Integrity stays the same?

dogdots · 23-08-2007, 18:21

I was wondering....when you download your pictures onto your computer from your memory card and then copy them to a file does the integrity stay the same? Or is it better to cut and paste them into a file?

***Steve*** · 23-08-2007, 18:24

When you download them off the memory card the quality is the same. If you then edit the pictures and re-save them using any non lossless format you will lose quality.

dogdots · 24-08-2007, 04:56

What do you mean by non lossless format? After downloading them I save the pictures right away as what I hope is the original. I don't do any editing. I then will retreive them from a disc and copy them to a file to work on. After editing them I save the edited ones on a different disc.

danpen · 24-08-2007, 05:28

Most image file types use compression to reduce the files size, some of these formats actually "throw away" data that they deem to be not important, JPEG is the most common of these. Everytime you load and then save a JPEG file in an editing program it gets a little worse especially if your software is configured to favour smaller file sizes over image quality.

Just copying a file from one place to another won't have any impact on image quality but loading it into an image editing program and saving it will reduce the quality if you're using JPEGs.

There are a number of file formats that are Lossless and don't discard any information, the most common of these if TIF, TIFS have a much bigger filesize than JPEGs.

Commonly people will shoot in RAW (the camera's own format that stores all the data collected by the camera), convert to TIF, do all the editing on the TIF and then save a final copy for the web as a JPEG.

However if you're getting JPEGs straight from the camera, always keep the original unedited somewhere and do your editing in as few sessions as possible to reduce the number of times you reload the image into the editing program and save it.

cheers

Dan

dogdots · 24-08-2007, 14:30

I find that very interesting. I thought that may happen. Just wasn't sure. Thanks for the information. I haven't shot in Raw yet. Planned on trying it. Will do so now.

ChrisRabior · 24-08-2007, 14:39

Yeah.. what DanPin said.

23-08-2007, 18:21	#1 (permalink)
dogdots Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Dakota Posts: 576	Integrity stays the same? I was wondering....when you download your pictures onto your computer from your memory card and then copy them to a file does the integrity stay the same? Or is it better to cut and paste them into a file?

23-08-2007, 18:24	#2 (permalink)
*Steve* Pixalo Crew Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: An Englishman living in Germany Posts: 15,999	Re: Integrity stays the same? When you download them off the memory card the quality is the same. If you then edit the pictures and re-save them using any non lossless format you will lose quality.

24-08-2007, 04:56	#3 (permalink)
dogdots Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Dakota Posts: 576	Re: Integrity stays the same? What do you mean by non lossless format? After downloading them I save the pictures right away as what I hope is the original. I don't do any editing. I then will retreive them from a disc and copy them to a file to work on. After editing them I save the edited ones on a different disc.

24-08-2007, 05:28	#4 (permalink)
danpen Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 875	Re: Integrity stays the same? Most image file types use compression to reduce the files size, some of these formats actually "throw away" data that they deem to be not important, JPEG is the most common of these. Everytime you load and then save a JPEG file in an editing program it gets a little worse especially if your software is configured to favour smaller file sizes over image quality. Just copying a file from one place to another won't have any impact on image quality but loading it into an image editing program and saving it will reduce the quality if you're using JPEGs. There are a number of file formats that are Lossless and don't discard any information, the most common of these if TIF, TIFS have a much bigger filesize than JPEGs. Commonly people will shoot in RAW (the camera's own format that stores all the data collected by the camera), convert to TIF, do all the editing on the TIF and then save a final copy for the web as a JPEG. However if you're getting JPEGs straight from the camera, always keep the original unedited somewhere and do your editing in as few sessions as possible to reduce the number of times you reload the image into the editing program and save it. cheers Dan __________________ A mad keen photographer needs to get out into the world and work and make mistakes. - Sam Abell My Photos

24-08-2007, 14:30	#5 (permalink)
dogdots Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Dakota Posts: 576	Re: Integrity stays the same? I find that very interesting. I thought that may happen. Just wasn't sure. Thanks for the information. I haven't shot in Raw yet. Planned on trying it. Will do so now.

24-08-2007, 14:39	#6 (permalink)
ChrisRabior Getting Comfy Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 168	Re: Integrity stays the same? Yeah.. what DanPin said.

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