photo file size

[GRUB]

I just got a new dig. camera and when I take pictures on the lowest setting 640x480 I get 150 Kb file sizes. To get them under the 100 Kb limit really trashes the quality. How does everyone else get such nice results? Olympus Stylus 400 4.0 megapixel is the model, Camedia Master 4.1 software and a new user. I would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[jinman]

Grub, you can take pictures at any size and then reduce their size and compress them into "JPEG" files which will easily be less than 100k and still have good quality. If you have Windows, you have a software program called Microsoft Photo Editor. It's not the best, but I'm sure it will do what you need. Here is what you will need to do:

1. Find and open Microsoft Photo Editor (it may be under Accessories)
2. Open the photo file you want to reduce in size.
3. Select the "Image" drop-down menu and then "Resize"
4. Under "Units" select "Pixels"
5. Under "Width" type in "640" and the height should change automatically to match.
6. Click on "OK" to close the dialog box and reduce the photo
7. Now choose "File + Save As" (don't choose "Save" unless you want to overwrite the original file.)
8. Under "Save As" make sure file "Save as type" JPEG... is chosen
9. When JPEG is showing click on the "More" button.
10. Using the slider, move it down to about 30.
11. Give your file a name you can remember in the "File name" block.
12. Click on "Save" button.
13. View your file using your normal viewing software and it should be 50k to 100k or less and good quality.

Remember, start with a high quality photo. If the original is a bad or low light photo, you may not be able to improve it, but the compression technique outlined above should produce acceptable results on a good photo.

 

[Bird]

I'd very strictly an amateur with photography, but I have an Olympus D460Zoom that came with Camedia Master 1.2. I've started taking all my pictures with next to the highest resolution, then after I load them onto the computer, I open them with Camedia Master, click on "Image" in the toolbar, then "Instant Fix" which frequently makes them lighter and look a little better, and save that version. I right click on a picture, then click on "Properties" to see what size it shows in width and height, as well as the file size. Then with the picture open in Camedia Master, I click on "Image" again in the toolbar, then click on "Resize" and adjust downward in size.

Now since I don't really know what I'm doing, and never know exactly what the file size will be with different widths and heights, I sometimes only reduce it a little bit, the check the "Properties" again to see what the file size is, and maybe have to repeat the process.

Another thing I do, is to save the original picture at the higher resolution, after using "Instant Fix", then "Copy" that picture into a different folder and use the copy to adjust the size before posting it on this forum or sending it via e-mail to anyone. That way if I mess it up, I can always delete it and start over with another "copy".

Now we have a bunch of real photographers as members on this forum who might tell you an easier, simpler, or better way to do it, but it works for me, and of course, I don't know what differences there may be in my version of Camedia Master and yours.

 

[JohnMiller3]

Hi,

As said before… if you take pictures with your camera at the highest resolution (not the lowest or 640x480 mode), you have a lot more to work with (Picture Quality) before you fix, crop, reduce, or resize the picture with your computer software…

Download this free software, it will allow you to Reduce and See the File Size & Picture Quality Before you actually Save it…/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Free Photo Reducer software for TBN

 

[JohnMiller3]

Here’s a screen shot of the Freeware program “Photo Resizer”… Everything is updated in real-time so you can see the “what-ifs” before any photo is saved/changed…

The original photo was taken at a resolution of 1760 x 1168 and has an original file size of 544,477 bytes… by using this simple program and a couple mouse clicks, it only took mere seconds to “reduce” the picture file size to under 100,000 bytes ( actual 77,645) with a new resolution of 515 x 342 (with the program automatically keeping the aspect ratio), at the same time showing you the quality of what the “new” picture will look like on screen… so if you don’t like what you see… you can adjust accordingly with a few more mouse clicks and try again…

Again… mere seconds to do… and basically an “idiot proof” program to use… /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

(and did I mention... FREE Software...! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

 

[JohnMiller3]

Our new saved photo...

 

[MikePA]

I thought I'd share my digital photo process since I take a lot pf photos, many of which I either email or post them to the web.

1. Folder on my hard drive called, what else, Photographs.
2. After each photo taking event, I create a subfolder with the topic, e.g., 'Christmas - 2003'.
3. Under this sub-folder, I create 2 standard (for me) sub-sub-folders named 'Original' and 'Web'.
4. I copy all the pictures from the camera storage card into the 'Original' folder. I never make any changes to these.
5. I use the Batch feature of Irfanview to resize all the Original pictures to 640 x 480 and save them in the Web folder.

With Original file sizes up to about 1 meg, this usually results in a Web file size of under 100K without adding jpeg compression. If it doesn't, I add some.

 

[woodmills1]

would like to add another boost for Irfanview. Once you download this free picture software you can scroll through all of the pictures in any one file just by using the mouse wheel. very convinient.

 

[LWFrisk]

I would like to know how you post the photo in text on TBN without making an attachment. Sure would like to know if anyone can help

 

[BillG_in_TX]

The photo has to be on the internet somewhere. Usually, you would attach the photo first, and then insert it into the text using the Image link in the Edit option. However, some members have their photos out in hyperspace somewhere, as opposed to their personal computer, and they can just refer to that url address.

Hope that makes sense.