RAW vs. JPEG File Size Comparison Calculator

Enter your camera resolution, bit depth, JPEG quality, and card size to compare RAW and JPEG file sizes, shots per card, and storage requirements.

Created by Luis GonzalezLast updated: May 9, 2026

How to Use This Calculator

1
Enter Image Dimensions
Input the horizontal (width) and vertical (height) resolution of your camera in pixels (e.g., 6000x4000 for 24 MP).
2
Specify RAW Bit Depth
Enter the bit depth of your RAW files, typically 12 or 14 bits per channel, which determines the amount of color information captured.
3
Set JPEG Bit Depth
Input the bit depth for JPEG files, which is standardized at 8 bits per channel.
4
Adjust JPEG Quality
Choose your camera's JPEG quality setting (1-100%). Most cameras default to 85-95% for optimal balance.
5
Input Memory Card Size
Enter the total capacity of your memory card in gigabytes (e.g., 64 GB) to see how many images it can hold.
6
Review File Size Comparison
The calculator will display the estimated file sizes for RAW and JPEG, along with images per card, size ratio, and storage for 100 shots.

Example Calculation

A travel photographer is planning a trip and needs to understand the storage implications of shooting both RAW and JPEG. Their camera captures 6000x4000 pixel images with 14-bit RAW and 8-bit JPEG at 85% quality, using a 64 GB memory card.

Image Width (px)

6000

Image Height (px)

4000

RAW Bit Depth (bit)

JPEG Bit Depth (bit)

JPEG Quality (%)

Memory Card Size (GB)

Results

32.5 MB

Tips

Prioritize RAW for Critical Shots

For important events or scenes requiring extensive post-processing, always shoot RAW. The larger file size provides significantly more data for adjustments to exposure, white balance, and color without degradation.

Optimize JPEG Quality for Web

When shooting JPEGs for direct web upload or sharing, a quality setting of 70-80% often provides a good balance between file size and visual fidelity, saving considerable storage space and upload time.

Invest in Larger, Faster Cards

If you frequently shoot RAW or high-volume bursts, investing in larger capacity (128GB+) and faster (UHS-II) memory cards is crucial. This minimizes card swaps and ensures your camera can write large files quickly.

Mastering Storage: RAW vs. JPEG File Size Comparison Calculator

The RAW vs. JPEG File Size Comparison Calculator empowers photographers to make informed decisions about their storage needs by comparing the file sizes of RAW and JPEG images based on resolution, bit depth, and JPEG quality. This tool provides instant insights into images per memory card, storage for 100 shots, and the critical size ratio between formats. For a 24 MP camera shooting 14-bit RAW, a single file might be around 32.5 MB, while an 85% quality JPEG might be 10-12 MB, highlighting the significant storage difference for a typical 64 GB card in 2025.

Strategic File Management for Photographers

Effective file management is a cornerstone of a professional photography workflow, directly impacting efficiency, storage costs, and the long-term preservation of images. Understanding the nuances of RAW and JPEG file sizes is crucial for photographers to optimize their storage solutions, streamline post-processing, and prepare images for various delivery platforms. For instance, a professional wedding photographer shooting hundreds of images will quickly fill a 64GB memory card within hours if exclusively using RAW, as 100 RAW shots can easily consume 3-5 GB. This necessitates planning for larger memory cards, external hard drives, or cloud storage solutions to manage the vast amounts of data generated during a typical shoot.

The Mathematics Behind Image File Sizes

The file size of an image is primarily determined by its resolution (width × height), bit depth, and compression ratio.

For RAW files (uncompressed estimate):

RAW File Size (bits) = Image Width × Image Height × RAW Bit Depth × Number of Channels

(Typically 3 channels for RGB, or 1 for monochrome) This bit count is then converted to megabytes (MB) by dividing by 8 (bits/byte) and 1,048,576 (bytes/MB). Actual RAW files often use lossless compression, making them slightly smaller than this theoretical maximum.

For JPEG files: JPEG files utilize lossy compression, which significantly reduces file size by discarding some image data. The compression ratio is heavily influenced by the JPEG Quality setting. There isn't a simple, direct formula like RAW because the compression algorithm is adaptive. However, the general principle is:

JPEG File Size = (Image Width × Image Height × JPEG Bit Depth × Number of Channels) / Compression Ratio

A higher JPEG quality percentage results in a lower compression ratio (less data discarded), leading to a larger file size.

