Wondering how much video can a 32GB hold? You’re at the right spot.
In this post, you’ll discover how many videos can be stored on a 32 GB SD card.
Also, we’ll discuss the various factors that affect the size of the videos shot on your camera.
How Much Video Can 32GB SD Card Hold
In this section, you’ll learn how many videos can you realistically store on your 32GB microSD card, for different resolutions/frame rates. Please note that the video lengths mentioned below are approximate measures. The actual length of video that you get using different resolutions may vary a little bit. Also, we assume that the SD card has been formatted beforehand and does not have any other file before recording the video.
Considering that the average video length is of 3 minutes, here’s how many videos a 32GB SD Card can hold:
4K – 24/30/60 FPS
In the 4K resolution, you can store a total of 57.6 Minutes (0.96 Hours) of video on your GoPro camera with a 32GB SD card when you use 24, 30, or 60 FPS frame rates.
Number of Videos: 19 (Avg. length per video – 3 minutes)
2.7K – 24/30 FPS
When shooting in 2.7K resolution and using a frame rate of either 24 or 30 FPS, you can store a total of 115.2 minutes (1.92 Hours) of video on your GoPro camera with a 32GB SD card in it.
Number of Videos: 38 (Avg. length per video – 3 minutes)
2.7K – 60/120 FPS
At 60 or 120 FPS, you can store a total of 57.6 minutes (0.96 Hours) of 2.7K video on a 32GB SD card inserted in your GoPro camera.
Number of Videos: 19 (Avg. length per video – 3 minutes)
1440p – 24/30 FPS
In the 1440p resolution, you can store a total of 115.2 minutes (1.92 Hours) of video on your GoPro camera with a 32GB SD card when you use 24 or 30 FPS frame rates.
Number of Videos: 38 (Avg. length per video – 3 minutes)
1440p – 60/120 FPS
When shooting in 1440p resolution and using a frame rate of either 60 or 120 FPS, you can store a total of 57.6 minutes (0.96 Hours) of video on your GoPro camera with a 32GB SD card inserted in it.
Number of Videos: 19 (Avg. length per video – 3 minutes)
1080p – 24/30/60 FPS
While using a 1080p HD resolution at 24, 30, or 60 FPS frame rates, you can store a total of 115.2 minutes (1.92 Hours) of video on your GoPro camera with a 32GB SD card inserted in it.
Number of Videos: 38 (Avg. length per video – 3 minutes)
1080p – 120/240 FPS
At 120 or 240 FPS, you can store a total of 57.6 minutes (0.96 Hours) of 1080p HD video with a 32GB SD card in your GoPro camera.
Number of Videos: 19 (Avg. length per video – 3 minutes)
To find out how much pictures a 32GB SD card can store, check out this article: How Many Pictures a 32gb SD Card CAN Hold (RAW + JPEG).
Factors Affecting Video Size
There are a number of factors that make a lot of difference when it comes to the size of each video. These factors include:
Length of Video
The length of the video affects its size for obvious reasons. For example, a two-minute video would be double the size of a one-minute video having the same specs.
Video Bitrate
The video bitrate refers to the number of bits captured in the video file per second – Mbps. A higher bitrate usually means that the video quality is better, and therefore, the size of the video is also larger. For 4K shots, the video bitrate on a GoPro camera is usually anywhere between 60-100 Mbps, depending upon the frame rate (fps). For 1080p HD videos, it goes to around 45-78 Mbps. Also, please note that when Protune is on, the bitrate may be slightly higher.
Frame Rate
The size of the video increases significantly with the increase in frame rate. The file size of a video almost doubles if the frame rate goes above 30fps for 4K videos or 60fps for 1080p videos.
Format
Some video formats use more space than others. Therefore, the format of the video affects its size. Some common video formats include AVI, MOV, and MP4. GoPro cameras shoot videos in MP4 format.
