Video File Size Charts: Comparing Codecs and Recording Modes Memory Requirements

Video storage requirements can vary far more than most people expect. Two recordings that look similar on screen can consume very different amounts of memory, simply because they are recorded using different codecs.

Understanding how codec choice affects storage is essential when planning a shoot. It determines how long you can record, how many cards you need on hand, and whether your media can comfortably handle the workload.

This article provides a clear, practical comparison of the memory requirements of different codecs across common resolutions, frame rates, and recording durations, so you can plan with confidence before you hit record.

The charts in this article make those relationships visible. They show how different recording modes translate into real-world memory usage, allowing you to plan recording time, choose codecs deliberately, and select memory card capacities with fewer surprises.

If you are only interested in the numbers, feel free to jump straight to the comparison charts [in-page anchor link to the charts]. They show how much memory different codecs require at common resolutions, frame rates, and recording durations. The sections in between explain why these differences exist, but the charts stand on their own.

What Actually Determines Video File Size

Video recording is a process of continuously generating and storing data. Every time you hit record, your camera generates a steady stream of data. That stream is written to the memory card in real time, from the first frame to the last. How large the resulting file becomes depends on three things above all else:

Recording duration — The longer the clip, the more data is generated and stored. This relationship is linear. Double the recording time, and the file size doubles as well.

Resolution and frame rate — Higher resolutions contain more pixels per frame. Higher frame rates record more frames per second. Both increase the amount of data needed to be stored.

Codec — The codec defines how the video signal is processed and stored before it is written to the memory card. This includes how the image data is compressed, how information is distributed across frames, and how much precision is preserved for color and tonal detail. Because of this, codec choice has a much larger impact on storage requirements than it might appear at first glance. Different codecs can write very different amounts of data, even at the same resolution and frame rate. Some codecs are designed to reduce file size as much as possible. Others are designed to capture as much information as possible per frame, resulting in much higher data rates.

All of these factors come together to form the bitrate. Bitrate describes how much data is written to the memory card every second. Once you know the bitrate, calculating file size becomes straightforward.

Video File Size Charts by Codec

The charts below show how much memory is required to record different video lengths using common codecs and recording modes. Each chart focuses on a specific codec and compares storage usage across resolutions and frame rates.

We cover widely used codecs such as H.264, H.265, and Apple ProRes, using typical real-world bitrates to keep the numbers practical. Recording duration is listed on the left, with the corresponding file size shown in gigabytes. Chart values are rounded slightly for clarity.

Use the charts to compare codecs at a glance and to estimate what capacity memory card you need, depending on your project specifics and recording settings. Keep in mind, chart values are rounded slightly for clarity.

H.264 (AVC)

H.265 (HEVC)

Apple ProRes 422

Apple ProRes 422 HQ

Choosing the Right Codec for Your Needs

Choosing a codec is ultimately a balance between image quality, recording time, and workflow requirements. There is no universally “best” option. The right choice depends on how you shoot and how you intend to work with the footage afterward.

H.264 achieves its efficiency primarily through temporal compression. Instead of storing every frame as a complete image, it stores full frames only at intervals and describes the frames in between as changes relative to their neighbors. Large parts of the image that do not change from frame to frame are not stored again. Only motion, differences, and prediction errors are written as new data. This approach is very effective at reducing file size. Static scenes, locked-off shots, interviews, and slow camera movement compress extremely well.

H.265 takes this approach further than H.264. It uses more advanced prediction methods and larger, more flexible block structures to reduce redundancy even more aggressively. At a similar visual quality, this typically results in smaller files and longer recording times. The cost is increased complexity. H.265 requires more processing power to decode and edit, which can slow down workflows on less capable systems.

The tradeoff is that individual frames are not self-contained. To reconstruct a single frame, the decoder often has to reference multiple frames before and after it. This makes the footage more computationally demanding to decode and less flexible in post-production. Heavy color grading, frame-accurate editing, or repairing corrupted frames becomes more difficult because the image data is distributed across time rather than stored independently.

These limitations are often irrelevant when recording long-form material that will see minimal post-processing. For events, interviews, conferences, documentaries, and continuous coverage, the storage efficiency of H.264 and H.265 is usually a clear advantage.

ProRes takes a different approach. It relies on intra-frame compression, where each frame is stored as a complete image. There is far less reliance on prediction across frames, which means more data is written, but each frame stands on its own. This preserves more image information, simplifies editing, and makes the footage more robust during color grading and post-production.

For controlled shoots, commercial work, and any scenario where image quality and workflow speed matter more than recording time, the increased storage requirements of ProRes are often a worthwhile tradeoff.

Pro Tips for Optimizing Storage

1. Choose the codec that matches the job

Use efficient codecs like H.264 or H.265 when recording long takes or continuous footage. Switch to higher-data-rate codecs only when the additional image information and workflow benefits are actually needed.

2. Avoid overspecifying resolution

Recording at higher resolutions than your final delivery requires increases file size without improving the end result. If the project will be delivered in 1080p, recording everything in 4K may offer little practical benefit while significantly increasing storage use.

3. Use higher frame rates intentionally

Higher frame rates increase storage use quickly, so use them deliberately. In mixed workflows, such as interviews paired with b-roll, you do not need to treat all footage the same. Record interviews and standard coverage at normal frame rates. Use higher frame rates (60fps and above) only when you plan to slow the footage down in post. Footage that will play back in real time only consumes more storage when shot at higher frame rates.

Final Words: Video Codecs and Memory Requirements

Modern video codecs are designed to solve different problems, and the storage they require is a direct result of those design choices. Large files are not a flaw. They are simply the cost of preserving more image information, consistency, or flexibility in post-production. Smaller files, in turn, reflect a different set of priorities, favoring efficiency and longer recording times.

Now that you understand how different codecs translate into real storage requirements, planning your recordings becomes far more predictable. Choosing the right settings and the right memory card is no longer guesswork. With clear expectations and appropriate media, recording time, file size, and performance stay aligned with how you shoot, even in demanding workflows.

Happy shooting!

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