Compression and File Size

One of the most useful image formats is JPEG (short for Joint Photographic Experts Group), which uses a .jpg file extension. JPEG compresses files to create a smaller size file. On a digital camera a "quality" setting sets how much compression is used when saving the file. The levels are often refered to as fine, normal and basic. These settings are associated with a compression ratio.

Recommendation:

Set you camera to the highest resolution setting i.e. 2400 x 1800 The higher the level of compression you choose, the smaller the size of the file. A typical compression ratio is 8 to 1. This means that a 3-megabyte (MB) file saved as a compressed JPEG file will be reduced to 375 kilobytes (KB). The drawback to this compression is that every time the file is saved again, a small amount of image quality is lost. This method is similar to making a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy. Each successive copy is slightly reduced in quality from the original. If the image is going to be edited and saved numerous times, then another file format such as Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) should be used for the interim saves of the file. The TIFF file format is lossless, it does not lose image quality in exchange for a smaller file size, but it also does not compress files, so files are larger and require more space to store.

The file sizes and number of images stored on memory are an average only. As is the case with JPEG it's difficult to predict the size of an image because it will vary a fair amount depending on the content of the image (especially the amount of detail captured). For example, take a photograph of a fairly empty wall and you'll get a small JPEG, take a photograph of a crowd of people with a lot of detail and you'll get a larger image. Different camera manufacturers also use slightly different compression ratios and different terms for describing them (see the table extreme bottom for conversion of manufacturers terms).

NB: All sizes will crop slightly in one dimension.

Photoland
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Tanya Gabe
Tanya Gabe
9 days ago
They offer ID photos specific for Chinese visa application. The wait time was 1 hr. I found their staff to be friendly and helpful.read more
Sammy Dawn
Sammy Dawn
23 days ago
Victor was very responsive and patient. He also gave good recommendations on how to get our print on canvas mounted on a wood frame. As i had absolutely no idea how things are done etc , his expertise helped make this job seamless! Thank you so much! To top it all, his prices are transparent and reasonable!read more
Charlotte Jackson
Charlotte Jackson
26 days ago
Wonderful experience. I first went into the store very tentatively, not sure if I ‘needed’ a custom made frame, however, having Victor’s consultative input on the different frame designs and customisable feature was so valuable. In the end Victor helped create a beautiful frame for my father in law’s memorial service sheets. As you can imagine, this was a sensitive thing to put in someone else’s hands but the team treated everything with such care and the finished product looks amazing.Thanks guys, would 100% recommend.read more
Simon Gould
Simon Gould
a month ago
#aboveandbeyond Victor and the Photoland team produced the most fantastic framed photo gift for me to surprise my partner with. They combined the half marathon medal and number with a photo from the finish line - the end product far surpassed my expectations . Real customer service, great communication - no wonder they are the only photo framing place in the CBD. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Thanks again Victor.read more
Wendy Smith
Wendy Smith
a month ago
Victor and Photoland are the best people I deal with - incredibly friendly, professional and good value. It's always such a pleasure to visit them. They've done so many jobs for me personally and professionally and there's never been a single mistake. Absolutely wonderful service. Plus they are good at rushing things through last minute. They have never let me down. Best service and range you can get. They totally know what they are talking about when it comes to framing.read more
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