How much storage space do drone recordings need?

The storage space of drone recordings has an influence on the choice of the right memory card, among other things. This information is also important for data backup. But how much storage space do you actually need for drone footage? We provide an overview.

For the following overview, we use recordings from the DJI Mini 4 Pro and standard settings as an example (other models will follow). We list the type of recording, the format, the duration (for videos) and the selected settings including the video bit rate of the drone.

We will explain below what the file size depends on in detail. However, the following list already provides a good overview of the storage space requirements that you should calculate for your drone recordings.

How much storage space do drone photos need?

How much storage space do drone videos need?

What does the file size of drone images depend on?

The file size of drone footage depends on various factors. Here are the most important ones:

• Resolution: Higher resolutions such as 4K result in larger files compared to lower resolutions such as 1080p.
• Frame rate: A higher frame rate (e.g. 60 frames per second instead of 30) also increases the file size as more frames are recorded per second.
• Compression: Different video formats and codecs (such as H.264 or H.265) compress data differently effectively. Less compression results in larger files, but preserves more detail and quality.
• Recording duration: Longer videos naturally lead to larger files. This also applies to longer time-lapse or slow-motion recordings.
• Bit rate: A higher bit rate means that more data is recorded per second, which increases the file size. Professional drones often offer the option of setting the bit rate manually.
• Colour depth and colour format: Recordings with 10-bit colour depth or in RAW formats are significantly larger than standard 8-bit videos, as they store more information per image.
• Additional factors: Other settings such as HDR (High Dynamic Range) and additional sensor data (e.g. height information) can also influence the file size.

Which memory card do I need for my drone?

Based on the data, you can now decide for yourself how large the desired memory card for your drone should be. If you need a selection of recommendations for this, we recommend our guide DJI Mini 4 Pro – the best memory cards. The tips in this guide can also be adapted for other drone models.