How much space does an hour of FX3 4K take?

In XAVC S-I at 4K and 23.98 fps the FX3 records 240 Mbps, about 108 GB an hour, so a 1 TB card holds about 8 h 48 min. XAVC HS at 4K and 59.94 fps, at its top bitrate of 200 Mbps, takes about 90 GB an hour.

What is the difference between XAVC S, XAVC HS and XAVC S-I?

XAVC S (H.264) and XAVC HS (H.265) are Long GOP: they store a whole frame only every so often and the changes in between, so files are small. XAVC HS gets similar quality from fewer bits but takes more computer power to edit. XAVC S-I is All-Intra: every frame is stored whole, so files are several times bigger, but they edit smoothly.

Does frame rate change the file size?

In the Intra codecs, yes, in direct proportion: 4K XAVC S-I on the FX3 is 240 Mbps at 23.98 fps and 600 Mbps at 59.94 fps. Long GOP codecs (XAVC S and XAVC HS) use set bitrates you pick in the menu, so a higher frame rate does not always mean a bigger file.

How much does the FX6 record in XAVC-I?

At 4K and 23.98 fps the FX6 records XAVC-I at 240 Mbps, about 108 GB an hour, or about 8 h 48 min on a 1 TB card.

How accurate is this calculator?

It uses the bitrate Sony publishes for each record setting. Intra and X-OCN files land close to it, and Long GOP files can come in a little smaller on simple scenes. Storage is decimal, as cards are sold, and 5% of each card is kept free for the file system.

CineTools · Sony utility

Sony data rate calculator

File size, bitrate and recording time for every internal recording mode of the FX3, FX30, FX6, FX9, BURANO, from Sony's published figures.

Camera Codec Resolution Frame Rate Card or SSD

Recording Time

Data Rate

Bitrate

Per Minute

Per Hour

Card Size

Reference

Popular Sony recording modes

Data rate and recording time for the modes people use most. Pick any other mode in the calculator above.

Camera	Recording mode	Data rate	1 TB records
FX3	XAVC HS · 4K UHD · 59.94 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	200 Mbps 25 MB/s · 90 GB/h	10 h 33 min
FX3	XAVC HS · 4K UHD · 119.88 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	280 Mbps 35 MB/s · 126 GB/h	7 h 32 min
FX3	XAVC S-I · 4K UHD · 23.98 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	240 Mbps 30 MB/s · 108 GB/h	8 h 48 min
FX3	XAVC S-I · 4K UHD · 59.94 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	600 Mbps 75 MB/s · 270 GB/h	3 h 31 min
FX30	XAVC HS · 4K UHD · 59.94 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	200 Mbps 25 MB/s · 90 GB/h	10 h 33 min
FX30	XAVC S-I · 4K UHD · 23.98 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	240 Mbps 30 MB/s · 108 GB/h	8 h 48 min
FX30	XAVC S-I · 4K UHD · 59.94 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	600 Mbps 75 MB/s · 270 GB/h	3 h 31 min
FX30	XAVC S-I · 4K DCI · 24 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	240 Mbps 30 MB/s · 108 GB/h	8 h 48 min
FX6	XAVC-I · 4K UHD · 23.98 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	240 Mbps 30 MB/s · 108 GB/h	8 h 48 min
FX6	XAVC-I · 4K UHD · 59.94 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	600 Mbps 75 MB/s · 270 GB/h	3 h 31 min
FX6	XAVC-I · 4K DCI · 23.98 fps 4:2:2 10-bit	240 Mbps 30 MB/s · 108 GB/h	8 h 48 min
FX6	XAVC-L · 4K UHD · 59.94 fps 4:2:0 8-bit	150 Mbps 18.8 MB/s · 68 GB/h	14 h 4 min
FX9	XAVC-I · 4K UHD · 23.98 fps	240 Mbps 30 MB/s · 108 GB/h	8 h 48 min
FX9	XAVC-I · 4K UHD · 59.94 fps	600 Mbps 75 MB/s · 270 GB/h	3 h 31 min
FX9	XAVC-I · 4K DCI · 23.98 fps	240 Mbps 30 MB/s · 108 GB/h	8 h 48 min
FX9	XAVC-L · 4K UHD · 59.94 fps	150 Mbps 18.8 MB/s · 68 GB/h	14 h 4 min
BURANO	X-OCN LT · FF 8.6K 17:9 · 23.98 fps	1,699 Mbps 212.4 MB/s · 765 GB/h	1 h 15 min
BURANO	X-OCN LT · FFc 6K 17:9 · 23.98 fps	838 Mbps 104.8 MB/s · 377 GB/h	2 h 31 min
BURANO	X-OCN LT · FFc 6K 17:9 · 59.94 fps	2,094 Mbps 261.8 MB/s · 942 GB/h	1 h 0 min
BURANO	X-OCN LT · S35c 4K 17:9 · 23.98 fps	385 Mbps 48.1 MB/s · 173 GB/h	5 h 29 min

Bitrates are Sony's published figures for each record setting. Storage is decimal, as cards are sold, with 5% kept free for the file system.

FAQ

Sony file size questions

How much space does an hour of FX3 4K take?: In XAVC S-I at 4K and 23.98 fps the FX3 records 240 Mbps, about 108 GB an hour, so a 1 TB card holds about 8 h 48 min. XAVC HS at 4K and 59.94 fps, at its top bitrate of 200 Mbps, takes about 90 GB an hour.
What is the difference between XAVC S, XAVC HS and XAVC S-I?: XAVC S (H.264) and XAVC HS (H.265) are Long GOP: they store a whole frame only every so often and the changes in between, so files are small. XAVC HS gets similar quality from fewer bits but takes more computer power to edit. XAVC S-I is All-Intra: every frame is stored whole, so files are several times bigger, but they edit smoothly.
Does frame rate change the file size?: In the Intra codecs, yes, in direct proportion: 4K XAVC S-I on the FX3 is 240 Mbps at 23.98 fps and 600 Mbps at 59.94 fps. Long GOP codecs (XAVC S and XAVC HS) use set bitrates you pick in the menu, so a higher frame rate does not always mean a bigger file.
How much does the FX6 record in XAVC-I?: At 4K and 23.98 fps the FX6 records XAVC-I at 240 Mbps, about 108 GB an hour, or about 8 h 48 min on a 1 TB card.
How accurate is this calculator?: It uses the bitrate Sony publishes for each record setting. Intra and X-OCN files land close to it, and Long GOP files can come in a little smaller on simple scenes. Storage is decimal, as cards are sold, and 5% of each card is kept free for the file system.

Other camera calculators

Back to CineTools