Digicam File Formats -

Home
>
Photography
>
Digicam File Formats

Digicam File Formats

Looking at the digital camera, a person can visualize it as a combination of a camera along with a miniature computer system that stores the images as files or sets of bits, rather than a chemically treated film. Thus it comes to be a fact that there are certain file formats in which these images of the photographs captured by the camera are stored. And again, this is subject of discussion for understanding the digital camera properly. In this effort this discussion reveals the intricate but overlying to provide a brief overview to the readers regarding the file formats of the digital cameras.

Basically, strictly considering the facts, there are three file formats used by digital cameras to create images of photographs taken by them. These are JPEG, TIFF and RAW. These are the names of the formats but like their strange names their identity remains in the dark if these are not conversed in a little detail. The most vastly and commonly used file format for digital cameras is the JPEG file format. It is time and again the lone available file format on primary and some intermediate standard digital cameras. Many sophisticated digital cameras allows the users to opt for between JPEG, TIFF and RAW. However professional photographers usually prefer to shoot RAW. Yet the discretion remains with the human preference only.

It is a fact that the acronym JPEG stands for "Joint Photographic Expert Group" after the group that developed this file type. To make things easier it must be clarified that JPEG is a compression technique that can considerably trim down the file size of a photograph and other unremitting tone images. Almost all digital cameras have a number of JPEG compression levels and quality settings to select from. The users can make use of them as per discretion and the photograph taken. Thus the jpeg images do not consume much space on a memory cards. Another specialty of this digital camera file format is that JPEGs store camera settings and scene information. All these advantages make this file format so popular and diversely accepted.

The next digital camera file format is the TIFF (Tagged Image File Format). This file format has the greater advantage that it does not lose any image file information during the compression process and moreover as a consequence it does take up a lot of space from a memory card in comparison to a JPEG image. Due to this detailed storage it also takes additional time to retrieve the information to the card. Basically the TIFF compression reduces images to about one-third their original size as per convention.

Coming to the next digital camera file format. It is defined as the RAW file! It is also sometimes referred to as an appropriate digital negative. Most advanced digital cameras allow or permit the ability to shoot RAW in professional standards. The interesting portion is that in a RAW image no alterations are made by the camera (such as sharpening or white balance). And this gives entire control to the photographer when he or she processes an image later. However this RAW file format is not used extensive due to the fact that most image editors cannot open it and computer-processing time is also more. However the fact still remains that a RAW image has a smaller file size than a TIFF.

