digitalmorgan
Member
1. I strongly agree with using card readers v. hooking camera up to computer!
2. Picassa is good, but a STUNNINGLY good program for handling photos on your computer is Faststone Image Viewer. This is a RARE case where an excellent program is FREE! it browses, converts, edits, and more. I'd buy it if it weren't FREE. www.faststone.ORG
3. Shoot the best/biggest your camera can do! Folks buy a camera that claims '10 megabyte' photos, then are puzzled that the jpg files are only 4 megs. Its not just that they are compressed, (though jpg files do usually compress even at the camera's least-compressed setting) When shooting pics, if your camera allows it, shoot in a RAW format. Usually RAW (or TIFF) files use 32bit color and that largest-file-size possible for your camera is in that 32bit mode, non compression.
JPG files on the other hand are usually 24bit; loss of color and more (minimal, but hey)and therefor the files are smaller. JPG is a format useful for compressing files for uploading speed reasons, but you lose quality with jpg.
So; set your camera to take the biggest pics it can, set the file type to RAW or TIFF. THEN when you store them on your computer, you can use programs like Faststone Image Viewer to MAKE A DUPLICATE, then resize and convert your photo to a handier file. Keep your RAW/TIFF file, a jpg full screen and a thumbnail version of each picture.
* JPG is ok for online, onscreen... just avoid 'compressing' if you can. If you ever might want your photos used for offset press printing, they will insist on TIFF or RAW files to get good results.
2. Picassa is good, but a STUNNINGLY good program for handling photos on your computer is Faststone Image Viewer. This is a RARE case where an excellent program is FREE! it browses, converts, edits, and more. I'd buy it if it weren't FREE. www.faststone.ORG
3. Shoot the best/biggest your camera can do! Folks buy a camera that claims '10 megabyte' photos, then are puzzled that the jpg files are only 4 megs. Its not just that they are compressed, (though jpg files do usually compress even at the camera's least-compressed setting) When shooting pics, if your camera allows it, shoot in a RAW format. Usually RAW (or TIFF) files use 32bit color and that largest-file-size possible for your camera is in that 32bit mode, non compression.
JPG files on the other hand are usually 24bit; loss of color and more (minimal, but hey)and therefor the files are smaller. JPG is a format useful for compressing files for uploading speed reasons, but you lose quality with jpg.
So; set your camera to take the biggest pics it can, set the file type to RAW or TIFF. THEN when you store them on your computer, you can use programs like Faststone Image Viewer to MAKE A DUPLICATE, then resize and convert your photo to a handier file. Keep your RAW/TIFF file, a jpg full screen and a thumbnail version of each picture.
* JPG is ok for online, onscreen... just avoid 'compressing' if you can. If you ever might want your photos used for offset press printing, they will insist on TIFF or RAW files to get good results.