Digital Photography - File Size Matters

Digital Photography: File Size Matters

Are you just starting out using a digital camera? Did you just get your first digital camera over the holidays? Are you unsure of how to take the best photographs with it? Here's one tip that may help end up with better results - set the file size setting on your camera to the largest file size possible.

With most digital cameras, you have a choice of what size files you want to save your images as. The larger the files - the fewer files you can fit on your storage media (compact flash, smart media, etc). So the temptation is to set you files as small as possible, so you can fit more images on your camera before you download. For example, on my Nikon Coolpix 775 (set on minimal compression) with a 128 MB compact flash - I can fit 780 of the smallest file size on the card, 318 of the medium size and only 133 of the largest size. The largest images on my Coolpix are 1600 X 1200 pixels - or a 650-700 KB JPEG file. The smallest images are 640 X 480 pixels - or about 130 KB JPEG file.

The reason you want larger files is that it gives you more options down the road in editing and printing your images. If you need to crop out parts of your image - you'll end up with a smaller file. And the size of your file, determines how large of a print you can make.

With the large files on the Coolpix 775 - I've printed images as large as 11 X 14 inches. This happened to be an image that filled the frame - so I didn't have to do any cropping. If I had tried to print larger than 11 X 14 - the image wouldn't have looked very good. Usually, even with some cropping of the image, the 650 KB JPEG files from the Coolpix can easily be printed in an 8 X 10 size.

The small files from the Coolpix 775 are a completely different story. A full frame image of one of these files will look good only up to about a 4 X 6 inch print. If we do any cropping of the file, it's hard to get a good print any larger than 3 X 5 inches.

So imagine you take a fantastic photograph that you really want to hang on your walls. Let's also assume you have to do a little cropping to get the framing of the image just right. If you've set your camera to create the largest files possible - you will likely have a lovely 8 X 10 inch print to frame and hang on your walls. If you've set your camera on the smallest file size - that same picture will only be 3 X 5 inches. Which would you rather display on your walls.

So remember - set your digital camera to create the largest files it can make. You'll be much happier with the prints you can create if you have bigger files. The downside is you will need to download your photos more frequently, but even with our Coolpix 775 at its highest resolution, we can get almost as many photos as 4 36-exposure rolls of film.
Copyright by Patty Hankins & Bill Lawrence 2003

Advantages of a digital camera compared to analog

The main answer is conveniently and quickly!
It really is very convenient - the most tiresome operations of selection of a point of shooting, a foreshortening and an exposition are excluded. Having made some pictures, you can choose the optimal variant, plate scanning the received shot on integrated LCD the display. The unfortunate staff it is possible to remove at once, having released a place for new pictures. Forget about the unsuccessful shot and light-struck film! Besides you will not need to spend their time any more and money for development films and a print of photos.

It really is very fast - for few seconds the image is transferred in a computer already in an electronic kind that gives to you many of additional opportunities:

• To view and sort the finished shooting material.
• To create a slide-show, a picture album, presentation with an opportunity of display on the monitor, the standard TV or a multimedia projector.
• If there is a printer it is possible to make a qualitative print at once. And if it maintains the standard of "direct print" DPOF you can transfer images for a print at once to the printer, passing a computer.
• By means of TWAIN the interface it is possible to import the image from the camera to any program of processing of images (for example, Photoshop) and to process it on the taste.-Using opportunities Internet, for example, e-mail to send the received photos to the colleagues, friends or relatives.
  

What can give you digital cameras?

• It is the family camera which will provide high quality of images. You will not test disappointment from a kind of the made pictures. The important factor - the reasonable price of a product, and also simplicity of work with it and the good accompanying software. The Wide range of the built in subject modes and effects of the image will allow to make to you many interesting pictures. Never before creation of your history was not such easy and fast affair.
• It is an ideal choice for users from sphere of business where the basic determining factor is reception of as much as possible fast result. The important role is played here with capacity of memory and presence of the module of the replaceable memory, necessary for long shootings outside of office. The digital camera provides high quality of the image in automatic mode, therefore you should not waste time on installation of parameters. Intuitively clear software for carry of images to the personal computer will allow you to process the information operatively. The majority of models of digital cameras are equipped by means of a videoconclusion owing to which the camera can be used as the presentation device.
• Digital cameras are noteworthy professionals. In modern models exhaustive adjustments (such as management of light-power and speed of operation of a shutter) are stipulated, that allows the qualified photographer to receive the optimum image for the given conditions. Small time of restoration and the greater capacity of memory promote increase of efficiency of work of the photographer. Many cameras have the liquid crystal display enough the big size, allowing at once after shooting to look through and reject the finished shooting films. Besides professional models are compatible to all photoaccessories and optical objectives. For example, for shooting it is possible to use various objectives not only from digital, but also from usual cameras.