Resolution
The resolution of the video also affects its file size. The higher the resolution, the larger the file size will be. However, the video resolution alone isn’t the deciding factor when it comes to the file size. You also need to take into consideration the frame rate of the video. For example, for a 1-minute video length, both 1080p/120fps and 4K/60fps would generate an identical file size.
Other Files
There are several additional files in your camera other than the video files. These include photo files because most people shoot photos alongside videos too. In addition, GoPro cameras also create LRV and THM files, which also use space on your SD card. Therefore, while thinking about how many videos you can store on your GoPro camera, you also have to consider the space held by these additional files.
Maximum Video Bitrates of GoPro Cameras
As mentioned before, video bitrate affects the size of videos. Therefore, knowing the maximum bitrate at which your camera records videos is useful to ascertain how many videos you can store when using an SD card of a particular capacity in your SD card.
Here are the maximum video bit rates when filming with GoPro cameras:
- GoPro Hero 12 Black: 120 Mbps
- GoPro Hero 11 Black: 120 Mbps
- GoPro Hero 10 Black: 100 Mbps
- GoPro Hero 9 Black: 100 Mbps
- GoPro Max: 78 Mbps
- Hero 8 Black: 100Mbps
- GoPro Fusion: 120 Mbps
- GoPro Hero 7 Black: 78 Mbps
- GoPro Hero 7 Silver: 60 Mbps
- GoPro Hero 7 White: 40 Mbps
- GoPro Hero 6 Black: 78 Mbps
- GoPro Hero 5 Black: 60 Mbps
Suggested 32GB microSD Cards to Buy
Now that you know how many videos you can expect to store on a 32GB SD card, let’s discuss which ones are some of the best microSD cards that you can buy.
Here are some of the best 32GB microSD cards that you can buy:
SanDisk Extreme 32GB microSD Card
- Up to 60MB/s write speeds for fast shooting (Based on internal testing; performance...
- Up to 100MB/s read speeds to save time transferring high-res images and 4K UHD videos...
- Capture stunning 4K and 5K UHD video (Compatible device required. Full HD...
Samsung EVO Select 32GB microSD Card
- Up to 80MB/s transfer speed
- Works with Cell phones, Smartphones, Android Tablets, Tablet PCs, and more.
- High-performance up to 80MB/s for full HD video recording, high resolution pictures,...
Lexar Professional 633x 32GB microSD Card
Delkin Devices 32GB Select microSD Card
- FAST & RELIABLE PERFORMANCE: This 32GB micro SD card boasts UHS-I (U1/V10)...
- OPTIMIZED FOR VERSATILE DEVICES: Perfect for smartphones, tablets, action cameras,...
- DURABLE DESIGN: Built to withstand tough environments, this micro-SD card is water...
PNY Elite 32GB microSD Card
- Class 10 U1 speed rating with read speeds up to 100MB/s
- Class 10 - UHS-I U1 speed Class performance allows for fast and smooth continuous HD...
- Record and transfer videos photos music files and more from Android smartphones and...
Should You Get a 32GB SD Card?
The storage capacity of your SD card matters a lot when it comes to how many videos you can record and store. Today, with super high resolutions (4K/5K), higher frame rates, and video bitrates as much as 100Mbps being the norm, the size of videos recorded by the latest GoPro cameras has increased significantly.
Therefore, using a 32GB SD card with your GoPro may not be enough for your needs. As described above, you can store only about 19 4K videos in a 32GB memory card – that too if you assume that your SD card doesn’t have any other file in it. That’s too little for most users. So, consider upgrading to an SD card with at least 128 GB of storage space if you don’t want to see that annoying ‘Storage Full’ signal often.
To know what are storage capacities of bigger SD cards read:
How Many Pictures a 64gb SD Card CAN Hold (RAW + JPEG)
How Many Pictures a 128gb SD Card CAN Hold (RAW + JPEG)
How Many Pictures a 256gb SD Card CAN Hold (RAW + JPEG)
Thanks for reading!
I hope this post answered your question – How Much Video Can a 32GB SD Card Hold? 🙂
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