vary greatly, so you should check to see what resolution your own camera shoots at before deciding if 4GB is enough storage for you.
Which memory card do you prefer for your photography? Tell us in the comments.