💡 When preparing images for print, especially large formats, resolution is critical. Our Large Format Print Resolution Calculator helps determine the optimal pixel dimensions for stunning physical outputs.

Comparing RAW and JPEG for a Travel Photographer's Needs

A travel photographer is preparing for a journey, using a camera that produces 6000 pixels wide by 4000 pixels high images. They shoot 14-bit RAW and 8-bit JPEGs at 85% quality, with a 64 GB memory card.

Calculate RAW File Size:
- Total pixels = 6000 × 4000 = 24,000,000 pixels (24 MP).
- Approximate uncompressed RAW size (14-bit, 3 channels): (24,000,000 × 14 × 3) / 8 / 1,048,576 ≈ 120 MB.
- Actual RAW files use lossless compression, so a typical 24MP 14-bit RAW file is closer to 32.5 MB.
Calculate JPEG File Size:
- For a 24 MP image at 85% quality, a typical JPEG file size is around 11.5 MB.
Determine Images on Card:
- RAW: 64 GB / 32.5 MB/image ≈ 1,969 images
- JPEG: 64 GB / 11.5 MB/image ≈ 5,565 images
Calculate Size Ratio RAW/JPEG:
- 32.5 MB / 11.5 MB ≈ 2.83x (RAW is nearly 3 times larger)
Storage for 100 Shots:
- RAW: 100 shots × 32.5 MB/shot = 3,250 MB ≈ 3.25 GB
- JPEG: 100 shots × 11.5 MB/shot = 1,150 MB ≈ 1.15 GB

The photographer finds that shooting RAW consumes significantly more space (3.25 GB per 100 shots) compared to JPEG (1.15 GB per 100 shots), allowing them to store over 2.8 times more JPEGs on the same 64 GB card.

💡 Understanding how image resolution impacts display quality is also important for photographers. Our Retina Display Resolution Calculator can help you optimize images for high-DPI screens.

Interpreting RAW vs. JPEG for Professional Workflow

Professional photographers meticulously choose between RAW and JPEG based on their specific workflow, project requirements, and desired output. RAW files are the preferred choice for assignments demanding maximum image quality and extensive post-processing, such as high-end portraiture, commercial advertising, or fine art photography. The rich data in a RAW file allows for significant adjustments to exposure, white balance, and color grading without introducing artifacts, making it an ideal archival format. Conversely, JPEGs are favored for situations requiring rapid turnaround, immediate sharing, or when storage efficiency is paramount, like photojournalism, event photography, or web content creation. Many professionals adopt a hybrid approach, shooting RAW+JPEG to gain the flexibility of RAW for critical edits while having ready-to-use JPEGs for quick previews or client delivery, accepting the increased storage burden this entails.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary difference between RAW and JPEG file formats?

RAW files contain unprocessed sensor data, offering maximum flexibility for editing and recovering detail in post-production, but they are significantly larger and require specialized software. JPEG files are compressed, processed, and ready-to-use images, smaller in size but with less dynamic range and editing latitude due to irreversible data loss during compression. A 24 MP RAW file might be 30 MB, while its JPEG counterpart is often 8-12 MB.

Why are RAW files larger than JPEG files?

RAW files are larger because they capture all the data directly from the camera's sensor (typically 12 or 14 bits per channel), preserving much more information than an 8-bit JPEG. JPEGs, on the other hand, apply in-camera processing, compression algorithms (often lossy), and discard data to achieve smaller file sizes, making them less flexible for extensive adjustments but more efficient for storage and sharing.

Does JPEG quality setting impact file size significantly?

Yes, the JPEG quality setting directly impacts file size. Higher quality settings (e.g., 90-100%) result in less compression and larger files with more detail, while lower settings (e.g., 50-70%) apply more aggressive compression, leading to smaller files but potentially noticeable loss of image quality, especially when viewed at full resolution. Most cameras default to 85-95% quality.

How does image resolution affect RAW and JPEG file sizes?

Image resolution, measured in pixels (e.g., 6000x4000 for 24 megapixels), is a primary determinant of file size for both RAW and JPEG. More pixels mean more data needs to be stored, resulting in larger files. A 45 MP image will generate significantly larger RAW and JPEG files than a 12 MP image, requiring more storage space and potentially longer processing times.