Expert: John Oliverio - 10/26/2003

Question
Hi. My question is that in the options from my F717, can you please tell me what TIFF is and why it takes so much space? Thank you.  

Answer
Andrew,

TIFF means "tagged image file format".  It uses a type of lossless compression that will yield a higher quality image than JPEG (joint photographic experts group).  The downfall, as you have discovered is that it takes more space to store them.  Also, some cameras take longer to actually write them to the memory card.  The problem with JPEG is that to make the file smaller, the computer in your camera actually throws away some of the data when saveing to the memory card; how much depends on what "quality" setting you are useing.  Then, when you open the image in an editing program your computer writes the data back.  And of course it can't figure out exactly where that data was supposed to go.  So you end up with JPEG artifacts (sometimes called JAGGIES), which make your picture appear to have a lower quality and sometimes even soft or blurry.  

WHEW, that was a mouth-full.

Hopes this helps.

John