Drone Image Count Calculator
Estimates the number of photos needed to cover a survey area given footprint and overlap.
Enter Values
Before you rely on this: First-pass guide only. Verify safety-critical or regulated work against the relevant standards, your project requirements and a qualified professional.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the survey area (ha), footprint width and height, and overlap (%).
- Press Calculate.
- Read the approximate number of photos.
How it works
Effective footprint = width × height × (1 − overlap)²; images ≈ area ÷ effective footprint. Add extra for turns and buffer.
Worked example
50 ha, 200×130 m, 70% overlap. A few thousand photos depending on overlap.
Frequently asked questions
Why so many photos at high overlap?
Effective coverage per image drops with the square of overlap, so 80% overlap needs far more photos than 60%.
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Cite this tool
Zerdly. (2026). Drone Image Count Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.zerdly.com/tools/drone-image-count-calculator/
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
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