With all these discussions regarding the different digital camera file formats, it is clear that the three most widely accepted file formats have their own advantages and disadvantages, yet they are unique in some way or the other that makes them special in their own manner. The knowledge about these digital camera file formats of storage not only yields greater understanding of the camera; it also opens the eyes towards the fantastic results of technological advancements in our daily lives.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snapjunky.com. Visit his digital camera guide and learn how to take better pictures with your digicam.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/travel/12COMart.htmlcid=1256254120ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNELc0HAdFX_r1Ao_q-H78FHVDPFwARenaissance Italy, bPhotography/b and Van Gogh/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNew York Times,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobrOct 10, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Those with a penchant for provocative bphotography/b might want to check out the midcareer retrospective of Catherine Opie, a social documentary photographer, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/12/arlingtons_wheatley_races_to_first_in_wesleyan_invitationalcid=0ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNG1iV46MzIh0zrEh1oST2KRMGoOGAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=gos99KuJxgcJimgurl=cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2008/10/09/1223605660_3902/300h.jpg width=38 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Boston Globe/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/12/arlingtons_wheatley_races_to_first_in_wesleyan_invitationalcid=0ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNG1iV46MzIh0zrEh1oST2KRMGoOGAArlington#39;s Liz Wheatley won the Wesleyan Invitational (Steve b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBoston Globe,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By John Vellante Liz Wheatley recalls her cross-country races as a freshman and sophomore at Wesleyan University as uneventful. The performances her junior b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2008/10/photography_fine_weather_for_t.htmlcid=0ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNGKJzXVQpxOUgtyVZjdn19tJAyyJAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=2Toj2EqBPS0Jimgurl=voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/images/brian_std.jpg width=62 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Washington Post/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2008/10/photography_fine_weather_for_t.htmlcid=0ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNGKJzXVQpxOUgtyVZjdn19tJAyyJAbPhotography/b: Fine Weather for Golf Tournament/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWashington Post,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr18 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1I#39;m the golfer on the far right who is about to slice a drive into the woods. By Kevin Ambrose | October 11, 2008; 12:00 PM ET bPhotography/b./font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2008/10/12/talking_headscid=1256745685ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNG5FscePrSE1ndEHz-cGIJcxmHjYQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=P_4fFV2fbLYJimgurl=cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2008/10/09/1223603180_0324/300h.jpg width=63 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Boston Globe/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2008/10/12/talking_headscid=1256745685ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNG5FscePrSE1ndEHz-cGIJcxmHjYQTalking heads/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBoston Globe,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Is it bphotography/b? Or is it us? Discussing the art of portrait bphotography/b in quot;The Mind#39;s Eye,quot; a book of his selected writings, the great Henri-Cartier b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20081012_Student_curators_give_Penn_photography_show_pizzazz.htmlcid=0ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNGlI3lF9d9t6H_6ZzgSPxBNJ84CbAStudent curators give Penn bphotography/b show pizzazz/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPhiladelphia Inquirer,nbsp;PAnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1If quot;Through You: bPhotography/b Selections from the Martin Z. Margulies Collection,quot; now at the University of Pennsylvania#39;s Charles Addams Fine Arts Gallery, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_10699267cid=0ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNH5kGDBZRKHrcJxVJ9Pg69tRZc6vAPoetry: Poetry and bphotography/b are close kin/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Evening Sun,nbsp;PAnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1It wasn#39;t until much later that a friend of mine, who went to the Maryland Institute of Art for bphotography/b, complimented the perspective and composition in b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/sandy-heit-photography-captures-timeless/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BD336B2C3-0FAA-481A-96EC-B350F3A3E886%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1256123744ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNGIJf6EHZwaW-dGqktSW8nQkkOyAgSandy Heit bPhotography/b Captures Timeless Family Portraits/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobrOct 10, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Sandy Heit bPhotography/b focuses on black and white bphotography/b. However, Sandy can also produce color images. All photos are taken in black and white, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.usprwire.com/Detailed/Entertainment/Messenger_Films_Begins_Principal_Photography_For_The_Motion_Picture_The_Bill_Collector_30485.shtmlcid=0ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNHt6P57s1LkG9GrMwdneHbIWH-T2QMessenger Films Begins Principal bPhotography/b For The Motion b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fUSPRwire (press release),nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Messenger Films is proud to announce it will begin principal bphotography/b of the motion picture, The Bill Collector, in Norfolk, Virginia on October 6, 2008. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf%3F/base/news-0/1223784362215180.xml%26coll%3D3cid=0ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNHt9IkzTlEAszJFgiD3Sd_Cu6HRAANazareth bphotography/b teacher to switch places with art teacher b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com,nbsp;PAnbsp;-/font nobr6 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By TONY NAUROTH NAZARETH | An animated Robert Hammond fluttered his hands over a photograph he had just printed in the Nazareth Area High School#39;s photo lab b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://pr-usa.net/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D137256%26Itemid%3D31cid=0ei=Y9nxSNGVMqbU6gPfx6yMAwusg=AFQjCNEO78QRE7vPPwohPT1VcZGvGjNh3w8 Year Old Boy Completes 25 Mile - 3 Day Nature bPhotography/b b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPR-USA.net (press release),nbsp;Bulgarianbsp;-/font nobr20 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1A nature bphotography/b father and son adventure team from West Virginia has released over 600 new nature pictures taken during the expedition into the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

photography - Google News